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15 Side-By-Side Portraits Of Famous Historical Figures And Their Direct Descendants
Fueled by his passion for history, photographer Drew Gardner recreated portraits of some of the world's most famous historical figures, featuring their direct descendants as models.
Getting ready for the series required much more than a few phone calls. Not only did Gardner carry out in-depth research tracing the direct descendants and verifying their lineage, but he also created sets with painstaking attention to the smallest of details. In the end, however, all of the hard work paid off. Sourcing the period costumes and props created such authentic backgrounds, they look like something straight out of a history book. Gardner even carefully analyzed the lighting in each original portrait and patiently recreated them as closely as possible, using all kinds of gear and techniques.
The end result is something that you'd find in the 'different but same' category. Of course, in a totally good way.
More info: drewgardner.com | Facebook | Instagram
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#1
Thomas Jefferson (Left), 1800 And Shannon Lanier (Right) Sixth Great-Grandson Of Thomas Jefferson
Leo Domitrix 5 years ago
This is awesome! The history guides/docents at Jefferson's famed "Monticello" still turn colors and stutter if you ask a blunt question about Sally Hemings. If you don't know, look it up... Their white-marble-statue man must never be associated with anything but the Declaration!... So I visit there every other year and when they ask if we have questions, I ask, "Where did Sally Hemings and her kids by Jefferson sleep?" :-)
Osgood_7 5 years ago
Quick history lesson: Sally Hemings was a biracial slave who at 14 was more or less forced into a relationship with the then 40-year-old Jefferson. She bore him at least five children. Meanwhile Jefferson spent most of his life declaring that relationships between blacks and whites "produced degradation" and that white women were more beautiful than black women. (Stamped from the Beginning, Ibram X. Lendio) Real swell dude.
Debster 5 years ago
I live right down the road from Monticello and can tell you when I first went in 2008 or maybe the next year they didn't talk about Sally. My kids classes went every year. And I would always go. Things are different now. There is now a museum thing for kids to interactive experience what kid slaves went through. The Jeffersons and Hemmings have been having reunions for years too. Google it.
You could say the series began 15 years ago when Gardner's mother told him that he looked a lot like his grandfather. "It got me thinking if I [really] looked like my grandfather and if people alive today would bear any resemblance to famous forebears," the photographer told Bored Panda.
There are a number of criteria based on which Gardner chooses the photos he's going to recreate but the more iconic an image is, the better. "It is important that no matter what the person’s achievement that there is a degree of recognition or familiarity. This is not always possible but it is my starting point."
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#2
Charles Dickens (Left), 1858 And Gerald Charles Dickens (Right) Dickens's, Great-Great-Grandson
Kimberley Thomas 5 years ago
Am I only the one who thinks the grandson on the right looks like a wax figure? Possibly due to lighting?
Rachael Marrast 5 years ago
My grandmother told me he is my 4th great grandfather. Not sure how true it is though.
Shinomi Chan 4 years ago
It's like an HD version of himself. Almost creepy how identical they are
Judith Wilson 5 years ago
The replication of Gerald's photo to Charles' is excellent and very detailed. The resemblance is amazing.
The Internet helps Gardner track down the descendants, but he also works with genealogists and museums. The true magic, however, happens when the photographer starts working with his models. The whole process allows Gardner to form strong connections with the people standing in front of his camera. "Any human connection 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," Gardner explained.
"Sometimes through the viewfinder, I feel a flash of recognition, though I am never sure if it is wishful thinking or more." As for the resemblance, Gardner leaves the viewer to make up their own mind on that. "I do not set out to say that the descendant does or does not look like their forebear."
#3
Emeline Pankhurst (Left) And Helen Pankhurst (Right) The Great-Granddaughter Of Emeline Pankhurst
Dorothy Parker 5 years ago
She's a dead ringer for her great grandmother. Both beautiful. and indomitable.
Paul Jordan 5 years ago
Jeepers if they ever do a film about her they got the right person to play her. That is so freaking similar its, well freaking. me. out.
#4
Napoleon (Left), 1812 And Hugo De Salis (Right) The Great-Great-Great-Great-Grandson Of Napoleon
jasper 5 years ago
No, but the costuming and scene setting is remarkable!
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Murielle Robeet 5 years ago
Napoléon only had one son who died at the age of 21, childless. The branch went extinct. This man might be a descendant of one of Napoléon's brothers or sisters. But not a direct descendant.
Neil Wolfe 5 years ago
You are quite right, Murielle. Napoleon had seven siblings. This man is one of their descendants.
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Tammy Ralph 5 years ago
I was just about to say the same, it's the mad eyes.
