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Golden Years

13 side-by-side portraits of people over 100 with their younger selves

These powerful before-and-after photos reveal just how beautiful aging can be.

via Jan Langer/Aktualne

Jan Langer's incredible photos are timeless.

Czech photographer Jan Langer's portrait series "Faces of Century" shows them in a different light: as human beings aged by years of experience, but at their deepest level, unchanged by the passing of time. In the series, Langer juxtaposes his portraits with another portrait of the subject from decades earlier. He recreates the original pose and lighting as closely as he can — he wants us to see them not just as they are now, but how they have and haven't changed over time. That is the key to the series.

These are the rare faces of people who have lived through two world wars, a cavalcade of regimes, and the rush of advancements in modern life. These photos, and the stories of the lives lived by the people in them, show not only the beauty of aging, but how even as we age, we still remain essentially ourselves.


1. Prokop Vejdělek, at age 22 and 101

All photos by Jan Langer.

Vejdělek is a former metallurgical engineer who will never forget the taste of warm fresh goat's milk.

2. Bedřiška Köhlerová, at age 26 and 103

Originally born in Merano, Italy, Köhlerová wishes to visit Italy one more time.

3. Ludvík Chybík, at age 20 and 102

Chybík is a former postal carrier and says he will never forget the route he worked every day.

4. Vincenc Jetelina, at age 30 and 105

Jetelina spent eight years in prison after World War II. Now, he just wants to live the rest of his life in peace.

5. Marie Fejfarová, at age 101

Fejfarová burned all her material memories, including old photographs, when she decided to move to a long-term care facility. She lived a dramatic life, hiding from the Nazis and then the Russians, but eventually she was able to travel the world with her husband. Her experiences show there's no such thing as too late in life to start a new chapter.

6. Antonín Kovář, at age 25 and 102

Kovář is a former musician whose daughter comes to visit him every day. He wishes to play the clarinet once more.

7. Anna Vašinová, at age 22 and 102

Vašinová will always remember the day her husband was taken away by the Nazis. She wishes to be reunited with him after death.

8. Stanislav Spáčil, at age 17 and 102

Spáčil was an electrical engineer throughout his life and thinks that it's too early in his life to think about the past.

9. Anna Pochobradská, at age 30 and 100

Pochobradská was a farmer. She now lives a quiet life and is thankful that her daughter visits her every weekend.

10. Antonín Baldrman, at age 17 and 101

Baldrman was a clerk early in life and keeps up with current events by reading the newspaper.

11. Marie Burešová, at age 23 and 101

Burešová loves talking to her family and wishes to have them all together again.

12. Vlasta Čížková, at age 23 and 101

Čížková cooked in the dining room at the airport in the small village of Vodochody. She'll never forget reciting her own poetry at wedding ceremonies.

13. Ludmila Vysloužilová, at age 23 and 101

Vysloužilová stays active every day by chopping wood, shoveling snow, and doing work around her house.

The photographer Langer was initially inspired to document the lives of elderly people because of what he saw as the media's lack of coverage of them. He decided to focus on people over the age of 100 — a very rare demographic indeed. The 2010 U.S. Census reported only 53,364 centenarians, which is only 0.19% of the population of people 70 years or older.

“One should live every single moment according to their best knowledge and conscience because one day we will see clearly what has a real value," Langer says of what he learned from his subjects while photographing them.

The series was originally part of a story that Langer did for the Czech news outlet aktuálně.cz. You can see more photos from the portrait sessions by following the link.


This article originally appeared seven years ago.



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Artist creates incredibly lifelike portraits using nothing but tulle fabric and an iron

It took Benjamin Shine 10 years to perfect his technique, and every portrait is more impressive than the last.

Insider Art/YouTube

Benjamin Shine demonstrates how he makes faces from tulle fabric.

From the earliest cave paintings to the statue of David, the human ability and desire to create art is one of our most enduring characteristics. Over the millennia, people have used countless forms and mediums to reflect the world and ourselves back at us, and just when you think people must have exhausted the possibilities, someone comes along with something totally new.

Someone like Benjamin Shine and his portraits made of tulle.

If you're not familiar, tulle is a very thin mesh fabric that's usually layered to fluff out skirts and dresses. But Benjamin Shine uses the notoriously finicky fabric to make flowing, lifelike faces that really have to be seen to be believed.

Shine took 10 years to perfect his craft, using nothing but a big piece of tulle and a cheap iron (the cheaper the iron the better, he says). In that time, he discovered just the right heat, pressure and timing to bring a simple piece of fabric to life.

Watch this Insider segment and see him in action:

The way the tulle flows makes the portraits almost look like they're made of water, and the realistic detail he is able to pull off is incredibly impressive. Tulle can be tricky to work with, but he makes it look so easy.

