The Best Before and Afters

Tattoo You

2008-12-23T21:25:00.003-05:00

Here are some mugshots, a few years apart, of a man arrested in Colorado. Someone's been busy...

The Beautification Engine

2008-11-19T21:36:00.004-05:00

Some computer scientists from Israel created a computer program that uses a mathematical formula to alter photos of the human body into a theoretically more attractive version. Click here to see some more shots of celebrities they ran through the 'engine.'

Dubai Before and Afters

2008-11-19T21:09:00.005-05:00

Dubai has gone through some radical transformations over the last 15 years and these pictures illustrate its metamorphosis very well. Click here to see more photos from dubai-architecture.info. There are lots of interesting facts about Dubai on this page including shots of an underwater hotel soon to be built in 2009.

New York City Before and After

2008-11-19T20:56:00.003-05:00

Here are two shots of New York, one was taken in 1930 and the other 1850. Click here to see a larger more detailed image. I would suggest reading the excerpt once you click through to the larger image. It tells a little bit about what's changed over the years.

New Orleans - Katrina Style

2008-09-01T14:19:00.005-04:00

As New Orleans is to be hit by yet another hurricane let us remember the aftermath of Katrina. Here are a few shots of New Orleans before and after the flooding began.

Igor Kenk

2008-08-22T12:43:00.003-04:00

If you're from Toronto you probably know who this is. Igor Kenk is being accused of coordinating the biggest bicycle theft ring in Toronto history. The local police have found over 3000 bikes in his possession. Everyone knew who Kenk was because he had a long establed 'used' bicycle shop in the popular Queen West shopping area. Here is him from the time of his arrest to him exiting his arraignment trial.

For all those home reno junkies

2008-05-20T17:14:00.002-04:00

I was doing some research for a friend and came across this site full of before and afters. Also, they have a DIY section. I ♥ DIY.

Young Me / Now Me

2008-04-21T03:25:00.006-04:00

I make a point NEVER to post things that have been on Boing Boing because, really, what's the point? You've all seen them already anyhow. However, this link was made for posting. This is a collection of photographs of people recreating poses in childhood photographs as adults. Brilliant.

BONUS To make up for my gross indiscretion, here is a little Boing Boing before action. From Dave Eggers' A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius (describing the other residents of the warehouse where he et. al. began "Might Magazine" in the early? 90's): "There is also bOING bOING, a 'neurozine' published by Carla Sinclair and Mark Fraunfelder, a plastic/gel/leather-new-wave-circa-1984-looking husband-and-wife team just up from L.A."

Life Before Death at the Wellcome Collection

2008-04-10T21:17:00.006-04:00

This sombre series of portraits taken of people before and after they had died. It is the work by German photographer Walter Schels and his partner Beate Lakotta, who recorded interviews with the subjects in their final days, reveals much about dying - and living.
Here is the heartbreaking excepts that accompany these photos:

Gerda Strech, 68
First portrait:January 5 2003
Gerda couldn’t believe that cancer was cheating her of her hard-earned retirement. “My whole life was nothing but work, work, work,” she told me. She had worked on the assembly line in a soap factory, and had brought up her children single-handedly. “Does it really have to happen now? Can’t death wait?” she sobbed.

Second portrait:January 14 2003
On one visit Gerda said, “It won’t be long now”, and was panic-stricken. Her daughter tried to console her, saying: “Mummy, we’ll all be together again one day.” “That’s impossible,’ Gerda replied. “Either you’re eaten by worms or burned to ashes.” “But what about your soul?” her daughter pleaded. “Oh, don’t talk to me about souls”, said her mother in an accusing tone. “Where is God now?”

Click here to see the whole collection.

The Best Before and After TV Shows

2008-04-09T00:10:00.006-04:00

In honor of my being very ill and having only the available motor function to weakly click a remote control, I'm bringing you my roundup of some of the best in Before and After television. We welcome nominations for other shows to add to the list but please, shows which at any time starred Ty Pennington don't count.

