then-and-now
Past versus present
Then-and-now describes a comparison between past and present states, typically of the same subject: then-and-now photos of the neighborhood, a then-and-now look at the city skyline.
The format emphasizes change over time, often dramatically: The then-and-now transformation was remarkable.
Paired images showing change
- evolutionSpecies changing over generations
- metamorphosisProfound biological restructuring
- progressionSequential forward movement
- developmentProgress toward maturity
transition · change · conversion · modernization · renovation · renewal · overhaul · makeover
Adjacent contrasting placement
- comparisonAssessment of similarities
- dichotomyDivision into contrasting parts
- disparityMeasurable difference between things
- divergenceSeparation from common origin
difference · deviation · gap · shift · variation · side-by-side · split-screen · diptych
Temporal ordering of events
- epochsDistinct historical stretches
- erasNamed spans of history
- periodsSpans of time
- agesExtended time spans
decades · centuries · millennia · sequence · succession · progression · milestones · intervals
Recalling past experiences
- memoriesStored past experiences
- yearningIntense prolonged craving
- wistfulnessTender sadness for absence
- longingIntense, persistent desire
sentimentality · reflection · retrospect · flashback · bygone · yesteryear · halcyon · sepia-toned
before-and-after
Paired images showing change
- evolutionSpecies changing over generations
- metamorphosisProfound biological restructuring
- progressionSequential forward movement
development · transition · change · conversion · modernization · renovation · renewal · overhaul · makeover · revamp
juxtaposition
Adjacent contrasting placement
- comparisonAssessment of similarities
- dichotomyDivision into contrasting parts
- disparityMeasurable difference between things
divergence · difference · deviation · gap · shift · variation · side-by-side · split-screen · diptych · montage
chronology
Temporal ordering of events
ages · decades · centuries · millennia · sequence · succession · progression · milestones · intervals · generations
reminiscence
Recalling past experiences
- memoriesStored past experiences
- yearningIntense prolonged craving
- wistfulnessTender sadness for absence
longing · sentimentality · reflection · retrospect · flashback · bygone · yesteryear · halcyon · sepia-toned · reverie
chronicle
Ordered historical record
- archivesStored historical documents
- annalsYear-by-year historical account
- recordsStored data or albums
photographs · albums · diaries · journals · memoirs · artifacts · relics · memorabilia · keepsakes · scrapbook
then-and-nowsnapshot
Informal photograph taken quickly
momentary · instantaneous · instant · freeze-frame · point in time
then-and-nowunchanging
Not varying at all
timeless · static · immutable · changeless · unchanged