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You’re probably well-familiar with the scenario that happens nearly every single time someone opens a photo album: they show you a picture, you see another one, then another one that reminds you of something, and before you know it, you’ve spent two hours flipping through the photo album.

If you just said “Aah, yes, I know how that goes,” or at least thought that to yourself, you’re probably a rather sentimental person or someone who enjoys walking down memory lane looking at pictures, at least. But you are also likely to be a person who would enjoy today’s list, as it is focused on some of the most wholesome family pic recreations you could find on the internet. If you’re ready for a month’s worth of wholesome, scroll down to find the pictures on the list below, but beware, they might make you want to take out that family photo album of yours, and we all know how that’s going to go.

On the list below you will also find Bored Panda’s interview with an expert in all things nostalgia, professor of literature and linguistics at Mars Hill University, Hal McDonald, Ph.D., who was kind enough to share his thoughts on the importance of (old) pictures.

#1

A Kid Posed With His Pilot Dad In An Airplane. Almost 30 Years Later They Recreated The Photo

Father and son in pilot uniforms recreate a cockpit photo for a wholesome family photo recreation.

Courtesy Southwest Airlines Report

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Jayjay
Community Member
2 days ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

That is a real sweet and proud photo! kuddos to you both :)

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“A photograph is like a wormhole, providing a direct link between two distantly separated locations in space and time – the present in which we view the photograph and the epoch in our lives when the photo was taken,” professor of literature and linguistics at Mars Hill University, Dr. Hal McDonald, told Bored Panda, discussing the significance of pictures and the role they play in regards to people’s sense of nostalgia.

“It’s like a time capsule—a fleeting moment from our past captured on film (or pixels) and buried in some box in our closet or album on our phone to await rediscovery months, years, or even decades later, bringing that long-forgotten instant to life once again,” Prof. McDonald added.

“And with the memory of that moment come whatever emotions we may have been feeling when the shutter clicked. That image of our family gathered around the table for Christmas dinner, or college friends making stupid faces on graduation day, or that puppy poking its head out of a gift box on our tenth birthday, can instantaneously fill us with the feeling of contentment, anticipation, or joy that those happy moments gave us when we lived them.”

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    #2

    Four Girlfriends Recreate Photo From Their First Fun-Loving Vacation 50 Years Ago

    Women recreate a nostalgic family photo, joyfully walking arm-in-arm in similar outfits from the past.

    OldEngland1066 Report

    “But it is not just the isolated moment captured on a 4x6 scrap of paper to which a photograph transports us, for that moment, when we actually lived it, was not isolated at all. It was but a small strand of an intricate web of all the lived moments that surrounded it in both space and time—the area that lay outside the visual field of the photograph, and all the things we experienced in the moments before and after the moment portrayed in it,” Dr. McDonald continued.

    “Gazing at a photograph not only allows us to relive a special moment. It temporarily immerses us in the entire world in which that moment occurred—the sight of your mother, who never liked being in pictures, holding the camera and telling you to say ‘cheese,’ the smell of sausage b***s and cheese straws wafting in from the kitchen, and the sound of your grandfather laughing himself hoarse over the antics of your little brother, none of which are portrayed in the picture, but all of which spring to life in your memory as you recall the moment.”

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    According to Prof. McDonald, once we connect with our past through the wormhole of a photograph, we might want to stay in that state for a while, which is likely why we tend to spend quite some time flipping through the pages, when we actually take time to open a photo album.

    “We want to stay there as long as we can, savoring the pleasure of recapturing some part of our past—and perhaps even of ourselves—that we had long ago forgotten,” he noted. “A single photo can carry us to that distant place. Flipping through the pages of a photo album can allow us to stay there and visit for a while.”

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    #8

    30 Years Apart. My Dad, Age 21. Me, Age 22. Same Shirt. Same Guitar

    30 Years Apart. My Dad, Age 21. Me, Age 22. Same Shirt. Same Guitar

    squirrelmonkey1234 Report

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    Some people might think that the days of photo albums are long gone. And well, they’re not entirely wrong. As much as I—a fan of photo albums, scrap books, and similar forms of nostalgia—would hate to admit it, it looks like increasingly fewer people put all of their pictures neatly in actual albums and rely more on the digital ones on their phones or computers instead.