1) NIP TUCK

If you've ever used your picture in picture television to watch Discovery Health Channel and softcore pornography at the same time, then apparently you're not alone. The producers of Nip/Tuck are banking on it. This show has had plot lines which included self-circumcision and ass-banditry. One of my favorite scenes is two women fighting over a man while one gives the other a brazilian. If you're not weak in the stomach for any of those subjects, though, you may be for the weekly graphic plastic surgeries around which the show is based. Nip/Tuck gets my pick because of the lengths they go to not make the show about the before and after, which is what everyone really wants to see. Be honest.

2) DEGRASSI JUNIOR HIGH

Degrassi is a show about a bunch of teenagers who like to touch each other and learn life lessons. It gets on the list because a) the new generation of Degrassi gives us a great before and after look at the problems of teens in the 80's and the problems of teens today (the verdict is that minus the cell phones and Facebook they're not that different) and b) it has a hidden before and after which is that the producers of the show abducted a group of newly-pubescent Canadian kids and made them grow up on TV. Watch the whole series and you'll see voices crack, scraggly mustaches appear and breasts magically sprout. Awkward and creepy.

3) COLD CASE

I'm not going to lie and say Cold Case is a great show because, as far as cop shows go, it's only mediocre. But Cold Case makes this list (it may even top it) because it follows the perfect formula of a before and after show: You get little snippets of the transformation throughout the show and then at the end there is a slow motion, 30 second reveal where all the characters shape shift into their former selves and then back again (this is especially useful if you tune in halfway and haven't figured out who's who). I have to say, this is so much more satisfying than CSI or Law and Order with their one-liner, got the bad guy endings. Although I do like to hear Sam Waterston's crack when he gets all riled up. Disclaimer: When they do cases where the cold case is only a couple of years old it is REALLY disappointing. Also, this one time the song at the end was Sarah McLachlan and the sequence is not nearly as good on mute)

The Evolution of Websites

2008-03-29T07:50:00.008-04:00

My coworker found this article *shout out to Darren* at work the other day. It's comparisons of major websites from when they first launched to now.
The author Samuel points out a few extinct snippets from web history I remember so well:

"Best Viewed with IE" badge
left-aligned website - A personal hated favourite
Java versions of sites

The older sites seem hilarious now but I have to give them cred - I remember my first site, 200k images you needed to scroll from side to side to see.

Canadian Myths

2008-03-18T21:34:00.005-04:00

This is a really cool project put together by a collection of Canadian designers. Its called the 'Cabin' project and its aim is to reinterpret objects or sentiments we Canadians view as 'Canadian.' Here is an excerpt from their site.

Given the relative youth of Canada and much of it's mythology, we are in a unique position to 'write our own story.' The Cabin Project is about creating 'the evidence' of this story. Evolving as new designers contribute their own unique perspectives.'

Here are some creations from the project.

The Cancon chair.

Souvenirs for Canada

Hitchcock Revisited

2008-03-16T21:59:00.008-04:00

I just bought the latest issue of Vanity Fair and they had this really cool spread where they recreated some memorable shots from Alfred Hitchcock films. The originals are still the best but these are also really well done. Here is a shot from Rear Window with Grace Kelly and Jimmy Stewart and the modern version with Scarlet Johansen and Javier Bardem. Grace Kelly was wearing the most beautiful dress in this scene of the movie. I love it. Check out the rest of the shots here.

Kelly Rowland

2008-03-13T20:48:00.002-04:00

In an interview with People magazine, Kelly Rowan recently admitted that she had breast enhancement surgery to increase her breast size from an A to B cup. She claims: "I was sick of not fitting into my tops. There was this one really hot House of Dereon top — I just wanted to fill that out!" Here is a before and after of Kelly from egotastic.com.

What's Old is New Again

2008-03-11T20:12:00.007-04:00

I found out about this company through this great blog called decor8. This company refurbishes vintage furniture by replacing the upholstery with modern prints and lacquering new finishes on the pieces. They have a really great design sense, check them out, the company is called Turquoise.

Bachelor Pad Reno

2008-03-08T21:15:00.003-05:00

This is another cool find I found on HGTV.ca. It's the renovation a couple had done after they got married and decided to stay in the husband's bachelor apartment.

Best of Before and Afters

2008-03-07T21:11:00.005-05:00

I found this great article on the HGTV site. It's some of their best interior design makeovers from various shows they have produced. Here is one I especially liked. Check out the rest of the article for more before and afters.

