In the summer of 1975, photographer Nicholas Nixon was visiting his wife’s family when, on an impulse, he asked his wife and her three sisters if they would pose for a photograph. The result was a striking black-and-white image of the four women, linked by their elbows, standing against a soft backdrop of trees and lawn. Their relaxed posture and luminous appearance captured not just the simplicity of the moment, but also the quiet bond between them as sisters.
A year later, while attending the graduation of one of the sisters, Nixon decided to recreate the moment. He asked them to stand in the same order as they had before, and after seeing the photograph, he proposed an idea: what if they took the same picture every year? The sisters agreed, marking the beginning of a project that would span decades and become one of Nixon’s most enduring works.
Imagine the significance of having such a personal archive—a tangible, year-by-year chronicle of growing up with your siblings, set against the backdrop of time passing. Over time, these annual photographs would offer a unique visual record of the sisters’ lives, documenting not only their physical changes but also the deepening connection between them. Check out this poignant series of photographs.