    That’s not surprising. Bearing in mind the hassle of having to print them out—not to mention sort through them—it makes sense to have them always on hand on your devices. This way, it’s easier to share them, too, as it doesn’t require flipping through what feels like hundreds of albums to find that one picture you were looking for (and, perish the thought, have to use a photocopier so you can send it to someone).

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    A report on people’s changing printing habits, carried out by Epson Europe, seconded the idea that photo albums are becoming a thing of the past. According to it, the vast majority—as much as 86%—of people have gotten out of the habit of building family albums. It also found that the average person hasn’t looked at their family album for more than 1.5 years (19 months, to be exact).

    While most people no longer collect pictures in family albums, they agree that browsing physical pictures tends to have a positive effect on them. According to the aforementioned report, roughly 80% of people say that looking at pictures of loved ones make them happy and more than 50% say they experience feelings of pride and nostalgia.

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    Another way that physical pictures reportedly add to people’s well-being is bringing the young generation closer to their relatives, even if via an image, and giving them a stronger sense of identity.

    #16

    That's Me For No Reason, Recreation Gap 1988-2012, Berlin

    Adult and child recreating a wholesome family photo, sitting in a metal tub outdoors with a similar pose and expression.

    Irina Werning Report

    #17

    My Mom And I In 1994, My Daughter And I In 2024

    Mother and baby photo recreation showcasing a wholesome family moment.

    jadelakin Report

    “Looking through an old photo album together is a good way of strengthening, and in some cases repairing, the ties that make a family a ‘family’,” Dr. McDonald told Bored Panda, talking about the role family pictures play in people’s relationships with those of their kin.

    “Our memories, particularly nostalgic ones, remind us of who we are and what is really important to us, and photographs put us in touch with our nostalgic memories. Looking at photos together with family members stirs our collective sense of nostalgia, reminding us of the experiences we shared, and the common identity we share, as a result of sharing those experiences.”

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    #19

    Amazing Remake Of Siblings Together In A Park For Lovely Remake After 28 Years

    Recreated wholesome family photo of siblings sitting on steps, showing growth over the years.

    Vestiges of History Report

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    Meghan Marie
    Community Member
    1 day ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    The oldest sister now looks like the youngest! But this is a really great recreation

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    “Not content to merely look at old family photos, many families work to recreate those photos, standing in front of the same backdrop as in the original, striking the same pose, and in some cases even donning the same attire—only a larger, adult version,” Prof. McDonald noted. “The results of these whimsical photographical experiments are very often amusing, or even comical. The experience of actually taking the photograph, however, can be deeply meaningful, carrying us back to the moment portrayed in the original photo, and reminding us of all that has changed and, just as importantly, all that has remained the same, throughout the years separating the two family photos.”

    #21

    For Father’s Day This Year I Recreated My Favorite Picture Of My Dad. Him After Graduating High School In 1980 And Me After Graduating Today

    Two men in matching outfits stand in front of a house, recreating a wholesome family photo.

    uniquersneaker Report

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    #23

    Every Year My Parents Recreate The Christmas Card Our Friends Send Them Of Their Kids, Here’s This Years!

    Family recreates photo at hot cocoa stand, wearing red plaid shirts in a wholesome scene.

    Jeromiewhalen Report

    In addition to the sense of pride or nostalgia that pictures bring, there is another thing people tend to enjoy about looking at them, according to Epson Europe’s report, and that is the handwritten notes that are often found on the back of the photograph.

    Not only do people seem to love finding names and dates written on them, some even believe that they are missing out, because the digital pictures most of us take nowadays don’t allow for such a sentimental kind of detail.

    #24

    “He Still Hasn’t Learned How To Eat Ice Cream Properly.”

    “He Still Hasn’t Learned How To Eat Ice Cream Properly.”

    imgur.com Report

    #25

    A Father And Son Recreated An April Snowstorm Photo 35 Years Later

    Father and son recreating a family photo holding a snow shovel and a sign with April 14 dates, years apart.

    atbrown630 Report

    #26

    Girls Trip, 2007 And 2024

    Four women posing for a wholesome family photo recreation, smiling in both past and present images.

    ginger_wahine Report

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    With or without notes scribbled on the back, a picture allows one to freeze a certain moment—no matter how special or mundane—in time, and chances are, looking back at them in the future, all of such moments will feel special.

