People When They Were Young and at 100 Years Old

So many things change when a person ages. Wrinkles, changing hairlines, graying hair, the list goes on… But one thing that always stays the same is a person’s identity.

For his photo project called Faces of Century, photographer Jan Langer captured over a dozen Czech centenarians and compared their pictures of when they were young, and when they were over 100 years old.

“How these people see their life after such a period? The majority of those I approached agree that with advancing age life is faster; until, at last, the life will pass in a moment,” Langer says. “Time is shrinking, as are the faces of the elders. I wondered what changes and what remains on a human face and in a human mind in such a long time, and in such a short while in relative terms. I wondered how much loneliness of the old age weighs, and what memories stay in 100-year-old mind.”

This set of comparative photos (of archive portraits from the family album and contemporary portraits from the present time) explores the similarities and the differences in appearance and in physiognomy. The characteristics of personality change throughout life but it seems as if individual nature remains rooted in the abyss of time.

What did you think? Please leave a comment in the section below and remember to share the video and sign up for our free newsletter!