The Dear Photograph project’s premise seems so elemental, it could easily transition into a mantra: “Take a picture of a picture from the past in the present.” Taylor Jones, the creator of Dear Photograph, is a 21-year-old Ontarian, who stumbled on the idea for this Tumblr when he was sitting at his family’s kitchen table, sifting through old photographs. He came across a shot of his brother, age 4, sitting in the exact same place at the exact same kitchen table as they sat now. He held up the faded memento, and snapped a new picture.
Photo by @mithical via Dear Photograph
Taylor accepts submissions for Dear Photograph via the Tumblr itself and Twitter. He tells me of the emotional connections he has made with his contributors, and how grateful the participants are for a reason to revisit their mothers, their playgrounds, their corner stores. I can only imagine the power of a global movement, encouraging the masses to return to their past, to confront their Polaroid memories.
Photo by @okfollowheather via Dear Photograph
When scrolling through Taylor’s site, I can’t help but wonder what this project would look like a generation from now. Taylor and his contributors find their rich archives in top-shelf shoe boxes and overstuffed albums. There was only that one shot, and you can finger its edges for decades. The final product rephotographs are digital by medium and venue, and appear to be one of a trigger-happy sequence, selected post-production for harmonious borders and shadows. When I ask Taylor what he feels about the analog vs. digital dialogue, he proudly shares that he’s in the midst of talks to turn Dear Photograph into a book, and I realize that the cycle will ever-enthusiastically persevere, in its own struggle for immortality.
How do photographs play into your own concept of time and memory?
182 comments
Sign in to add your ownkapelusznik says:
love this photos :D just cool !
1 year ago
magalerie says:
Amazing work ! Thank you so much for sharing.
1 year ago
lorandherworld says:
very interesting!
1 year ago
CuffandCollar says:
So cool, thanks for sharing
1 year ago
stepbackink says:
What a great concept. Love the article
1 year ago
mccheeksmayhem says:
i love everything about this ! i take photos all the time and i love looking back over old photos, especially real ones, that are printed and not in a digital form. it reminds one of things that may have been lost in your mind forever
1 year ago
kmodine says:
Awesome! Metastalgia! In the future, these photos of photos will be sifted through as their own memories. So cool!
1 year ago
BlessedRepublic says:
Love the idea. At first I thought it has been" photo shopped". More blessings!
1 year ago
lindaketelhut says:
Cool project! Love the sentimental nostalgia of it all.
1 year ago
tokenandpine says:
What a great project!
1 year ago
funktionslust says:
Whoa, ok, that is way cool. I never thought of that before. What an amazingly novel idea!
1 year ago
girltuesdayjewelry says:
Great idea!
1 year ago
ahashim says:
This is quite incandescent.
1 year ago
strawberryluna says:
Wow, this is the kind of thing that makes Tumblr so great. What a cool idea, and I love these photos with their captions, so poignant.
1 year ago
MegansMenagerie says:
That is so cool!
1 year ago
rosebudshome says:
Fantastic, I love this! I feel inspired to do the same.
1 year ago
jodyvanB says:
A really interesting idea. I would love to see this as a book. You get insight into memories and meaning. Moments, within moments. Very cool! Bravo!
1 year ago
terrihvaught says:
Love this linking the past to the present!!
1 year ago
BlueRoseRetro says:
most cool!
1 year ago
ThePolkadotMagpie says:
Great idea!
1 year ago
SeaFindDesigns says:
Wicked cool!!!
1 year ago
ikabags says:
Great and lovely !
1 year ago
JulieLillian says:
What an awesome idea. My sisters and I love digging through drawers and boxes of old photographs - brings back some really great memories. Thank you for sharing!
1 year ago
todomini says:
Cool project!
1 year ago
AmyMilor says:
This is an amazing idea! I love it and have tons of old photos I could do this with. VERY cool!
1 year ago
vKnit says:
Great post! :) Thanks for sharing!
1 year ago
EllieBdesigns says:
cool photos - so original
1 year ago
GloryBDesign says:
Definitely one of those ideas that I wish I had come up with first! Love it! Now I just have to think of which picture from my past that I want to re-photograph in the present.
1 year ago
Slowshirts says:
I've always loved when people do this. Great project!
1 year ago
cocorosecouture says:
love this!
1 year ago
SillyBuddy says:
This makes me happy.
1 year ago
beevintageredux says:
This is so incredibly awesome! What a brilliant idea:)
1 year ago
Lilsugarskulls says:
very awesome! great article.
1 year ago
Lilsugarskulls says:
very awesome! great article.
