Relics of the web

I think it’s safe to say that we all love a bit of web nostalgia. Towards the end of last year the Space Jam website — which hasn’t been updated since 1996 — started doing the rounds on Twitter once again and even more recently so did this website from November 1992, which has been widely reported to be one of the first ever.

Today we’re going to take another trip down memory lane and look back on some more old websites that are still up and running. Prepare to smile, laugh and cringe at was is the ultimate reminder of just how far the web has come.

CNN Year in Review 1996

The web page for CNN’s Year in Review 1996. Anybody below the age of 17 wasn’t even born when this page went live.

Batman The Motion Picture Anthology 1989-1997

The all Flash website for the Batman Motion Picture Anthology 1989-1997. No share via Facebook and Twitter options here, it was all about e-mail and AOL Instant Messenger.

Miss Congeniality

Another all Flash website, this time for the movie ‘Miss Congeniality’. Splash screens, loading screens, pop up windows — this one had it all.

The Million Dollar Homepage

One of the first ideas I can recall that made me think “I wish I’d thought of that”. Alex Tew’s classic ‘The Million Dollar Homepage’ was set up as a way for him to raise money for his University education.

IFINDIT

“The largest super search guide on the net” complete with standard ‘Under Construction’ sign.

Billy Elliot

The official website for the movie ‘Billy Elliot’, features more pop-up windows than the movie does pirouettes.

You’ve Got Mail

The official website for the movie ‘You’ve Got Mail’, which features an optional Flash intro that lasts approximately 15 seconds.

Ingen (Jurassic Park: The Lost World)

Even in 1997 they were creating websites for fictional companies. Check out this one for InGen (International Genetics Technologies) from the movie ‘Jurassic Park: The Lost World’.

Battlefield Earth

The official website for the book ‘Battlefield Earth’ by author L. Ron Hubbard. A combination of Flash and HTML which perhaps bizarrely but also quite conveniently features a Flash intro which can only be viewed once the main site has already loaded.

I am Jackie Chan: My Life in Action

The official website for the book ‘Jackie Chan: My Life in Action’ and your one stop shop for facts about the man himself.

2001: A Space Odyssey

The official website for the movie ‘2001: A Space Odyssey’. Unfortunately there was no Typekit back then so Kubrick’s beloved Futura doesn’t feature.

Wild Wild West

The official website for the movie ‘Wild Wild West’. A nightmare to navigate but hey, it was the 90’s I guess.

Internet Explorer is Evil

Internet Explorer is Evil – a site that proves developers’ dislike for IE goes back more than a few years.

Jason Santa Maria

The first website of designer Jason Santa Maria. Like a lot of people Jason started his career using Flash but just four years and two versions of his website later he was picking up a Web Standards Award.

Phil Gyford

The first website of designer/developer Phil Gyford. Designed in 1995, Phil said himself it was originally intended for a 640×480 monitor.

Equipoise Webcraft

Andrew Hedge’s first freelancing site — a design typical of the 90’s but quite surprisingly it features snippets of content still relevant to the web today.

Do you have any old favourites that are still up and running? What sites should be relegated to the history books? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

Sam Jones

Sam Jones is a Freelance Designer whose work spans multiple disciplines such as brand identity, design for print, web design and illustration. As well as being the owner of one man design studio, Sivioco, he's also an advisor for Mostash. Feel free to follow him on Twitter @Sivioco.