This Photographer Is Recreating Pictures Of Historical Figures With Their Direct Descendants As Models (15 Pics)
Drew Gardner is a photographer who is very passionate about history. And when I say passionate, I mean it. Just take his latest project titled The Descendants for example – the man did in-depth research to trace and contact the descendants of famous historical figures to take their portraits for a series of side-by-side pictures. Drew even had the models wear outfits that matched the ones in the historical photos and had them worked out to the smallest detail!
In a recent interview with Bored Panda, Drew said that he got the idea for the project about 15 years ago when his mother told him he looked a lot like his grandfather. This got the man thinking whether he really does look like his grandfather and if people alive today would look similar to their forbears.
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#1 Thomas Jefferson (Left), 1800 And Shannon Lanier (Right) Sixth Great-Grandson Of Thomas Jefferson
Image source: Drew Gardner
#2 Napoleon (Left), 1812 And Hugo De Salis (Right) The Great-Great-Great-Great-Grandson Of Napoleon
Image source: Drew Gardner
Drew said that one of the most important things when choosing an image for his photos was recognition and familiarity, no matter the person’s achievements. And although it wasn’t always possible, it was the photographer’s starting point.
#3 Charles Dickens (Left), 1858 And Gerald Charles Dickens (Right) Dickens’s, Great-Great-Grandson
Image source: Drew Gardner
#4 Emeline Pankhurst (Left) And Helen Pankhurst (Right) The Great-Granddaughter Of Emeline Pankhurst
Image source: Drew Gardner
When tracking down the descendants, the photographer worked with museums and genealogists, as well as simply used the internet. Drew says that when working with the subjects, one of the most important things is human connection. “[It] tends to come about from conversation, so it is more as a result of the dialogue between the two of us in the days, weeks, months or even years running up to the shoot which gives me a ‘window’ to them as a person and when they expand on their understanding of their forebear it does deepen the mutual understanding and connection we have, which clearly helps when it comes to the shoot,” explained the photographer.
See the rest of Drew’s portraits of historical figures and their descendants below!
#5 Frederick Douglass (Left), 1863 And Reuben L. Andrews (Right)
Image source: Drew Gardner
#6 Liza De Giocondo (The Mona Lisa) (Left) And Irina Guicciardini Strozzi (Right) The 15 Times Great Granddaughter Of Liza De Giocondo
Image source: Drew Gardner
#7 Arthur Wellesley 1st Duke Of Wellington (Left), 1824 And Jeremy Clyde (Right) The Great-Great-Great-Grandson Of The 1st Duke Of Wellington
Image source: Drew Gardner
#8 Oliver Cromwell (Left), 1653-1654 And Charles Bush (Right) The Great-Great-Great-Great-Great-Great-Great-Great-Great-Grandson Of Oliver Cromwell
Image source: Drew Gardner
#9 Charles II (Left), 1653 And Lord Charles Fitzroy (Right) The 9 Times Great-Grandson Of Charles II
Image source: Drew Gardner
#10 William Wordsworth (Left), 1798 Andtom Wontner (Right) Wordsworth’s Great-Great-Great-Great-Grandson
Image source: Drew Gardner
#11 Berthe Morisot (Left), 1872 And Lucie Rouart (Right) The Great-Granddaughter Of Berthe Morisot
Image source: Drew Gardner
#12 Horatio Nelson (Left), 1800 And William John Raglan Horatio Tribe (Right) Nelson’s Great-Great-Great-Great-Grandson
Image source: Drew Gardner
#13 Elizabeth Cady Stanton (Left), 1850 And Elizabeth Jenkins-Sahlin (Right)
Image source: Drew Gardner
#14 Isambard Kingdom Brunel, 1857 (Left) And Isambard Thomas (Right), Brunel’s Great-Great-Great-Grandson
Image source: Drew Gardner
#15 Clive Of India, Robert Clive, 1773 (Left) And Robert Holden (Right) The Great-Great-Great-Great-Great-Grandson Of Clive Of India
Image source: Drew Gardner
Got wisdom to pour?