Humans

2008-03-06T20:07:00.004-05:00

This is a freaky little piece I found on MSNbc.com. It's someone's prediction of the evolution of the human species. I thought the composites were pretty funny. Check out the Unihuman below.

Guatemala #5: Sunrise, Sunset - Lago Atitlan

2008-03-02T17:31:00.004-05:00

When I first visited Guatemala, I heard that Hemingway said Lake Atitlan was the most beautiful place in the world. Last time I visited, my mum's charge, Andy said it wasn't Hemingway, it was Somerset Maughm. It's a good thing I picked up a guide book: they claim it was Aldous Huxley. I haven't been enough places to agree with any of them but I do remember crossing the lake from Santiago to Panajachel, which are on opposite sides of the lake. The half of the lake towards Santiago was covered by black billowy clouds. The half towards Panajachel was covered by those rich thick foamy white clouds. They met directly over San Pedro, which is in the valley of a volcano, where they crashed, delivering regular bursts of lightning to the little town. I was on the boat with my brother and a friend watching it and we imagined the clouds were shaped like colliding cavalry.

btw, it was Aldous Huxley

Sunrise

Sunset

Guatemala #4: ONIL Stove

2008-03-02T17:02:00.004-05:00

The ONIL Stove is one of the fabulous designs which addresses the alarming WHO estimation that over 3 billion people are exposed to poor indoor air quality as a result of dependence on biomass as a fuel source. From their website, the ONIL Stove:

* Reduced smoke emission's from within the dwelling by 99%,
* Increased the cooking surface height - eliminating burns and/or uncontrolled fires,
* Created a 60-70% savings in fuel consumption - allowing for a reduction in deforestation.

Photo courtesy of Mayaan Katz, Flickr.com

A Home for All Seasons

2008-03-01T12:24:00.005-05:00

Here are some images of the Ashbridge House I took in the summer and winter. How I miss the summer...

The Ashbridge House is one of the oldest buildings left in Toronto's East side.

The main house is the oldest surviving building on the property, and dates to 1854.
It was designed by local architect Joseph Sheard, who would later serve as Mayor of Toronto. The second storey was added in 1899. The site is also home to a number of smaller outbuildings. The estate was home to extensive gardens, but recently the Ontario Heritage Trust which owns the property has replaced some of the garden areas with grass.
- Wikipedia

These photos were taken in the garden and include the Ashbridge guest house which is now used for storage (or so it appears).

Guatemala #3: Market

2008-02-28T16:52:00.004-05:00

I just love this before and after I found while looking up images for the post on ruins - This is the market in San Pedro (on Lake Atitlan where my mum lives) in 1942 vs. now.

Guatemala #2; Mayan Ruins Before and After

2008-02-27T19:26:00.007-05:00

These three archeological sites are all in the Peten region of Guatemala. Archaeologists often render ruins as a means of reconstructing the salvaged artifacts into a cohesive picture of the site and it's residents. These "before" pictures give us huge insight into the contemporary "afters". (note: the research I did here definitely whet my appetite for ruins)

Ruins at Uaxactun: The drawing was done by Tatiana Proskouriakoff in 1950. This site was rediscovered in the early 20th century by an American Archeologist.

The site at Tikal is the biggest in Guatemala and the most complete as well. It is very remote and surrounded by jungles. I've never been but I must say, it looks haunted to me. OooooOooOooooooo...

Archeologist Tatiana Proskouriakoff is buried at the ruins of Piedras Negras. Read about the discovery of the panel here by Stephen D. Houston. To recognize the drawing in the bottom photo compare the glyphs on the side of the panel with the monuments at the base of the temple stairs and the faces on the temple with the one in the thick jungle brush. See. Haunted.

Guatemala + Stan = Missing House

2008-02-27T14:04:00.004-05:00

I'm off to Guatemala in a few days so I thought I'd do some Guatemala Before and Afters.

In 2005, Hurricane Stan devastated much of Guatemala, Mexico and El Salvador. My grandparents lived in Jucanya which is just outside of the tourist town of Panajachel, Guatemala. This is a before and afters of their awesome house. I was back there last year and crossed the river to their property. When Stan widened the river which ran by the house, it washed away about 40% of the property. The place was stripped, empty and deserted except for the squatter who had set up camp in my old bedroom.

