Canadian internet sensation Taylor Jones has struck gold with his passion project, Dear Photograph. An adorable, nostalgia inducing phenomenon, Jones invites his audience to submit cherished memories in the form of a photo within a photo. The resulting series represents a heartwarming collection of treasured times, poignantly and humorously captioned by people from all over the world.
Jones first embarked on this project years ago while flipping through some childhood photos of his own. He thought it might be interesting to hold one of his photos up against the same backdrop. It turned to be interesting to a whole lot of people who began submitting their own renditions. At first, Jones was overwhelmed by the attention Dear Photograph was getting, but he quickly took on the task of archiving the submissions on a website by the same name. Due to its inventive, relatable, nostalgic, and popular nature, it comes as no surprise that it was named one of the 50 Best Websites of 2011 by Time.com and selected as the #1 Website of 2011 on CBS TV’s “The Early Show.”
Jones’ hugely popular website has also been turned into a stunning book that compiles 140 never-before-seen images. His blast-from-the-past concept is a striking visual offering of human experiences. They may not be your photos, but there’s something undeniably relatable about each one.
Above: “I inherited my grandmother’s family photos several years ago and finally did some digging to see if I could find the old family homes around Detroit. Here’s one on Marx Avenue with my father in the early 1930s.” -Mary
“‘No, ma’am, it’s not a boy in a dress, it’s a girl in a dress.’ The hair came, the dresses went, the park stayed.” –Nomeda
“This is when I still had hair and my brother pooped himself. We were happy, but we didn’t know it.” -Domenico
“Cheetos forever!” -Seokyeong Han
“Believe it or not, skinned knees aren’t the worst thing that can happen to you. Love, 18 year-old you.”
“My mother was a hippie too. Deal with it!”
“This was my great uncles and grandfathers automotive shop in Dublin called Burney Brothers Garage. They sold Royal Enfield motorcycles and raced in the Isle of Man TT. They were also in business with Stanley Woods, who was an Irish motorcycle racer famous for 29 Grand Prix wins and winning the Isle of Man TT races 10 times in his career. When the remaining family members went back to Dublin two weeks ago it was so special to be back in the place they lived and worked all their lives.” -Julie
“All those years ago, before I was even here, you and sissy were having fun in the same yard all our kids have had fun in. Nobody would have imagined you would be the first to go. Happy Birthday Brandel! We lost you almost 7 years ago and we still miss you everyday.”
“The barn, the tractor and my grandfather Sam are gone now. But on this Alberta farm beside the lake, you can hear his footsteps along with my grandma, great-grandma, those of my late father and now, my dear aunt who’s joined them and left behind so many memories. Rest in peace, Karen.” -Lorena
“It seems like yesterday that my daughter Taylor was graduating from high school and this picture was taken. Today, 4 years later, Taylor continues to be on the right track and graduating from Northern Arizona University.” -Mom
“Seasons come and seasons go, but my heart still fills with joy remembering the boy in the frog shirt and the girl in the purple straw hat fishing for days on end not caring if they caught anything.” -Bridget
“The three little man and women are now in 3 countries apart. Home gives us the bonding laugh.” -Lingwen
“Though I am taller than you now, I look up to you still as I did nearly twenty years ago.” -Andrew
“You were taken on 22 April 2000 by a visiting grandfather who was waiting outside for his grandson to come back. 14 years later today, for the first time in 7 years since moving out of the childhood house and neighborhood, I have come back to visit just like my grandfather. Sometimes we reminisce and by taking a trip down memory lane quite literally, the connection is stronger just being in the places where those memories were made.” -Jun
“15 years separates from when I took this photo to now. We moved a couple hundred miles away 2 years after this photo, and both my boys are grown and doing their own things. I miss and cherish the days when they did things with me and their mum, but things always move on, and we always have each other.” -John