1 year ago
TheScarfTree says:
What a fantastic idea! Very moving! Thank you for the article!
1 year ago
grandmamarievintage says:
Very cool. Such a great idea! That would have made a wonderful father's day gift. Too little too late.
1 year ago
meggieslove says:
i love this. so great!
1 year ago
SoliDeoGloriaSDG says:
What a wonderful idea!
1 year ago
MerCurios says:
What an interesting concept and novel idea. I would love to pull out some old photographs and snap news one as they are now. Especially in Bayville, NY - I grew up spending my childhood summers at The Tides Motor Inn with my brother & sister. All thanks to my maternal grandparents. We (brother sister and I) were separated at a young age and my grandparents brought us together every summer for 15 years. xo, MJ
1 year ago
kondira7 says:
Beautiful work! ♥
1 year ago
calloohcallay says:
I love these--so poignant!
1 year ago
LiddoKiddo says:
OMG I LOVE IT!!!!!! and Congrats on being featured!!!
1 year ago
SimpleSatori says:
I do like this idea. A photograph is nothing more than time that we have captured... and to bring back the past to today and capture it again...!! Very artistic indeed.
1 year ago
GardenApothecary says:
love this.. what a great project.
1 year ago
redhardwick says:
Wow, what a cool idea!
1 year ago
thevelvetheart says:
That is a really neat idea. Love it!
1 year ago
BanglewoodSupplies says:
Awesome! I love the concept!
1 year ago
LittleWrenPottery says:
Funny I came across this project today myself, I too wonder what it'll be like when the world is radically different. Somehow historians jobs seem so much easier when we leave more behind!
1 year ago
ohbabydotcom says:
How wonderful! I love these photographs. Sometimes all we have are our photographs and memories. How original and unique!
1 year ago
ThoseThreeWords says:
My brother and I have re-created scenes from photographs of us as kids in our adult lives (preschool graduation/college graduation, etc) and put the two photos side-by-side in frames as gifts for our parents, but I never thought of something like this. It's amazing to see how elements of the surrounding scenery from the same place can change in some aspects and yet still stay exactly the same in others over time. Very inspiring project!
1 year ago
lindsaybug says:
!!!!!
1 year ago
VintageEye says:
Before & after through time!
1 year ago
TheLittleRagamuffin says:
This is so inspiring. I have many photographs of me as a young girl running around in the vast land behind my grandparents' house...the house where I now live. I can't wait to take pictures of the past in the future.
1 year ago
FishesMakeWishes says:
what a great idea!! looks so fantastic, I'm going to have a look at my old photos and give it a try :-)
1 year ago
petalandpink says:
I really love this idea! I had just stumbled across the site and have been hooked ever since.
1 year ago
whiletheyplay says:
This is awesome. I can't wait to try something like this with my own childhood photos! Thanks for an inspiring article.
1 year ago
petekdesign says:
Amazing! this is such a beautiful and touching idea!!! BRAVO!
1 year ago
acuriousbrood says:
Oh my, I teared up looking at strangers old childhood photos. Can really get wrapped up in the sentimentality of these. Idea is so simple yet provocative. Terrific.
1 year ago
hugaroo says:
what a great idea. would love to do this someday.
1 year ago
MootiDesigns says:
What a creative photography. Awesome!
1 year ago
mazedasastoat says:
Truly fabulous idea & the perfect incentive to revisit some old haunts!
1 year ago
myvintagecrush says:
Oh, I love these, so fun! Past meet present :D
1 year ago
lowercasejdesign says:
i love love LOVE this idea! I can't wait to go home and find my old photos and retake them :)
1 year ago
paramountvintage says:
what a great idea! i'll have to take one!
1 year ago
aileenrae says:
I think this would be such a fun project to do. Glad I stumbled upon this today. Thanks for the inspiration!
1 year ago
TheIDconnection says:
Very interesting Monica TheIDConnection & NanaBellAntiques
1 year ago
StoneCatCreations says:
This is such a cool, creative idea! I will definitely be submitting a dear photograph :-)
1 year ago
accentonvintage says:
Very creative and interesting!
1 year ago
theroyal says:
kinda blown away by this concept
1 year ago
kustiishop says:
great article! very creative!
1 year ago
enagyfy says:
this is fantastic! and inspiring!!
1 year ago
HOLLIHO says:
This is a lot like Mark Klett's work. Look him up if you don't know who he is! His work is amazing!
1 year ago
Armalique says:
this is very cool!
1 year ago
vintagenelly says:
LOVE this!!! I have so many photos (my own family), old black and whites, plus I could spend hours at flea markets looking through old photos. As the many shop owners who responded to your feature, I too, want to try this with some of my photos!! Thanks for a fabulous idea!!