Check out my mom's flickr set of befores and afters.

No need to point out the fact that I'm mourning a villa - I'll post in a bit with some more down to earth B&As.

Chris McCandless and the New Wanderers

2008-02-26T18:47:00.011-05:00

If you haven't read the book or seen the movie about Chris McCandless, here is his story in a nutshell. McCandless was young man who rejected society and decided to live a wandering life. He travelled up and down North America eventually drawn north to Alaska. He hitchhiked to Denali Park and after being dropped off on a dead-end road off the highway, set off into the wilderness alone.

Several days hike in Chris found an old abandoned bus and used it as shelter. He survived for several weeks but not being prepared for the conditions of the north and improperly equipped, he starved to death. His body was found by moose hunters weeks later along with a diary and his remaining belongings.

His story has inspired young people across the world to make the pilgrimage to his bus in Alaska. He has become a symbol of disenchanted youth and freedom. Here is a story about these new wanderers who are following in Chris's footsteps.

Here is a picture of Chris McCandless shortly before he died in front of the bus in Denali Park. This photo was found in his camera found on the bus.

These pictures are tourists at the bus site.

Celebrities After Photoshop

2008-02-26T10:55:00.005-05:00

Here is a great collection of celebrity portraits collected by Hemmy.net retouched with Photoshop. I have seen this done many times before but I was kind of shocked with these ones because I noticed they actually added makeup to some of the women. I guess I knew that had been done before but I've never seen comparisons that hit it home quite like these ones.

Queen Street Fire

2008-02-24T21:44:00.006-05:00

This week there was a six-alarm fire on Toronto's Queen Street West. It destroyed several local businesses as well as left several people homeless. I had a chance to witness the demolition of the ruins this weekend and it was a very sorrowful site. Many people were standing and watching in silence. My friend noted that 'it felt like a funeral.' Here are some before and after pictures from a local blog called Torontoist.

Helen Mirren

2008-02-22T18:05:00.004-05:00

Here is Oscar-winning actress Helen Mirren. Mirren was born Ilyena Vasilievna Mironov but changed her name once she decided to persue an acting career. You probably know her best for her portrayal of 'The Queen' of England.

Bert Stern Pin Ups

2008-02-19T22:45:00.012-05:00

In 1962 Bert Stern asked Marilyn Monroe to pose nude for a photo shoot at the Hotel Bel-Air. The series of photographs has become know as 'The Last Sitting.' Forty-six years later Stern asked the same of Lindsay Lohan. Here is the result. The pictures are available in New York magazine.

Viktor Yushchenko

2008-02-18T21:49:00.002-05:00

Ukrainian opposition leader Viktor Yushchenko first claimed that he had been poisoned in September, when he was admitted to a clinic suffering from stomach pains.

It was only slowly that his face began to change, a mask of lesions and blisters disfiguring the 50-year-old's previously youthful looks.

Read more from the BBC News article.

Folgers Coffee Commercial from 1963

2008-02-10T10:24:00.000-05:00

Check out this Folgers Coffee commercial from 1963. According to Cracked.com, Folgers launched this campaign targeting women who felt they were inadequate housewives.

Faces for Races

2008-01-30T21:52:00.000-05:00

This is an image from a 1906 schoolbook. It was first posted by The According Guy.

Kent Rogowski

2008-01-23T21:51:00.000-05:00

This bear is part of an exhibition by artist Kent Rogowski. For this collection he has taken stuffed animals and turned them inside out and then restitched them together again.

Simple patterns and devices never meant to be seen are now prominent physical characteristics, giving each one a distinctly quirky personality: their fasteners become eyes, their seams become scars, and their stuffing creeps out in the most unexpected places.
- Kent Rogowski

Here is the link for more.

Celebrity: Then and Now

2008-01-05T22:08:00.001-05:00

This is an interview Barbara Walters conducted with Judy Garland. She speaks about what its like living as a celebrity and having to deal with being constantly recognized, dating non-celebrities, raising children and dealing with alcohol and drugs. Its funny even in 1967 the celebrity bubble was as solid as it is now. Its also very clear that she is inebriated with some type of substance. The beat goes on.

