Unconventional Tourist Photographs Reveal What’s Behind the World’s Most Visited Sights

When visiting a monument such as the Taj Mahal, it’s easy to get wrapped up in the microcosm of these iconic sights. Photographer Oliver Curtis is seemingly unfazed by all the action and instead captures scenes that often go unnoticed by tourists—ones that are in the vicinity, but might as well be invisible. In the series Volte-face, he presents images that look opposite to historic sites such as Stonehenge, the Mona Lisa, and Lenin’s Tomb. Often, these views are less than stunning—they’re used for storage, are heavily traveled roads, or are crowded with other people. Here: Statue of Liberty, New York, USA

h/t: mymodernmet, creativeboom

Taj Mahal, Agra, India

Lincoln Memorial, Washington D.C., USA

Parthenon, Athens, Greece

Christ the Redeemer, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Wailing Wall, Jerusalem, Israel

Mao Mausoleum, Tiananmen Square, Beijing, China

Mona Lisa, Louvre, Paris, France

Pyramid Of Khufu, Giza, Egypt

Hollywood Sign, Los Angeles, USA

Stonehenge, Wiltshire, UK

‘Arbeit macht frei’ Gates, Auschwitz, Oświęcim, Poland

White House, Washington D.C., USA

Buckingham Palace, London, UK

Colosseum, Rome, Italy