1 year ago
Tanith says:
Interesting idea! Thanks for sharing!
1 year ago
DARKLUXvintage says:
this is such a great idea! found a new favorite site to check out daily<3
1 year ago
WhisperingOak says:
This is so cool
1 year ago
LittleSmilesBoutique says:
Amazing idea, very inspirational!
1 year ago
kuta123 says:
really love this!!!!
1 year ago
TheMillineryShop says:
very clever, simple but grand.
1 year ago
FranceGallery says:
What an interesting idea.
1 year ago
HandiworkinGirls says:
Neat idea...I think it could become addicting!
1 year ago
IcingOnTheCupcake says:
Excellent idea!
1 year ago
lucysnowephotography says:
An inspired project!!!!
1 year ago
scrapbookcompleted says:
Very cool! Had to share the link w/ my dad, a retired photographer. Thanks for sharing the project!
1 year ago
katrinaalana says:
Cool! I'd love to recreate something like this.
1 year ago
Iammie says:
Love the way you photographed the photos. :)
1 year ago
inmyigloo says:
This is a super fantastic photo project. There has been a lot of 'rephotographing' going around in the photography world lately, and this approach is especially wonderful. Thanks for letting everyone know, Etsy! <3
1 year ago
opendoorstudio says:
I love this! off to flip through my photos to apply this myself!
1 year ago
BunniesandAvacado says:
That's awesome! I love the way that looks. Gonna tell my Photographer sister.
1 year ago
twentyfourhourdinah says:
great project, can't wait to explore this idea....
1 year ago
styleforlife says:
Incredible as usual Michelle YOU ROCK!!!!! ;-) xxx
1 year ago
quirkyshop says:
Neat!
1 year ago
TheGinghamOwl says:
Wow!
1 year ago
VintageRescueSquad says:
You have NO IDEA how much this heartens (and challenges) me. We moved every 2 years growing up, so this will be quite the challenge. But I LOVE the idea!
1 year ago
tashCAN says:
This is such an amazing idea. Love it!
1 year ago
SelvedgeShop says:
Love it.
1 year ago
ILIKEWHATISEE says:
beautiful
1 year ago
piecesofelises says:
Very cool project. I saw something like this on flickr, except it was a person holding up an old photo of what a place looked like, maybe 50 to 100 years ago. Where today is parked a motorcycle, in it's place once stood a horse and buggy.
1 year ago
Ferah says:
FABULOUS! It has a very scrap-booky sort of feel. I can't wait to get to my Mamma's on Sunday!!
1 year ago
MyMonography says:
Fantastic idea! Month ago I visited the city where I was born. All places look different.
1 year ago
blinkypinky says:
I love love love this project! I'm sorting out my old photos right now!
1 year ago
beliz82 says:
Wonderful project. I saw a similar project at Brussels museum.They exhibited the old places and new places photos and that was wonderful. Thank you for sharing.
1 year ago
solaWu says:
Wow, it's so cool!
1 year ago
MyIntended says:
Strangely moving, those photos made me tear up. Brilliant idea, so simple-so very cool.
1 year ago
stast says:
seen this stile long time agoбиге still like
1 year ago
fuzzysushi says:
What a fantastic project! On a side note, I love how in the first picture there are tons of cars in the old picture and lots of public transport in the new background. Progress! :)
1 year ago
tinyspace says:
love this project!!
1 year ago
aimeescooter says:
Great photos, thanks for sharing!
1 year ago
LisasCottage says:
The greatest things start out as a simple IDEA! Let's get crackin' and send him ours!
1 year ago
Lizabettas says:
What a great idea & wonderful story. Thanks for sharing :)
1 year ago
laurastark says:
Every few years we go to Paris and take pictures of our children in the same spot near the Eiffel Tower. The background is the same but the subjects keep growing.
1 year ago
HandmadeHandsome says:
What a wonderful idea. And such a good excuse to make a trip down memory lane. I will do this.
1 year ago
SpackleTheGap says:
As a photographer this project touches my heart. I have always been so fascinated by capturing a moment in time. As a little kid my favorite thing to do was go through the boxes of black and white photos in my grandmas closet. I hope this project lives on for years to come.
1 year ago
The1004 says:
Love this idea...
1 year ago
corrnucopia says:
Photographs fill in the missing pieces where memories fail, physical proof of the past. The Dear Photograph project is inspiring and made me think of the places where my own childhood images were taken.
1 year ago
UnderThePines says:
I hope you get published! This is such a great concept and not one picture is boring! I will buy your book! Thank you for sharing.