The Long Island Lolita

2008-01-05T21:45:00.000-05:00

Remember Amy Fisher? The 16-year-old hormoned teenager who shot her lover's wife, Mary-Jo Buttafuoco, in the head?

Well, she's been out of jail for several years now, had plastic surgery to disguise her features and even remarried and had some kids.

It looked like Amy was content to settle in the burbs and live a peaceful existence. Things didn't stay quiet for long though.

After her marriage began to fail, the New York Post reported that Amy and her former lover, Joey Buttafuoco, started dating again. Then her husband, whom she had recently separated, sold one of their sex tapes to a distributing company. I guess she prefers life a little crazy.

This is your face on drugs - Before and After Meth Addicts

2007-12-29T22:43:00.001-05:00

If this isn't impetus enough to stay away from drugs, check out this book I saw recently at Pages, "A Time Before Crack" by Jamel Shabazz - From the abstract:

"Once upon a time before crack, inner city communities were blighted by poverty and unemployment—but not by the drug wars that tore families apart, destroying lives with needless violence and mindless addiction. Once upon a time before crack, pride and style were as inseparable as a beatbox and mixtape, or as a pair of shoes and matching purse. Once upon a time before crack, Jamel Shabazz was on the scene, working the streets of New York City, capturing the faces and places of an era that have long since disappeared."

WNYC Radio Lab - Episode on "Time"

2007-12-26T18:03:00.001-05:00

So I'm completely and irreparably addicted to the WNYC Radio Lab Podcast. I've listened to all the episodes (some twice. As Tony Robbins would say, "get a life"). This particular episode is about TIME. Check it out; check them all out - subscribe on iTunes! And don't feel bad if you find yourself missing your subway stop because you're too engrossed in an episode. It happens to the best of us.

Heat Relief

2007-12-16T22:15:00.000-05:00

The 7-11 seems to be the place to turn to these days when the weather is hot and you need a frosty treat. All hail the slushy! On the left is the former King of cool, the root beer float, and on the right is a slushy I spotted a few summers ago called 'The Bloody Zit.'

NY - Part 2: Penn Station

2007-12-14T19:50:00.001-05:00

South Bronx

2007-12-13T23:36:00.001-05:00

Because I'm in NY this week, I thought I'd post about a before and after I caught on TED.com. Majora Carter gives a before and after history of the South Bronx and talks about what she thinks the after-after should look like. For more information, check out the Sustainable South Bronx website.

Bloor and Spadina, Toronto, Canada

2007-12-11T21:39:00.001-05:00

The north east corner of Bloor and Spadina in Toronto. My how its changed. The old Scotia Bank was so sharp, or Bank of Nova Scotia as it was formerly called. Beautiful font, interesting and prominent use of type, tall glass windows that let in ample light. Too bad its gone.

Awww Knut!

2007-12-07T22:18:00.001-05:00

How can you not love this little guy? Well, here he is, all grown up.

Knut was abandoned by his mother at birth and was raised by a group of Berlin Zoo keepers. The little bear captivated the public and the Berlin Zoo featured daily shows with Knut. At the height of his fame he was featured on the cover of the German Vanity Fair. Now over 200lbs, Knut is too big for human interaction and will most likely be housed with other polar bears his age. Recently he was adopted as mascot for an endangered species conference being held in Bonn in 2008.

Grey Gardens

2007-12-05T20:55:00.000-05:00

Here is 'Little' Edie Beale from the documentary Grey Gardens. The older shot is from her youth , the newer from around the time the documentary was shot.

If you havent seen the film yet, you must get it. You've never seen such beautiful tragedy.

Find out more at greygardens.com.

Amy Winehouse

2007-12-02T19:37:00.002-05:00

I've been a fan of Amy Winehouse since her first album and love her still. But I hate to watch what is happening to her. There have been reports that she is losing herself to drugs. Others speculate that the young and naive Winehouse is heavily influenced by her new husband, and rumoured drug dealer, Blake Fielder-Civil.

Flora

2007-12-02T09:04:00.000-05:00

Vogue Cover Archive

2007-12-01T11:20:00.000-05:00

Vogue has amassed a large digital collection of their magazine covers. The archive begins with the magazine's premiere issue in 1916 and continues to present day. Check out the archive here.

