Have you ever wondered what Julius Caesar might have looked like if he were born in today’s era instead of thousands of years ago? Do you imagine what it would’ve been like to have Queen Elizabeth I as a friend?
While we haven’t mastered the art of time travel yet, graphic designer and history enthusiast Becca Saladin has done a pretty darn good job at imagining what it would be like to see historical figures in present-day fashion and hairstyles. One day, Saladin became curious about what Anne Boelyn might look like today and set out to make a more life-like representation of her than the Anne we’ve all seen in historical portraits. Soon, Saladin was reimagining other historical figures — mostly royalty, but also actors and other significant people from the past — as they would look in today’s society. She combines real modern-day photos with references (such as paintings or sculptures) of her subjects, then edits them to create a realistic, recognizable version of the people we’ve learned about in our history books.
Here are some of Saladin’s cool creations. Make sure to check out her Instagram account, Royalty Now, for more!
Benjamin Franklin
Julius Caesar
King Henry VIII
Nefertiti
Napoleon Bonaparte
Elizabeth Taylor
Grace Kelly
Anne Boelyn
Abraham Lincoln
Marie Antoinette
Julie Andrews
Queen Elizabeth I
