Some of the world's most famous people were photographed during the early years of photography, but in most cases we only have artistic interpretations. However, photographer Drew Gardner decided to follow a much more complex and demanding route: tracking down their direct descendants to pose as models alongside them. His work is not to be missed.

Gardner's effort was much greater than we imagine. In addition to identifying, locating, and confirming the lineage of everyone involved (a combination of the internet, museums, and genealogists), he also had to prepare the scenes and the correct costumes. Still, Gardner insists that his intention is not to convey the idea that they are two peas in a pod, but rather leaves that responsibility to us, the viewers.

Want to know more? Then don't hesitate to visit Gardner's official page and his Instagram profile.

The Descendants: Historical Figures and Their Successors, Side by Side (Gallery)
Lisa del Giocondo (left) and her descendant, Irina Guicciardini Strozzi
The Descendants: Historical Figures and Their Successors, Side by Side (Gallery)
Lisa del Giocondo (left) and her descendant, Irina Guicciardini Strozzi
The Descendants: Historical Figures and Their Successors, Side by Side (Gallery)
Thomas Jefferson and Shannon Lanier, his great-great-great-great-great-grandson
The Descendants: Historical Figures and Their Successors, Side by Side (Gallery)
Charles Dickens and his great-grandson Gerald Charles Dickens
The Descendants: Historical Figures and Their Successors, Side by Side (Gallery)
Napoleon and Hugo De Salis, his great-great-great-grandson
The Descendants: Historical Figures and Their Successors, Side by Side (Gallery)
Emeline Pankhurst and Helen Pankhurst, her great-granddaughter
The Descendants: Historical Figures and Their Successors, Side by Side (Gallery)
Oliver Cromwell and his descendant Charles Bush
The Descendants: Historical Figures and Their Successors, Side by Side (Gallery)
Frederick Douglass (left) with his descendant Reuben L. Andrews
The Descendants: Historical Figures and Their Successors, Side by Side (Gallery)
Charles II of England and Lord Charles Fitzroy
The Descendants: Historical Figures and Their Successors, Side by Side (Gallery)
Berthe Morisot (left) and her great-granddaughter Lucie Rouart
The Descendants: Historical Figures and Their Successors, Side by Side (Gallery)
Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington (left) and his great-great-grandson Jeremy Clyde
The Descendants: Historical Figures and Their Successors, Side by Side (Gallery)
Elizabeth Cady Stanton and her descendant Elizabeth Jenkins-Sahlin
The Descendants: Historical Figures and Their Successors, Side by Side (Gallery)
William Wordsworth (left) and his great-great-great-grandson Andtom Wontner
The Descendants: Historical Figures and Their Successors, Side by Side (Gallery)
Horatio Nelson (left) and his descendant William John Raglan Horatio Tribe
The Descendants: Historical Figures and Their Successors, Side by Side (Gallery)
Isambard Kingdom Brunel (left) with Isambard Thomas
The Descendants: Historical Figures and Their Successors, Side by Side (Gallery)
Robert Clive of India and his descendant, Robert Holden