Young Me, Now Me

Find an old family photograph, dust it off and just imagine what you’d all look like were you to repeat the shot. My brother was well known for dropping his trousers whenever a camera pointed in his direction; his older self – retired professional, father of four with letters after his name – would be unlikely to even smile if I reminded him of his former cheeky escapades captured on camera all those years ago. He’d probably be arrested were he to repeat his earlier actions on the front lawn before horrified relatives, now aged, with less of a sense of humour than they had way back when.

Ze Frank posted an old pic of himself online with a second version taken years later and started a craze that ended up as this hilarious book, Young Me, Now Me. Featured are many original snapshots alongside a modern replica recreated as closely and faithfully as humanly possible. What was two cute kids licking lollipops is now two adults looking slightly ridiculous in the same pose. A ponytailed girl celebrated her birthday, grimacing, two fingers pulling her mouth apart, a silly hat on her wobbly head; fast forward twenty-five years to find that same person complete with party hat and oddly ugly grin, mouth held apart by older fingers. It’s an age thing: what is endearing in a person who only comes up to your knees becomes peculiar and very slightly strange in someone older, but obviously no wiser. It’s genius!