1 year ago
ChelseaKatherine says:
This is wonderful. I would definitely buy the book. Old photgraphs can be so heartbreaking, personal, and surreal. Seeing then juxtaposed to thee present creates such a feeling of wholeness. It somehow highlights both the fleeting nature of life and its permanence. I love it.
1 year ago
accidentallysunshine says:
i've seen the website before...i love how the photos link the past to present. i'm actually surprised at how so many places have stayed the same over the years. some of them also make me teary eyed when you see the 'urban decay' of the more modern pictures.
1 year ago
dragonflymystdesigns says:
Great article!!!
1 year ago
dragonflymystdesigns says:
Great article!!!
1 year ago
gri0tte says:
I love this!!!! beautiful!
1 year ago
BendTheFish says:
This is the coolest thing!
1 year ago
ExpressingDevotion says:
Great idea--noting the changing world in this way is creative.
1 year ago
antiquelace23 says:
wonderful!
1 year ago
clementseye says:
what an awesome idea!!! it's fantastic
1 year ago
skyetaylorgalleries says:
Wow! never thought of do this. What a cool idea!
1 year ago
thestapeliacompany says:
I love it!
1 year ago
neighborhoodvintage says:
A WONDERFUL connection between history and contemporary!!!!!!!!!!! Don't you dare see my shop: http://www.etsy.com/shop/neighborhoodvintage?ref=pr_shop_more
1 year ago
Alana2009 says:
Wonderful...
1 year ago
somethinspecial says:
Very interesting...
1 year ago
auntierobin says:
I love these photos! Very cool!
1 year ago
scarletbegonia11 says:
such a cool idea!
1 year ago
amysoldschool says:
A great view of time, history and people!
1 year ago
mudhousedesigns says:
Beautiful! So many things come to mind……the realization of no matter how busy life gets things can stay so familiar…..that old chair, the kitchen wallpaper that has not been changed since the 1980’s. It is almost like time travel. The years slip by but seem to halt when a past image is superimposed into our present day. Wonderful work. Thanks for sharing!
1 year ago
DreamCake says:
Ah. Past and present at the same time. It's like nostalgia on a runaway train.
1 year ago
aldari says:
Amazing!
1 year ago
ericawalker says:
I love this whole idea.
1 year ago
RubyOnTheGo says:
Beautiful <3
1 year ago
handmadeUruguay says:
great idea!
1 year ago
AlvaLoida says:
this is such a great idea. photos used to be like a family or personal treasure because there was just that one shot. not to mention the anticipation & high hopes held for the roll of film... good times.
1 year ago
SelmaCo says:
fantastic!!!
1 year ago
abbyberkson says:
Wow, there is something really amazing about this. Really packs an emotional punch, I can tell this will be on my mind all day.
1 year ago
ZiBagz says:
amazing .. inspiring ... heart warming ♥♥♥
1 year ago
ChrisAnnPhotos says:
Love it! I think the book has some potential to bring some great stories and insight into the way time has passed. For example, look at the picture of the backyard - in the new setting there appears to be jungle gym equipment where there was none before, despite kids being in the older photograph of the setting. The current setting seems more applicable for the people shown in the old photograph. The project does what photography always does to me - makes me thing of the story behind what is happening in the picture. Lovely
1 year ago
AngelLeighDesigns says:
This does indeed pack an emotional punch. For the way time has passed, and for what is lost. Some of my favorite photos I couldn't recreate because the house has been sold (over and over) or nobody in the fam lives up in Northern Maine any more and we just never go back. Working in a botanical archive, I've always wanted to do something like this with old pictures of the Amazon and other undeveloped areas, to see what's there now. fascinating, beautiful, and moving. Thanks for drawing my attention to it! Angela
1 year ago
ellemoss says:
such a brilliant idea! Now im thinking i should make a photo album for my kids with a similar theme using all of my grandparents old photos.
1 year ago
ionesAttic says:
brilliant!
1 year ago
ModernHouseArt says:
wow this is truly one of the most original things I've ever seen, not to mention it's so moving and nostalgic it brought tears to my eyes (and it takes A LOT to do that) Congratulations on an awesome vision and excellent execution!
1 year ago
ara133photography says:
that is a really awesome project!
1 year ago
lanetteraymond says:
Great project. You can almost feel time contract... you can see how memory influences current perception.