    In an interview with Bored Panda, Prof. McDonald noted that “all those past moments that we cherish reliving through photographs were once present moments that someone, for some reason, saw fit to capture in a photograph. Some of those moments undoubtedly felt very ordinary and unremarkable at the time, but as the years roll by and the circumstances of our lives change, that unremarkable moment is unremarkable no more, rendered precious by the passage of time. And only because someone thought to aim a camera and snap the shutter do we have a ready means of revisiting that moment.”

    #27

    25 Years Me And My Dad And Going Strong (Same Picture 1986 And 2011)

    Father and son recreating a wholesome family photo on a red Honda motorcycle.

    imgur.com Report

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    #29

    The Horse Named Jack Will Never Die! I Remaking My Memory With My Mom After 27 Years

    Recreated family photo with adult on toy horse, replicating childhood moment.

    Memories Recreated Report

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    #31

    This Is Super Cute Remake

    Adults recreating a childhood birthday party photo with cake, humor, and similar outfits for wholesome family photo recreations.

    JMWLuxton / chardious Report

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    #32

    [oc] My Childhood Best Friends And I Recreating Our Favorite Photo After Not Seeing Them For 10 Years

    Three men recreate a wholesome family photo, sitting on the floor in similar poses, smiling and enjoying the moment.

    TorkTheKingRx Report

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    #33

    We Did That Thing

    Adults and children recreate a wholesome family photo in Halloween costumes, featuring Batman and playful ghost outfits.

    bonebowl Report

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    #34

    These 5 Friends Have Recreated The Same Picture Together Every 5 Years Since 1982

    Men recreate a wholesome family photo from 1982 to 2017, seated outdoors and holding a jar.

    John Wardlaw Report

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    #36

    My Italian Grandparents Recreating Their Wedding Photo- 1964 And 1994. They Look Like They Only Grew Happier Together

    Vintage and modern family photo recreations with a wedding theme.

    false_serenity Report

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    Sandra Bartsch
    Community Member
    1 day ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Sorry but they didn’t recreate anything at all…. just a nice couple picture on their anniversary maybe

    #37

    Our Daughter Flawlessly Recreated Our 30-Year-Old Senior Photos

    Family photo recreations with matching outfits and vintage car in two generations.

    kirday Report

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    #39

    My Grandparents Had Their Wedding Reception At The St. Paul College Club In 1957 - They Recreated Their “Going Away” Photograph 61 Years Later At My Cousins Wedding Reception (Same Location)

    Elderly couple recreating youthful wedding photo on stairs, showcasing wholesome family photo recreations.

    ndb94 Report

    #40

    Married On Our 15th Dating Anniversary, Tried To Recreate A Picture From Junior Prom

    Couple recreating a past prom photo with matching expressions.

    michellelmybell Report

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    #41

    A Pandemic + Closed Barber Shops = Recreating My Freshman Photo. 20 Yrs!

    Two side-by-side portraits recreating a wholesome family photo, young and adult version in checkered shirts.

    K20J03K Report

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    #42

    My College Housemates Recreated Our Favorite Photo At My Wedding, Seven Years Later

    Laughing group recreates a wholesome family photo decades later.

    gizmotron2991 Report

    #44

    My In Laws With My Husband, 1995. My In Laws With Our Son, 2024

    Family photo recreations with a couple and baby on a balcony by the sea, both in older and newer images.

    Recreation of golden moments Report

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    #45

    The Zurbanos In 1999 & 2011, Buenos Aires

    Family recreates a heartwarming pile-up photo, highlighting generational bonding and nostalgia.

    Irina Werning Report

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    #46

    Friend And I, 20 Years Apart, Same Spot

    Two people recreating a wholesome family photo, featuring a woman in a black top and a man kneeling beside her.

    Ok_Contribution9672 Report

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    Bambi
    Community Member
    2 days ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    They are both really good looking. The first pic is like a magazine ad and the second one

    #48

    Found This From A Few Years Ago, When My Dad Recreated A Picture Of Him With His Childhood Dog With Our New Puppy

    Man recreates childhood photo with dog, both wearing pink checkered shirts, showcasing a wholesome family photo recreation.

    sadieperson Report

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    Nat Rich
    Community Member
    1 day ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Tell the truth. It's the same dog, because you've figured out a way to allow dogs to live forever and you're going to share it with the world...right? Right!?

