Remembering who they were: The haunting photos of Alzheimer’s patients who see only their younger selves in the mirror

Photographer Tom Hussey used sets of two people aged 50 years apart
A WWII vet inspired him as he said that he couldn't understand he was 80
Photos to be used as an ad for an Alzheimer’s pharmaceutical patch
He said: 'The images are all about history — remembering yourself in historical context'

PUBLISHED: 10:47 EST, 30 March 2013 | UPDATED: 15:49 EST, 30 March 2013

A collection of haunting photos offering an eye-opening perspective through the eyes of the aged who suffer from Alzheimer's disease shows their extraordinary lives like never before.

A long-retired firefighter catches sight of himself in a living room mirror but instead of seeing greyed hair and softer skin, the striking reflection of a strapping young man stares back.

The image may be nothing new to the older man, but the sight isn't one his wife seen seated behind him appears to see as well.

Former lives: A retired fire fighter, who's actual photo is seen tucked in the mirror's top left corner, gazes into his reflection that shows a strapping young fire fighter staring straight back

Youth's elixir: Another man, seen stirring a cup of coffee, catches sight of himself in his days working in a lab, stirring the contents in a beaker

How we were: An elderly woman clutches a comb for her white hair while the dark-haired reflection of a young school teacher, a notebook and red apple in her arms, reflects back in her mirror

These are the photos taken by Dallas, Texas photographer Tom Hussey using sets of real people aged 40 to 50 years apart.

'We cast two people for each part — an older “Patient” and then another actor to look like the patient 40 years earlier in their lifetime,' Mr Hussey told the American Society of Media Photographers.

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Yet the underlying message is much more painful as a reflection of a mentally debilitating disease five million men and women in the United States currently suffer from.

The photographs ran as an ad for an Alzheimer’s pharmaceutical patch - seen on many of the model's arms - aiming to help those suffering from dementia, a disease that gradually strips its victims of its more recent memories.

Disease: The ads were taken for an Alzheimer¿s drug, a disease that gradually strips its victims of their newer memories, for some eventually leaving them with only those of their youth

Familiar faces: Approximately five million Americans suffer from the disease, that leaves many of its victims only remembering their past lives

Models: The collection was taken with the help of several sets of models that resembled one another despite being 40 to 50 years apart in age

For some people, they eventually only remember the memories of their youth.

Symptoms of dementia include loss of memory, mood changes, and problems with communication and reasoning. The progressive nature of dementia, such as Alzheimer's Disease, means that the symptoms will gradually get worse.

At the moment the Alzheimer's Society estimates that there are 800,000 people in the UK with dementia.

It was a WWII vet who inspired Mr Hussey's collection that later won him a gold Addy and ran in the 2010 Communication Arts Photography Annual.

'He commented that he didn’t understand how he could be 80-years-old as he felt he was still a young man. He just didn’t feel it was possible he could be 80-years-old,' Mr Hussey told the ASMP of the war veteran.

He later built a bathroom set and photographed the man gazing at himself in the mirror, as a 25-year-old version of himself smiled back.

Surprises: The collection's idea came to Dallas photographer Tom Hussey after a conversation with an 80-year-old WWII veteran who expressed disbelief in his old age

Inspiration: The collection's idea came to Dallas photographer Tom Hussey after a conversation with an 80-year-old WWII veteran who expressed disbelief in his old age

Reflections: The profession the men and women were seen as being, a seamstress pictured, were chosen by their casting and location aspects of the ads

Rediscovered: A man uncovers his old welding mask and after turning to look in a nearby mirror sees himself with the mask strapped to his head as a younger man

‘We worked through the casting and location aspects of the ads helping to determine what profession the patient had been in their youth so we could portray that in the reflected image,’ he said of the photos’ creation. ‘This profession drove what room setting and propping needed to be created to complete the image.’

In result, a seamstress sees herself seated before a sewing machine. In another photo a welder holds his old mask while turning to see himself in his much younger years, the mask clipped securely around his head.

In some of the staged photos actual pictures of the models are seen tucked into the setting, showing them how they used to look, Mr Hussey said.