1 year ago
fabledattic says:
Thanks for sharing Taylor Jones' version of this concept. I did a post on my "Time Machine" blog about two other people pursuing the same concept and pooling photo contributions. http://myowntimemachine.wordpress.com/2010/01/22/post-its-from-the-past/ I wish I could paste my very favorite one by Jason Powell here -- a Library of Congress black and white image of a very stylish turn-of-the-century woman in a floppy hat taking her leashed white bunny rabbit for a walk in Thomas Circle in Washington D.C. The photo alone is a treasure, but it's also fascinating to see how the park paving and urban context have changed since then. I work in historic preservation and strive to help people understand a "sense of place" and the layers of history and stories that took place right where they stand. It would be wonderful to see this idea/resource turned into an app, so that no matter where you stand, you could access a sort of "time machine" version of the same street corner. Imagine standing in Thomas Circle, and calling up that long ago woman and her rabbit. Very Alice in Wonderland....
1 year ago
WaveSong says:
I've started taking photos this way, it's addictive. But it's harder than you think to get the picture lined up. SO MUCH FUN!
1 year ago
RescuedRemnants says:
I love how our individual minds each see art and beauty in different way. Taylor has found a very beautiful way of expressing his artistic emotions. Great story!
1 year ago
simobre1967 says:
Love this project. It's a romantic idea. Thanks ;)
1 year ago
hoosiermamma1 says:
Makes me want to grab a camera and hit the road. Fantastic Idea!
1 year ago
marijarandjelovic says:
Building bridges from the past to the present and from the present to the past, your way of doing it is so well found. Encore bravo, hope a lot of people will find it interesting. Good luck Taylor.
1 year ago
jaynethepain says:
such a wonderful project!
1 year ago
morion says:
Awesome!
1 year ago
EzasDesigns says:
this is so awesome!!! love it!
1 year ago
tellyourgirlfriends says:
I immediately thought of Spadina and College. Am I right?
1 year ago
lauraprentice says:
I am thinking about important pictures I have that I can re-photograph in the present..... hmmm....
1 year ago
Citas says:
Fantastic idea, I certainly have a few I would like to do. Very creative
1 year ago
ddfoto says:
Love the idea.....I definitly have some old photos I can do that with.
1 year ago
InMaterial says:
Love this!
1 year ago
DaynaPurdyImages says:
Absolutely Brilliant! Love, love, love this idea!
1 year ago
MadebyLinLin says:
I love this idea! It would make me sad at the same time :(
1 year ago
Mindd says:
They look like you can JUMP right in! I did something similar with my "It's a Min D D Jewelry Collection. I photographed a piece of mine called, "A Bird in my Window" which is in my Mindd Store by using my Garden magazine and some moss wide tape. It looks like the bird is in the tree! Let me know what you thin? Love your work!
1 year ago
TibetanCultureandart says:
很真实，具有艺术气æ¯ã€‚
1 year ago
MonsterMidnightManor says:
Wow! simple yet breathtaking at the same time.
1 year ago
nelou says:
i'm completely in love with this idea. thanks for sharing!!
1 year ago
DreamingRetro says:
I am sitting here thinking of all the old photos I have and how interesting it would be to put family in the same spots as back in the day. I have photos of my grand parents and dad walking down the street in their town. The shots seems to have been done professionally. No poses. Just them walking. I love those photos. Now, I am wondering how my grandson would look in a shot like that.
1 year ago
ImperfectlyPretty says:
I love these - wonderful idea!
1 year ago
WillieandLu says:
Moving, inspiring, electrifying, sad, joyous, optimistic, depressed...and the ever-present "why didn't I think of this?" We'll be starting our family's version tomorrow.
1 year ago
HappyGirlInGeneva says:
great !!
1 year ago
ModernShop says:
I love this website!!
1 year ago
whimsicalmai says:
When I was just a year old my mother took me to a professional photographer and had me photographed in a blue outfit. She saved the dress in her hope chest. After the birth of my daughter, I inhereited the outfit. Not only did we try to replicate this picture, but we also took the 8 by 10 picture and had it included in one shot. Now I wonder what photographs I have to retake!
1 year ago
Tinglymim says:
I first came across this on stumbleupon and I just LOVE the idea. I think anyone and everyone has experienced the feeling of whimsy and nostalgia when visiting a place from their past. I grew up in a very small town and moved away when I was 19 and when I visit my hometown it seems like the people have changed but the place never does. These pictures remind me of that feeling.
1 year ago
Blkphoenix856 says:
Phenomenal idea!
1 year ago
PinholeProject says:
this idea is simply moving! thanks for sharing!
1 year ago
BlackDahliaDesign says:
Inspirational ★
1 year ago
PicsandThings says:
Neat idea to instill the new into the old. To recapture hearts, feeling and voices. Nice, lovely and moving you surely touched into many a heart. Love it!
1 year ago