How We Once Were: Reflections of The Past

By Tiffany Hagler-Geard July 24, 2013

"I don't believe one grows older. I think that what happens early on in life is that at a certain age one stands still and stagnates" T.S. Elliott

WWII veteran named Gardner was speaking to photographer Tom Hussey about his life experiences right before his 80th birthday. He was saying he didn't understand how he could be 80 years old, as he felt he was still a young man.

Hussey came up with a photo concept to re-create Gardner's young vibrant soul. He started by creating a typical bathroom setting and photographed Gardner staring in the mirror and seeing his 25 year old younger self reflecting back at him.

The Soldier

Based on that shoot, Hussey was awarded a job for an Alzheimer's drug company to shoot an entire series of reflection portraits of the elderly. The company makes a patch for patients to maintain long-term memory during the early stages of Alzheimers.

The Singer