Christine H. McConnell can travel through time. Well, sort of. The 33-year-old photographer recently unveiled a project where she carefully recreated photographs of her ancestors, starring herself. Everything from hairstyle to clothing to photograph style was mimicked, creating a side-by-side comparison of McConnell and her female relatives, some of whom she has never had the chance to meet.
Christine, b. 1981
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The idea came to McConnell when her mother gave her one of her old dresses. McConnell’s mother was once photographed in the dress. When she found it also fit her, McConnell had an idea. Family history was always part of her upbringing. She describes growing up in a house surrounded by portraits of her ancestors. One such image resonated with her; she found it “creepy” as a kid, but as she got older, she realized that the woman in the photo (her great-great-great-grandmother) looked alike.
Christine’s great-great-great-grandmother, Martha, b. 1821
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Christine’s great-great-grandmother, Jane, b. 1858
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Christine’s great-grandmother, Attie Mae, b. 1898
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Christine’s grandmother, Mildred, b. 1928
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Christine’s mother, Kathryn, b. 1957
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Christine’s “daughter,” Trigger
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The process of recreating the images was incredibly painstaking. “It took a few weeks, but I started recreating each ancestors portrait, matching the clothes and lighting as best I could. I sewed several pieces and had to paint some of the imagery to give it an authentic appearance. When I finished, I was amazed that in each picture I saw different features of my own face in these women.”
(via BoredPanda)
You can see more of McConnell’s photography work on her Facebook and Instagram pages.