Photo Retouching

2007-11-30T22:54:00.001-05:00

A Dove commercial watched over a quarter of million times on youtube. It's a video that documents the process of making the average girl look like a supermodel through time-lapse photography.

The arrow of time.

2007-11-30T17:16:00.001-05:00

On June 17th each year this family takes photographs of themselves.
They've posted the photos here.

Receding Glaciers

2007-11-30T12:31:00.002-05:00

If you're on an island and haven't heard of Global warming, check out these pictures. If you have heard of it, check out these pictures.

View the rest of the images at Greenpeace.

Before and After Sunrise - The kind that doesn't involve Ethan Hawke. Well, not directly anyhow

2007-11-29T23:12:00.005-05:00

Rich Uncle Pennybags

2007-11-28T23:00:00.000-05:00

The famous mascot from the popular Monopoly game. The character first appeared on Chance and Community Chest cards in U.S. editions of Monopoly in 1936. The artist who designed the character to appear across several of the cards has remained a mystery.

Historian and author Philip Orbanes wrote in 2004 that it is believed that the character is based on either the calling cards of Albert Richardson (Parker Brothers' first traveling salesman) or the character of "Little Esky" from Esquire magazine or a combination of the two.

Orbanes later wrote, in 2006, that the character was also partially influenced by the stature and dress of financier and banker J. P. Morgan.

Heinz Ketchup Bottle

2007-11-28T22:35:00.000-05:00

Remember when the ketchup bottle stood up staight?
Whoever thought of the upside down bottle is a genius.

2007-11-27T22:37:00.000-05:00

Check out this beautiful restoration Flickr set for more before/after pics of this piece. The description:

The jewels and beaded bone, glass, and seeds were mostly gone or peeling off. The beading I did barely shows....they were the size of pinheads and took about 40 hours to string. All of the crystals were replaced one by one on the inside arch, mirror replaced and gold leafed on the outer perimeter. Mold and other silent terrors had to be dealt with, faces and patterns repainted back into the picture.

The New Broadview House Hotel

2007-11-27T20:45:00.000-05:00

The New Broadview House Hotel is a four story hotel at Broadview Avenue and Queen Street East in Toronto, Ontario.

Built in 1893, the Romanesque style hotel was built for Archibald Dingham and located in the historic neighbourhood of Riverdale.

Still operating as a hotel, the lower floor is the Jilly's strip club.

-Wikipedia, 'The New Broadview House Hotel'

CN Tower Lighting

2007-11-27T20:06:00.000-05:00

The CN Tower had an LED light makeover this year.

Check out the new lighting schedule.

Illustration Makeovers

2007-11-27T14:45:00.001-05:00

George Shrinks by William Joyce

I vote the old Pooh. That old honeypot gag doesn't ever get old. By A. A. Milne

By William Hanna and Joseph Barbera, but we all knew that, right?

By: Richard Scarry

By: Jean de Brunhoff

Tsunami!

2007-11-27T12:35:00.001-05:00

Here's some grabbed images of the damage done to Indonesia on the Sumatran coast during the Tsunami. Not too surprising when you see the video.

The Cat Woman

2007-11-27T12:08:00.000-05:00

Jocelyne Wildenstein grew up in a middle class family in Lausanne, where she became a skilled hunter and pilot. Because of these skills, she was invited for a shooting weekend at the 66,000 acre private Kenyan game reserve of billionaire international art dealer Alec Wildenstein, son of Daniel Wildenstein, the owner of Wildenstein and Company, one of the world's largest and most successful art conglomerates . The two were married.

After many years of marriage, Jocelyn's husband Alec allegedly began an affair. At fifty years old, Jocelyn began undergoing a series of plastic surgeries. Some have claimed that the initial surgeries were a success, but that when Alec again began engaging in affairs, Jocelyne decided to attempt to transform herself to resemble one of the giant cats beloved by her husband.
-Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jocelyn_Wildenstein

Jocelyn - Before

Jocelyn - After

First!

2007-11-26T21:08:00.000-05:00

In 2004 I was picked to be on the show 'Home to Go,' hosted by Peter Fallico. Here are some of the before and afters.

The Hallway

The Kitchen

The Living Room