Drew Gardner Recreates Portraits Of History’s Famous Figures By Finding And Photographing 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.

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#1 Thomas Jefferson (Left), 1800 And Shannon Lanier (Right) Sixth Great-Grandson Of Thomas Jefferson

Image credits: Drew Gardner

#2 Liza De Giocondo (The Mona Lisa) (Left) And Irina Guicciardini Strozzi (Right) The 15 Times Great Granddaughter Of Liza De Giocondo

Image credits: Drew Gardner

#3 Napoleon (Left), 1812 And Hugo De Salis (Right) The Great, Great, Great, Great Grandson Of Napoleon

Image credits: Drew Gardner

#4 Charles Dickens (Left), 1858 And Gerald Charles Dickens (Right) Dicken's, Great, Great Grandson

Image credits: Drew Gardner

#5 Clive Of India, Robert Clive, 1773 (Left) And Robert Holden (Right) The Great, Great, Great, Great, Great Grandson Of Clive Of India

Image credits: Drew Gardner

#6 William Wordsworth (Left), 1798 Andtom Wontner (Right) Wordsworth's Great, Great, Great, Great Grandson

Image credits: Drew Gardner

#7 Oliver Cromwell (Left), 1653-1654 And Charles Bush (Right) The Great, Great, Great, Great, Great, Great, Great, Great, Great Grandson Of Oliver Cromwell

Image credits: Drew Gardner

#8 Emeline Pankhurst (Left) And Helen Pankhurst (Right) The Great Granddaughter Of Emeline Pankhurst

Image credits: Drew Gardner

#9 Noratio Nelsom (Left), 1800 And William John Raglan Horatio Tribe (Right) Nelson's Great, Great, Great, Great Grandson

Image credits: Drew Gardner

#10 Edwin Burke Ives (Left), 1863 And Reuben L. Andrews (Right)

Image credits: Drew Gardner

#11 Arthur Wellesley 1st Duke Of Wellingston (Left), 1824 And Jeremy Clyde (Right) The Great, Great, Great Grandson Of The 1st Duke Of Wellington

Image credits: Drew Gardner

#12 Charles II (Left), 1653 And Lord Charles Fitzroy (Right) The 9 Times Great Grandson Of Charles II

Image credits: Drew Gardner

#13 Isambard Kingdom Brunel, 1857 (Left) And Isambard Thomas (Right), Brunel's Great Great Great Grandson

Image credits: Drew Gardner

#14 Berthe Morisot (Left), 1872 And Lucie Rouart (Right) The Great Granddaughter Of Berthe Morisot

Image credits: Drew Gardner

#15 Elizabeth Cady Stanton (Left), 1850 And Elizabeth Jenkins-Sahlin (Right)

Image credits: Drew Gardner