    #49

    70 Years Have Passed, My Brother, On The Right, And I Are Inseparable

    Two brothers recreate a wholesome family photo, smiling in superhero and cowboy outfits.

    BrokeNeckSpeed Report

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    #50

    My Husband In 1996 & Present!

    Adult and child in matching outfits recreate a wholesome family photo.

    kat10111 Report

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    #51

    Mom And Dad In Their New House In 1968, Then In The Same Bedroom In 2019

    Wholesome family photo recreation with a couple posing together in similar outfits, decades apart.

    GrunionOnion Report

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    #52

    21 Years Apart, Same Location

    Two family members recreating a wholesome photo in front of a lush mountain landscape.

    huntboom Report

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    HappyBink
    Community Member
    1 day ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Hmmm... for a laugh one should have been missing in the second shot (like fell over the railing during the attempt) and then real photo....🤷‍♀️

    #53

    1999 - 2022

    Three friends recreate a wholesome family photo outdoors, years later.

    Colonial13 Report

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    #54

    My Cousins And I 24 Years Apart

    Adults recreate a family photo from 1994 with similar poses in 2018, celebrating wholesome family photo recreations.

    Spieltier Report

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    #55

    Margeaux 1982-2013 Paris

    Margeaux 1982-2013 Paris

    Irina Werning Report

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    #56

    My Two Friends And I Recreated A Photo 8 Years Later

    Adults recreate a childhood family photo, showing three sisters embracing each other with warm smiles.

    reddit.com Report

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    #58

    Me With My Two Sons, Circa 1995, And Then 2023 Recreating Same Scene

    Family photo recreation with parents and grown children outdoors, showcasing matching outfits and joyful expressions.

    I was in my early 30s first photo! I'll be 60 in May!

    AlwaysSunnyinOC22 Report

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    #59

    Christmas 1965 And Christmas 2022 Same House, Same Spot

    Family recreates a vintage photo with two women and a man in similar outfits, showing wholesome family photo recreations.

    The Historical Images Report

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    #60

    I Recreated An Old Photo Of Me Enjoying A Slice Of Bread With Chocolate. 25 Years Apart

    I Recreated An Old Photo Of Me Enjoying A Slice Of Bread With Chocolate. 25 Years Apart

    imgur.com Report

    #61

    A Mom Holding Her Daughter In 1994 And 24 Years Later The Child Recreates The Same Photo With Her Son

    Woman recreates a wholesome family photo, holding a baby in matching floral outfits.

    reddit.com Report

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    #63

    My Brothers And I - 35 Years Between Pics

    Adult siblings recreate a childhood family photo with similar outfits and poses, showcasing a wholesome photo recreation.

    belbie Report

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    Seán Baron
    Community Member
    1 day ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    The guy on the left, his vest. Is he advertising a future post apocalyptic version of Countdown? Are we to not mention The Event and remain indoors?

    View More Replies...
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    #65

    Family Wedding In 1973. We Recreated The Photo In The Same Location 47 Years Later

    Family recreates a photo from childhood, posing similarly in modern and vintage outfits, capturing a wholesome moment.

    Jeff5228 Report

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    #66

    My Brother And Me Remaking Our Memory After 42 Years

    Two images side by side showing wholesome family photo recreations with a baby and an adult in matching green shirts.

    LateralAliceMoore Report

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    #67

    I Photographed The 55th Wedding Anniversary. They Even Had Glasses And A Cake Topper From Their Big Day

    Elderly couple in recreated wholesome family photo, smiling in both wedding and current settings.

    Recreation of golden moments Report

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    #68

    Recently Posted Matching Photos Of My Boyfriend And Me As Ninja Turtles-Obsessed Preschoolers. We Finally Fulfilled The Requests To Recreate Them

    Recently Posted Matching Photos Of My Boyfriend And Me As Ninja Turtles-Obsessed Preschoolers. We Finally Fulfilled The Requests To Recreate Them

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    #69

    15 Years Have Passed Between The First And Second Photo

    Family photo recreation with kids and adults posing similarly around a table.

    Memories Recreated Report

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    #70

    My Brother And Me Remaking Our Photo After 18 Years

    Siblings recreating a childhood photo, hugging and wearing fun hats, showcasing a wholesome family photo recreation.

    Recreation of golden moments Report

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