If you watch to the end of the video, you can see how he's used an alternative tulle-like recycled plastic material to create freestanding sculptures like this one:

And this one he created of him and his wife for their wedding is even more "wow." Um, good luck topping that one, every groom in the universe.

And check out this installation in which he used tulle to create dancers that look like they're mid-movement. Swipe through to see the full range. Absolutely beautiful.

And there's plenty more where that came from. Follow Benjamin Shine on Instagram for more of his tulle-y remarkable work.

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In a touching post, Michelle Obama said she was 'overwhelmed' by her portrait. So are we.

On Feb. 12, 2018, the portraits of Barack and Michelle Obama were revealed at the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C.

Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images.

It truly was a historic moment. The artists behind both of the Obamas' portraits are black. There hasn’t been a black artist previously been commissioned for a presidential portrait for the National Portrait Gallery.

Baltimore-based Amy Sherald — a rising star in the art world, whose work challenges stereotypes about black Americans and black identity — painted the former first lady.

Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images.

After having lived in the White House for eight years, it's easy to assume the Obamas are used to these types of history-making days. But as a touching post on Michelle Obama's Instagram suggested, the moment was still a bit surreal for the first black woman to call the White House home.

"As a young girl, even in my wildest dreams, I never could have imagined this moment," Michelle Obama began her heartfelt post.

She continued in the caption:

"Nobody in my family has ever had a portrait — there are no portraits of the Robinsons or the Shields from the South Side of Chicago. This is all a little bit overwhelming, especially when I think about all of the young people who will visit the National Portrait Gallery and see this, including so many young girls and young girls of color who don’t often see their images displayed in beautiful and iconic ways."

"Beautiful and iconic" is right. Handpicked by the Obamas, Sherald and Wiley's paintings reflected the aesthetics of their previous works, bucking the more conventional surroundings and styles seen in other presidential portraits at the Smithsonian.

The portraits of George and Laura Bush. Photo by Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images.

The portraits of Bill and Hillary Clinton. Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images.

Other first ladies' portraits were powerful and moving in their own rights, to be sure. "For me, having the honor of having a portrait in the Smithsonian is just beyond words," Hillary Clinton had explained during her own portrait's reveal. Laura Bush said she was “especially happy to invite an artist from [her] mother’s childhood home of El Paso, Texas, to paint [her portrait],” speaking about its creator, Aleksander Titovets.

But the Obamas truly were unlike any other first family in U.S. history. And their portraits don't shy away from that reality — they embrace it beautifully.

"I am so proud to help make that kind of history," Michelle Obama concluded in her touching post before expressing gratitude for Sherald. "Thank you, Amy — it was a joy to work with you and get to know you."

Learn more about presidential portraits at the National Portrait Gallery.

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These stunning portraits of black girls rocking their natural hair are a must-see.

Atlanta-based CreativeSoul Photography brought an inspiring artistic vision to life that highlights the beauty of black girls and their natural hair.

Regis and Kahran are the husband-and-wife duo behind the photography studio, and their series "Afro Art" represents their expertise in capturing portraits as well as visual storytelling. The striking images feature young girls in elaborate costuming and hairstyles, from a Baroque-era aesthetic to steampunk clothing to fierce high-fashion ensembles.

The girls featured in "Afro Art" are stylish and carry themselves with confidence and grace. The feelings evoked from the series speak to the larger idea surrounding it. “We feel that it is so important for kids of color to be able to see positive images that look like them in the media,” Kahran told My Modern Met in an email. “Unfortunately the lack of diversity often plays into the stereotypes that they are not ‘good enough’ and often forces kids to have low self-esteem.”

All photos by CreativeSoul Photo, used with permission.

To help combat these negative feelings, the couple showcases kids who love how they look.

“We hope that viewers will see the beauty and versatility of afro hair,” Kahran explains, “and we hope that girls around the world will be inspired to love their unique differences and beauty within.”

"Afro Art" came together from CreativeSoul’s travels:

“We worked on these series in various states in the US (New York, California, Texas, Georgia). In each state, we created a different theme and came up with clothing pieces and accessories that went with that theme.”

Although meticulous in preparation, the duo still left some room for spontaneity. “On set, we just styled everything on the fly and worked with our hairstylist to create unique looks for each model.”

See how the different themes come together to make one gorgeously shot and styled series.

In their series "Afro Art," CreativeSoul Photography captures striking portraits of girls who are rocking their natural hair.

They feature black girls who wear elaborate Baroque-esque ensembles …

... as well as steampunk-inspired outfits …

… and many other styles.

The overall goal of "Afro Art" is to show kids of color more people that look like them in the media.

“We hope that girls around the world will be inspired to love their unique differences and beauty within,” Kahran explains.

This piece originally appeared at My Modern Met and is reprinted here with permission.

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