The past: Reframed. Re-lived.

by kiwanja

It’s not every day that you stumble across something which blows you away, especially when you don’t quite understand why. It happened to me on Sunday, and I’m still more than a little fascinated.

Described by MSNBC as “a site that will make you call your Mom”, Dear Photograph is a beautifully simple idea. Find an old picture, go back to where it was taken, hold it up, line it up, and re-take it. For loved ones long gone, it almost brings them back. To re-live good times (or bad), it almost brings them back. I can imagine that for many people doing this, it’s quite an emotional exercise. There’s something magical and challenging about re-living – and re-imagining – the past.

The site has only been going a short while, so it’s unclear if it’s going to “go viral” or not. Either way, it reminds me a little of PostSecret, which did turn out to be a huge success.

If you decide to give it a go, you can submit photographs to dearphotograph@gmail.com. They’re also @dearphotograph on Twitter.

20 comments

1 changefeed { 07.21.11 at 3:06 pm }: ->@kiwanja: The past: Reframed. Re-lived. http://bit.ly/oOMiK9
2 Ken Banks { 07.21.11 at 3:07 pm }: Would love to hear what other people think about this new site. Fascinating. "The past: Reframed. Re-lived". http://is.gd/yButE9
3 Mariam Cook { 07.21.11 at 3:15 pm }: first example is extra-spooky RT @kiwanja: Fascinating. "The past: Reframed. Re-lived". http://is.gd/yButE9
4 Duncan { 07.21.11 at 3:18 pm }: first example is extra-spooky RT @kiwanja: Fascinating. "The past: Reframed. Re-lived". http://is.gd/yButE9
5 Nicola Avery { 07.21.11 at 3:42 pm }: Would love to hear what other people think about this new site. Fascinating. "The past: Reframed. Re-lived". http://is.gd/yButE9
6 三輪　開人 { 07.21.11 at 3:43 pm }: こういう嗜好は好き。＝＞The past: Reframed. Re-lived. http://t.co/l1dyMjJ
7 lara long { 07.21.11 at 7:02 pm }: A lovely memory. Another example of technology meeting humanity. RT @TopsyRT: The past: Reframed. Re-lived. http://bit.ly/raatyh
8 Facundo Falduto { 07.21.11 at 8:05 pm }: Encuadrar el pasado http://ow.ly/5Kkd7 vía @maccur.
9 Mauro Accurso { 07.21.11 at 8:06 pm }: Encuadrar el pasado http://ow.ly/5Kkd7 vía @maccur.
10 Ken Banks { 07.21.11 at 8:35 pm }: Old #media meets new media meets the real world meets #humanity in this wonderful "Dear Photograph" site. http://is.gd/yButE9
11 Ken Banks { 07.21.11 at 8:37 pm }: Old #media meets new media meets the real world meets humanity in this wonderful "Dear Photograph" website. http://is.gd/yButE9
12 Ivo Mortani (Movere) { 07.21.11 at 8:39 pm }: Old #media meets new media meets the real world meets humanity in this wonderful "Dear Photograph" website. http://is.gd/yButE9
13 emerbeamer { 07.21.11 at 8:41 pm }: Better than planking! @kiwanja Old #media meets new media meets humanity in this wonderful "Dear Photograph" website. http://t.co/acdaeIU
14 Chikere E { 07.21.11 at 8:59 pm }: “@kiwanja: Old #media meets new media meets the real world meets humanity in this wonderful "Dear Photograph" website. http://t.co/dn0XXna”
15 NatGeo Explorer { 07.21.11 at 9:55 pm }: RT @kiwanja: Old #media meets new media meets the real world meets humanity in this wonderful "Dear Photograph" website. http://is.gd/yButE9
16 lou masabech { 07.21.11 at 10:12 pm }: RT @kiwanja: Old #media meets new media meets the real world meets humanity in this wonderful "Dear Photograph" website. http://is.gd/yButE9
17 Aleksei { 07.23.11 at 1:08 pm }: You’ve found a brilliant. Very interesting and deep idea.
18 The past: Reframed. Re-lived. | Global Health Hub { 07.28.11 at 2:04 am }: [...] Excerpt from: The past: Reframed. Re-lived. [...]
19 ICT4D postcards | Build it Kenny, and they will come... { 10.14.11 at 2:44 pm }: [...] fit on the back of a postcard”. Like “Dear Photograph” (which I blogged about here), it’s a simple but compelling [...]
20 The “ICT4D Postcards Project” { 10.26.11 at 5:35 pm }: [...] fit on the back of a postcard”. Like “Dear Photograph” (which I blogged about here), it’s a simple but compelling [...]