The Descendants

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A ‘visual excavation’ of Western history by British photographer Drew Gardner wherein descendants of historically significant people pose,  recreating  famous portraits of their ancestor.

But there’s more going here than mock-ups. The photograph of Shannon LaNier (top pic) is especially significant.

He’s the sixth-great grandson of Jefferson and Sally Hemmings, who the third U.S. president enslaved and forced to bear his children, a story that’s long been left out of historical narratives.

(From top: Shannon LaNier, Jefferson’s sixth-great grandson; Hugo de Salis, fourth-great grandson of Napoleon. Napoleon in his study, by Jacques-Louis David, 1812; Helen Pankhurst, great granddaughter of women’s rights activist Emeline Pankhurst; Tom Wonter, Wordsworth’s fourth-great grandson. William Wordsworth, portrait by William Shuter, 1798; Gerald Charles Dickens, Dickens’ great, great grandson. Charles Dickens, portrait by Herbert Watkins, 1858; Isambard Thomas, Brunel’s third-great grandson. Isambard Kingdom Brunel, portrait by Robert Howlett, 1857; Irina Guicciardini Strozzi, the 15th great granddaughter of Lisa del Giocondo. The Mona Lisa by Leonardo DaVinci.)

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5 thoughts on “The Descendants

  1. Nigel

    This is cool, but reminded me that I just read of the death of the grandson of Elvis Presely at some ridiculously young age, which seems sad.

  2. Junkface

    Cool idea for a project. Imagine being related to Napoleon though? He was fearless, crazy and intriguing as hell, one of the most fascinating leaders in history. I wish Stanley Kubrick got to make his Napoleon movie in the 70’s. It would have been epic!

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