20 Photos From Family Albums That Make Time a Tangible Thing

We can’t physically catch or stop time. But thanks to photographs, we can catch some wonderful moments, keep them alive for decades, and come back to them when we feel the need for sweet nostalgia. It’s an even greater pleasure to try and recreate a gem from your family album in the present, and see how life has changed while the years were flying by.

Here at Bright Side, we love flipping through our family albums, and if you enjoy doing this too, have a look at these 20 “then and now” family photos that Reddit users shared with the world. We’d be happy if this collection inspires you to create similar collages that connect the present with the past.

1. “My mom going to prom in 1991 and me going to prom in 2017”

https://files.brightside.me/files/news/part_79/797312/15316661-image-crop-640x592-1589518145-728-28b925a987-1590069365.jpg
© TheGoddessofHunting / Reddit  

2. “My mother forced my brothers and I into 2 pretty neat pics!”

https://files.brightside.me/files/news/part_79/797312/15316659-image-crop-922x922-1589800105-728-27175f1978-1590069365.jpg
© Teddy_Red / Reddit  

3. “Recreating my freshman photo, 20 years later”

https://files.brightside.me/files/news/part_79/797312/15316657-image-crop-898x624-1589787466-728-5afe41f164-1590069365.jpg
© K20J03K / Reddit  

4. “My mother lost touch with her then boyfriend 30 years ago. 2 years ago, he reconnected with her, and after numerous FaceTime calls and flying back and forth, they finally got married.”

https://files.brightside.me/files/news/part_79/797312/15316627-8bcdcu9ujcv11-1589801102-728-921bc33938-1590069365.jpg
© SuperChubbyKitty / Reddit  

5. “My mother and I, both age 25”

https://files.brightside.me/files/news/part_79/797312/15316635-5Ol4Eor-1589800746-728-868a3fdf82-1590069365.jpg
© shaylybri / Reddit  

6. “My mother (1957), me (1986), and my son, with 3 generations of technology”

https://files.brightside.me/files/news/part_79/797312/15316655-image-crop-640x817-1589788507-728-a6f4fefd21-1590069365.jpg
© thecandipants / Reddit  

7. “My dad and I, photos taken nearly 50 years apart”

https://files.brightside.me/files/news/part_79/797312/15316654-image-crop-918x524-1589788391-728-5fa5761dd0-1590069365.jpg
© bennggg / Reddit  

8. “Me and my dog, exactly 10 years apart. We both grew up together.”

https://files.brightside.me/files/news/part_79/797312/15316663-image-crop-941x938-1589852460-728-a32472afa6-1590069365.jpg
© LindellBrown / Reddit  

9. “1940s: My great-grandfather holding my grandmother. They are now 74 and 103.”

https://files.brightside.me/files/news/part_79/797312/15316652-image-crop-925x708-1589850993-728-a7fbd10e04-1590069365.jpg
© Ryan_Rotten / Reddit  

10. “Me and my grandpa in medical school 70 years apart (equally sleep deprived)”

https://files.brightside.me/files/news/part_79/797312/15316637-dlw7bjfy9pr31-1589852526-728-28b6359545-1590069365.jpg
© Neuromancy_ / Reddit  

11. “My son and I, 32 years apart”

https://files.brightside.me/files/news/part_79/797312/15316647-4a3vp2nw5t841-1589851849-728-f1d49bce3c-1590069365.jpg
© Fried_rice007 / Reddit  

12. “My first day of kindergarten, 30 years apart”

https://files.brightside.me/files/news/part_79/797312/15316653-image-crop-918x685-1589787575-728-803f5cdf35-1590069365.jpg
© dragonbornsqrl / Reddit  

13. “My daughter and I attended each other’s HS graduation, 16 years apart.”

https://files.brightside.me/files/news/part_79/797312/15316631-lQ379OfG4Zlmn9w06sFqzz-KctP3W807XxQiDRYAKqs-1589851587-728-3782989671-1590069365.jpg
© deceptishawn / Reddit  

14. “My grandma’s handmade rainbow sweater in action, 35 years apart (1984 vs 2019)”

https://files.brightside.me/files/news/part_79/797312/15316656-image-crop-960x864-1589852183-728-3df78ab327-1590069365.jpg
© Thea_From_Juilliard / Reddit  

15. “I recreated my favorite picture of my dad. Him after graduating high school in 1980 and me after graduating today.”

https://files.brightside.me/files/news/part_79/797312/15316658-image-crop-960x741-1589801508-728-581a300f2e-1590069365.jpg
© uniquersneaker / Reddit  

16. “My dad and my son, 70 years apart”

https://files.brightside.me/files/news/part_79/797312/15316660-image-crop-960x623-1589851277-728-e5f1aa9384-1590069365.jpg
© Dorfli / Reddit  

17. “My sister recreated me as my mom!”

https://files.brightside.me/files/news/part_79/797312/15316641-dghbzi7pa3j31-1589798885-728-f7e7768b2e-1590069365.jpg
© HelloItsMeBB8 / Reddit  

18. “My mother and father. Photos taken 51 years apart.”

https://files.brightside.me/files/news/part_79/797312/15316644-tu90osvwl8f41-1589801587-728-42595dc492-1590069365.jpg
© shaka_sulu / Reddit  

19. “My mom at 26 and me at 23: Stonehenge, 34 years apart”

https://files.brightside.me/files/news/part_79/797312/15316662-image-crop-625x1063-1589853402-728-b27aec75fb-1590069365.jpg
© blueeyedbadnews / Reddit  

20. “I fused an old picture of my mom (left) with a picture of myself (right).”

https://files.brightside.me/files/news/part_79/797312/15316626-djrs9n4m35x41-1589517905-728-51a87a9074-1590069365.jpg
© Undercoveronreddit / Reddit  

Do you have family photos that you cherish? Can you show them to us in the comments?

Preview photo credit K20J03K / Reddit