‘The images are all about history — remembering yourself in historical context. I think the history and memory aspects are very important to me and my interest in this helped make the campaign a success,’ Mr Hussey said.

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To avoid dementia stay in the workforce for as long as you can and never allow yourself to qualify for the OBE , the ''Over Bloody Eighty'' !

- Fiat Lux , Caloundra, 31/3/2013 07:57

Click to rate Rating 4

I used to care for patients with Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia, some remembered their past with full lucidity but couldn't remember what they had for breakfast or even if they had any. I cared for two ladies who thought they were still working at a munitions factory during the war and would ask me what tasks they would be doing for the day. If you had read the article it states that a dementia sufferer gave him the idea when he said that ' he didn¿t understand how he could be 80-years-old as he felt he was still a young man. He just didn¿t feel it was possible he could be 80-years-old,' I think the photos are poignant and are in their way beautiful as they show the person not the illness.

- Alio , Perth Oz, 31/3/2013 05:39

Click to rate Rating 41

LOVE this...and tho its to chronicle the path traveled by those with dementia, isn't it truly what we ALL see daily in our own reflections?

- Captain America , San Antonio, United States, 31/3/2013 05:04

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How can anyone say what is in the mind of a person with such a debilitating disease. They may know things that we have been wondering about for millions of years. Who knows!!! Don't pass judge. You don't know!!

- marie , disneyland, United States, 31/3/2013 04:53

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Boring and one-dimensional. Tom Hussey isn't all that. Plus, it's true, Alzheimer's is a lot worse than just losing your memory. But what do you expect from photos paid for by Novartis/Pharma...?

- SBun , Dallas, United States, 31/3/2013 03:52

Click to rate Rating 15

This is a scam by a pharm company. My father had alz and the drugs work very little. Believe me, he did not see himself as a young man. He was very sick for 5 years and nothing slowed it down. SCAM!

- Bob52 , Oro Valley, United States, 31/3/2013 02:25

Click to rate Rating 21

My wife has Alzheimers. She remembers nothing of her past life,this is so sad...... She can no longer feed herself,wash,dress or attend to her personal needs. .......... People say that putting her into care would allow me to carry on with my life. It would do no such thing because I would still be worrying about her 24 hrs a day. So who helps me when I am at my wits end? - nighthawk, stevenage, 30/3/2013 11:36 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ NIGHTHAWK - that's the way my father felt too. But when mom had a stroke, he had to put her in a care home. We picked the best one we could find. Dad now is happier and visits her every night. He wishes he had done it sooner as he no longer has to changer her diaper or argue with her for 5 hours for her to take a bath. Or padlock the frig. And now she gets 24 hour care. Please think of it as the best thing for the both of you.

- McIver3 , San Diego, 31/3/2013 00:59

Click to rate Rating 45

I don`t know why, I`m getting a negative response for saying that pure oxygen gives temporary lucidity??? I Don`t know if it would be helpful to the sufferer or not, as I have never tried it. - ajones, chester Pure oxygen is very dangerous if given for more than 60 seconds so any effect (if possible?) would be very short lived and dementia is caused by damaged brain tissue so it would be unlikely to have any effect at all.

- kat , scotland, 31/3/2013 00:38

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I haven't come across one person who has been single for many years, whether having children or not or, whether a bachelor or spinster who has or had Alzheimer's disease. All this would indicate is that relationship status could have a bearing upon whether someone gets Alzheimer's. - Peter Lavelle Rules, You are talking absolute nonsense. Are you the world expert on dementia? How many hundreds of people have you met that suffer from it? I suspect not even one. Whether the people you have met with dementia are married or not, is of no significance. If you were even slightly educated on the subject you would know that single people have a much higher risk of developing dementia than married people, as with many other conditions. Please do not call other people stupid until you educate yourself.

- kat , scotland, 31/3/2013 00:32

Click to rate Rating 15

I think all these ads for drugs are harmful. In many instances they only lead to false hope. Why do big Pharm. companies need to advertise their drugs anyway?

- Econ , Upstate NY, United States, 31/3/2013 00:27

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