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Martha Higgins 5 years ago
Eyes and mouth are alike, nose, not so much, but the resemblance is uncanny.
#5
Oliver Cromwell (Left), 1653-1654 And Charles Bush (Right) The Great-Great-Great-Great-Great-Great-Great-Great-Great-Grandson Of Oliver Cromwell
Drive Bee 5 years ago
Eyebrows, forehead, general face shape. Lots of similarity.
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Amy Taft 5 years ago
We all are. Everyone is descended from some monstrous person. No doubt multiple monstrous people. Probably the majority of my ancestors were s****y people. They were definitely racist and sexist, etc. The probability of all of your ancestors being good people is not worth calculating. Granted, not all s****y ancestors were influential enough for their shittiness to cause damage on a large scale.
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Ella Blackwood 5 years ago
Not an exact likeness, but considering how far down the line his descendant is, one would have to admit that there are definitely some features that stayed in the family.
#6
Frederick Douglass (Left), 1863 And Reuben L. Andrews (Right)
Dennis Hughes 5 years ago (edited)
Thank you. He is a hero of mine and was a great man. At the very least, he deserves to have his name spelled correctly when people refer to him.
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Martha Higgins 5 years ago
Is Reuben Andrews a relation of Frederick Douglass? How do they connect?
Alexa Bauer 5 years ago
There is mistake in the title. It's not Reuben L. Andrews, but Kenneth Morris, the great-great-great-grandson of Douglass. Source: https://www.art-critique.com/en/2020/07/the-descendants-brings-history-to-the-present/ (Even there is wrong description of name under the picture, but the right one you can find in article.)
Hannelore Sotzek 5 years ago
What is the genealogical relationship between the two men? It isn’t stated in the heading for #7.
#7
Charles II (Left), 1653 And Lord Charles Fitzroy (Right) The 9 Times Great-Grandson Of Charles II
Doggo Georgia 5 years ago (edited)
😮 How dare they! Prepare to die, downvoters!
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Chuck Jessop 5 years ago
Fitzroy used be used for the King's illegitimate child. It means "Son of the King"
Tiari 5 years ago
I speak really good French and am interested in history... yet I NEVER realized that. Mind blown.
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#8
Liza De Giocondo (The Mona Lisa) (Left) And Irina Guicciardini Strozzi (Right) The 15 Times Great Granddaughter Of Liza De Giocondo
Catlady6000 5 years ago
Some families know their genealogy for centuries, especially the nobility of Europe
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Nela Rothenbach 5 years ago
Do you look exactly like your 15 times gradfather?
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Pamela Keown 5 years ago
I wonder if the granddaughter had more poundage she might resemble her grandmother more?
#9
Berthe Morisot (Left), 1872 And Lucie Rouart (Right) The Great-Granddaughter Of Berthe Morisot
Sam T Godfrey 5 years ago
The same special beauty! And a great painter herself. berthe-5f0...3550e7.jpg 
#10
Arthur Wellesley 1st Duke Of Wellingston (Left), 1824 And Jeremy Clyde (Right) The Great-Great-Great-Grandson Of The 1st Duke Of Wellington
El Dee 5 years ago
The resemblance is striking and, as with Napoleon, the build of the two is exactly the same!!
Doggo Georgia 5 years ago (edited)
Yep. (Just curious if you meant 'beet' instead of 'better'. Remember, you can always edit your comments.)
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Jessica Cifelli 5 years ago
Not gonna lie, I first read the name as Arthur Weasley, not Wellesley.
Stuart MacKenzie 5 years ago
He should get together with Napoleon's Great-Great-Great-Great Grandson for a laugh. Fisticuffs outside Waterloo station. My money would be on the French fellow this time around however.
#11
Elizabeth Cady Stanton (Left), 1850 And Elizabeth Jenkins-Sahlin (Right)
Luke Gibson 5 years ago
Really? I think this is the one that looks least like them so far
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Patricia Lees Salinis 5 years ago
This is my great great great aunt, so I'm related to both of them.
Judith Wilson 5 years ago
Nearly everything is almost exactly the same. Chin, jawline nose, eyes, and high forehead. Fantastic job on the hairstyle also.
#12
William Wordsworth (Left), 1798 Andtom Wontner (Right) Wordsworth's Great-Great-Great-Great-Grandson
Dynein 5 years ago
You mean how one has a thin nose with a tip that's slightly inwards, and the other a wide nose sticking out? Or the thin lips vs. the fuller ones? The big eyes vs. the small eyes? Or the oval face vs. the square face?
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Joe Kekfield 4 years ago
didn't knew the actor michael myers was related to William Wordsworth.
Dennis Hammack 5 years ago
He could have portrayed him, but that nose is so far off, as well as the mouth and eyes.
