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See what Kansas City's Super Bowl parade might have looked like a century ago

 Hundreds of thousands of people lined the streets of Grand Boulevard for the Kansas City Chiefs' Super Bowl victory parade on Feb. 15, 2023.
David Wetzel
Hundreds of thousands of people lined the streets of Grand Boulevard for the Kansas City Chiefs' Super Bowl victory parade on Feb. 15, 2023.

Close to 1 million people gathered in the streets of the city and in front of Union Station to cheer on, and maybe even meet, the Super Bowl-winning Kansas City Chiefs. But what would the grand event have looked like if happened in 1923 instead of 2023?

Through his camera lens, David Wetzel may have had one of the best views in the city of the Super Bowl victory parade on Wednesday.

The Kansas City, Kansas, native says he got set up at a friend's balcony at the Western Auto lofts, with a perfect view of the Chiefs parade as it marched down Grand Boulevard.

Wetzel, 39, is an acoustical designer who's been taking photos as a hobby "since I can remember." He's also a big history fan who loves seeing images of Kansas City "then and now," so he wanted to create his own.

During the festivities, Wetzel shot digitally with a Fuji X-T series mirrorless camera and a 55-200mm lens, and then altered the photos afterward to recreate the "vintage" feel.

With that simple setup — and the cardinal rule of "location location location" — Wetzel captured some of the most memorable images of the day, and made them look timeless.

Now this team is truly one for the history books.

Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes holds up a beer in front of a barricade of fans at the Super Bowl victory parade on Feb. 15, 2023.
David Wetzel
Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes holds up a beer in front of a barricade of fans at the Super Bowl victory parade on Feb. 15, 2023.
 Kansas City Chiefs owner and CEO Clark Hunt, bottom center, and coach Andy Reid, bottom right, on a bus in the Super Bowl victory parade on Feb. 15, 2023.
David Wetzel
Kansas City Chiefs owner and CEO Clark Hunt, center, and coach Andy Reid, bottom right, on a bus in the Super Bowl victory parade on Feb. 15, 2023.
The view of Kansas City's Super Bowl parade on Feb. 15, 2023, from the Western Auto Lofts.
David Wetzel
The view of Kansas City's Super Bowl parade on Feb. 15, 2023, from the Western Auto Lofts.
Throngs of fans outside the Rockhill Grille on Grand Boulevard in downtown Kansas City as the Chiefs victory parade goes past, on Feb. 15, 2023.
David Wetzel
Throngs of fans outside the Rockhill Grille on Grand Boulevard in downtown Kansas City as the Chiefs victory parade goes past, on Feb. 15, 2023.
A golf cart drives by screaming Chiefs fans during the Super Bowl parade on Feb. 15, 2023.
David Wetzel
A golf cart drives by screaming Chiefs fans during the Super Bowl parade on Feb. 15, 2023.
A Kansas City Chiefs player greets fans on Grand Boulevard during the Super Bowl victory parade on Feb. 15, 2023.
David Wetzel
A Kansas City Chiefs player greets fans on Grand Boulevard during the Super Bowl victory parade on Feb. 15, 2023.

Thanks again to David Wetzelfor sharing with us his photographs.

You can see KCUR's own images of the 2023 Super Bowl parade here.

As KCUR’s Audience Editor, I ask the questions: What do people need from us, and how can we best deliver it? I work across departments and projects to ensure our entire community is represented in and best served by our journalism. I help lead KCUR’s digital efforts to make our station more responsive, more competitive and more engaging. Contact me at gabe@kcur.org
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