October 24, 2012 at 9:30 am

Ghosts of War: WWII Photos Blended Into Present Day

by twistedsifter

 

Dutch historian Jo Hedwig Teeuwisse has an incredible series of WWII photos blended into images of the same location in the present day. In a collection on Flickr entitled Ghosts of History, Jo takes us on a visual tour of the past. In her own words:

“By combining historical pictures with photos made on the exact same spot today, I try to make people realise that history is all around us. That where you live, work or go to school, once people fought, died or simply experienced a different kind of life. We are history, history is us.
 
Originally made as part of my research, I now make these combination photos because of my interest for the subject and to try and make people think about the past, remember and respect the sacrifices the generations before us made. I’ve spend countless hours doing research, trying to figure out where old photos were taken, visiting the location, making the ‘today photo’ and then combining them.
 
My passion for history but also my knowledge of the past and experience as a film maker helps me tell a story by deciding what to remove, what to let seep trough and what to accentuate.”

 
Be sure to check out the entire series on Flickr. You can also find Jo on Facebook for the latest project updates.

 

 

1. Cherbourg, Normandy, France

 

Ghosts of war - France; The other side

Present by Claude Demeester/Past via Michel Le Querrec | Blending by Jo Teeuwisse

 

 

 

2. Cherbourg, Normandy, France

 

Ghosts of war - France; taken prisoner

Present by Claude Demeester/Past via Michel Le Querrec | Blending by Jo Teeuwisse

Captain WH Hooper, who commands the Company of the 314th IR of the 79th IUS D and some of his men surround a column of German prisoners. Column takes a southerly direction, it will join the POW camps located on the plateau of the Mountain Roule, near the farm of Fieffe. [Source]

 

 

 

3. Acireale, Sicily, Italy, 1943

 

Ghosts of war - Italy; Corner covered

Past and Present by Tim Timmermans | Blending by Jo Teeuwisse

Ten miles North of Catania two British Bren gunners and their assistants cover a street corner on the Via Vittorio Emmanuele II in Acireale. The house on the left is No. 191 in that street today. [Source]

 

 

 

4. France, 1944

 

Ghosts of war - France; one way traffic

Present by Claude Demeester/Past via Michel Le Querrec | Blending by Jo Teeuwisse

 

 

 

5. Cherbourg, Normandy, France, 1944

 

Ghosts of war - France; lost soldier

Present by Claude Demeester/Past via Michel Le Querrec | Blending by Jo Teeuwisse

 

 

 

6. Sainte Marie du Mont, France

 

Ghosts of war - France; End of service

Present by Jo/Past via Fold3 | Blending by Jo Teeuwisse

At la Madeleine, a hamlet of the town of Sainte Marie du Mont, Utah Beach area. A group of U.S. Fire Engineering leaving the chapel. [Source]

 

 

 

7. The Hague, The Netherlands, 1945

 

Ghosts of war - The Hague; Back to the heimat

Past by Menno Huizinga/NFA | Blending by Jo Teeuwisse

German soldiers walking back to Germany after their surrender, walk passed a man with a Dutch flag. The Hague, May 1945. [Source]

 

 

 

8. France, 1944

 

Ghosts of war - France; Surrender

Present by Manuel Provence/Past via Michel Le Querrec | Blending by Jo Teeuwisse

 

 

 

9. Cherbourg, Normandy, France

 

Ghosts of war - France; Church road

Present by Jo/Past via Fold3 | Blending by Jo Teeuwisse

 

 

 

10. Cherbourg, Normandy, France

 

Ghosts of war - France; Left behind

Present by Claude Demeester/Past via Fold3 | Blending by Jo Teeuwisse

 

 

 

11. Cherbourg, Normandy, France

 

Ghosts of war - France; Taking a break

Present by Claude Demeester/Past via Michel Le Querrec | Blending by Jo Teeuwisse

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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