What the Descendants of 10 World-Famous People From the Past Look Like Today

British photographer Drew Gardner learned from his mother that he strongly resembles his granddad. That’s how he got the idea for the project, “The Descendants.” Gardner took on a lot of work while creating it. He found direct descendants of historical personas, carefully checked their ancestry, and recreated the original costumes and props with incredible accuracy. The photographer posted the final results on his Instagram page and on his site.

We at Bright Side were avidly studying behind-the-scenes footage on Drew Gardner’s YouTube Channel and are eager to show you the stunning photos the photographer created.

Lisa del Giocondo — Irina Guicciardini Strozzi

Lisa del Giocondo was a noble Florentian woman who was supposedly depicted in Leonardo da Vinci’s famous portrait. She was the wife of Francesco, a silk merchant. Lisa’s husband, del Giocondo, was a great art connoisseur who patronized artists. Researchers believe that Francesco ordered Leonardo to paint the portrait of his wife to celebrate the birth of their son and the purchase of a new house.

Charles Dickens — Gerald Charles Dickens

Charles Dickens was an English writer who created classics in world literature that became famous during his lifetime. His most famous novels are Oliver Twist, David Copperfield, Bleak House, and Great Expectations. But literature wasn’t the only thing the talented writer was fruitful in — he also had 10 kids (7 sons and 3 daughters).

Isambard Kingdom Brunel — Isambard Thomas

Isambard Brunel was a British engineer without whom it would be hard to imagine the Industrial Revolution. He built railways, railroad bridges, and large steamships. In 2002, BBC conducted a poll in which Brunel was ranked second on a list of the greatest British people in history.

Berthe Morisot — Lucie Rouart

Berthe Morisot was a French painter who worked in Impressionism. She was the wife of Eugène Manet, the brother of the famous Édouard Manet.

Horatio Nelson — William John Raglan Horatio Tribe

Horatio Nelson was a vice-admiral and the commander in the Royal Navy at the end of the eighteenth century. He won a number of victories in naval battles with the French and the Spanish. His famous saying, “England expects that every man will do his duty,” is still paraphrased and regularly quoted, even today.

William Wordsworth — Tom Wotner

William Wordsworth was an English Romantic poet whose name was well-known among students of philology. He wrote about nature and its strong connection with the human soul.

Oliver Cromwell — Charles Bush

Oliver Cromwell was an English statesman and a general. He’s famous for having held suppressed rebellions in Ireland and Scotland in the middle of the seventeenth century.

Robert Clive, First Baron Clive of Plassey — Robert Holden

Robert Clive was a British general and statesman. He became famous for his work involving extending Britain’s influence in the world.

Emmeline Pankhurst — Helen Pankhurst

Emmeline Pankhurst was a political activist, a fighter for women’s rights, and the leader of the UK suffragette movement. She had one main goal in her life: to get voting rights for women. In 1999, Time magazine ranked Pankhurst among the “100 Most Important People of the Twentieth Century.”

Napoleon — Hugo de Salis

Napoleon Bonaparte was a French statesman, military leader, and the Emperor of the French. He was considered the statesman who laid the foundations of modern Europe. After Napoleon was overthrown, his code of laws (known as “Napoleonic Code”) remained active in conquered territories like the Netherlands, Belgium, and Italy.

Up to what generation can you trace your ancestors?