Jane Holcroft 5 years ago
It's Tom not Andtom! He's an actor, and another relation famously played Sherlock Holmes.
#13
Horatio Nelson (Left), 1800 And William John Raglan Horatio Tribe (Right) Nelson's Great-Great-Great-Great-Grandson
John D 5 years ago
Is this 'Noratio Nelsom' the generic version of Horatio Nelson? Asking for a friend.
L Jennings 5 years ago
This is the 3rd misspelled name I've seen in one thread! Why don't people check these things before posting? It just makes a mockery of all the hard work that's been done. Also, I don't think, apart from the scenery and costumes, that these people resemble each other much at all. So, pretty pointless really IMO.
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Luis Hernandez Dauajare 4 years ago
Wonder if he is Nelson's descendant on the side of mistress Emma Hamilton or wife Frances Nelson... I must admire his dedication to his ancestor, though..he chopped off his arm too!
Shaun Dugan 4 years ago
There’s literally zero evidence online to substantiate this. Nelson had zero legitimate children. He had a daughter, Horatia, who was illegitimate. This is dubious at best.
#14
Isambard Kingdom Brunel, 1857 (Left) And Isambard Thomas (Right), Brunel's Great-Great-Great-Grandson
bryguy 5 years ago
Once you look at it like the chains are normal size and he is very tiny, it's hard to see it the other way
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Sam T Godfrey 5 years ago
Something's definitely missing. Junior doesn't show the determination of the old man. He doesn't look like he has the talent and education to make anything out of an Erector set. Yeah, I'm old, I know! erector-5f...38b5d6.jpg 
Doggo Georgia 5 years ago
The funny thing is, before covid, they had those at the last museum I went to.
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Mme de Poppadom 5 years ago
A heartless jackass who values and honors family traditions, and is proud of a family name with positive connotations, I guess, JIM.
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#15
Clive Of India, Robert Clive, 1773 (Left) And Robert Holden (Right) The Great-Great-Great-Great-Great-Grandson Of Clive Of India
Annemarie Mattheyse 5 years ago
The major difference: Clive of India likely didn't have teeth...
Donita Forrest 5 years ago
It's more than looks alone in these marvelous comparisons, it's stance & attitude.
Grumble O'Pug 5 years ago
I wouldn't be proud of that historical connection. F****d up India but good for many generations.
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What do you think ?
Cori 5 years ago
I wonder how much the matching clothes and backgrounds effect our perception. I tried hard to ignore them and just concentrate on the faces.
Seabeast 5 years ago
Yes, once you get past a 3x great grandparent, that DNA is pretty diluted. Unless some of your ancestors married their cousins and doubled up on some strands, you're getting about 3% or less from the famous ancestor.
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Mad Mar 5 years ago
I am a descendant of Harriet Beecher-Stowe, who wrote Uncle Toms Cabln. And of Francis Scott Key who wrote The Star Spangled Banner.
Chris DiFonso 5 years ago
I'm embarrassed to admit that I didn't know who ~half of these people were.
BoredPundits 5 years ago
Yes, it would have been helpful, if the original poster had included a brief bio as to who they all were.
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The Other Jake 5 years ago
Several of these look nothing like their ancestors except for the outfits.
Blackheart 5 years ago
I love this post and just really interested in things like this. I just wonder sometimes, who stood where I am standing, who lived in my home before I did. And I wonder about my ancestors, about their personalities, etc.
Anton Kider 5 years ago
I wonder whether I resemble any relative of mine from the first century.
Cori 5 years ago
I wonder how much the matching clothes and backgrounds effect our perception. I tried hard to ignore them and just concentrate on the faces.
Seabeast 5 years ago
Yes, once you get past a 3x great grandparent, that DNA is pretty diluted. Unless some of your ancestors married their cousins and doubled up on some strands, you're getting about 3% or less from the famous ancestor.
Load More Replies... Mad Mar 5 years ago
I am a descendant of Harriet Beecher-Stowe, who wrote Uncle Toms Cabln. And of Francis Scott Key who wrote The Star Spangled Banner.
Chris DiFonso 5 years ago
I'm embarrassed to admit that I didn't know who ~half of these people were.
BoredPundits 5 years ago
Yes, it would have been helpful, if the original poster had included a brief bio as to who they all were.
Load More Replies... The Other Jake 5 years ago
Several of these look nothing like their ancestors except for the outfits.
Blackheart 5 years ago
I love this post and just really interested in things like this. I just wonder sometimes, who stood where I am standing, who lived in my home before I did. And I wonder about my ancestors, about their personalities, etc.
Anton Kider 5 years ago
I wonder whether I resemble any relative of mine from the first century.
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