Life is indeed flying, and it is tough to spend a memorable time with your loved ones, but not for the Brown sisters.
In 1975 Nicholas Nixon (Bebe’s husband) took a picture of the Brown sisters, and then they decided to take the same photo every year for 40 years. These pictures are a wonderful testimony of the different times the sisters went trough together.
1. 1975, the photo journey begins
1975 is the year when Nixon and Brown’s sisters started their family photo project. All the pictures are consistent and only captioned with date and location.
From left to right, this photo is Heather, Mimi, Bebe, and Laurie, and their ages in no particular order are twenty-one, twenty-five, fifteen, and twenty-three. In the future, Nixon will appear in the portraits too.
2. 1976, extraordinary matching dresses
Not sure if it was the sister’s intentional effort, or was it just a coincidence that the sisters are wearing dresses with similar styles, cuts, and patterns in most of the pictures.
In this picture, Laurie and Bebe are wearing the same dress, which shows their bonding and their humorous side.
3. 1977, I wonder if the sisters were Star Wars fans or not?
1977 is when the Star Wars Episode IV – a New Hope released, and the crazy fans start wearing the Star Wars merchandise out of the series mania.
In this picture of the Brown sisters, we cannot see anything related to Star Wars, but still, we assume that the sisters were the fan of the series.
4. 1978, the sisters might have watched Grease
This year the classic musical romantic movie Grease starring John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John premiered, and the fandom put half of America in leather jeans.
In this picture, the sisters are not dressed up like the Grease fans, but I am sure they probably have watched the movie, or maybe they are fans of Flatwood Mac.
5. 1979, all set for a new decade
The sisters are all geared up to enter into a new decade yet again with another outstanding picture.
The exciting thing about these pictures is it shows that the dresses and style women used to wear forty years ago are still very much in fashion and proves that fashion goes in a circle.
6. 1980, the sister’s love never ends
In this picture, the sisters have a little bit changed to a joyful pose, and it shows how much they enjoy each other company.
Or maybe this change is because of some significant event happening, a wedding or a graduation party of any of the sisters, whatever, we are glad to see them happy.
7. 1981, the sisters must be thinking about to start working as adults
Do you know that in 1981, the minimum wage was $3.10/hour and one bag of lays cost $1.98? All the sisters are in their twenties, except Bebe (she is in her early thirties) must be working on the minimum wage.
If we compare, the minimum wage today is $7.25, and the price of one bag of lays chips is $2.98.
8. 1982, the weather is quite chilly
This time the Photographer Nixon has decided to click an outdoor photo of the sisters, or maybe they are vacationing and decided to add this memorable event to their photo collection.
An interesting fact about 1982 is that Sony Walkmans were about only $130 and now their cost ranges from $100 to $4000.
9. 1983, Do you think the sisters were playing Jenga?
It is the year when the stacking block game Jenga was introduced. I wonder if the sisters were playing this iconic game or, if yes, then who was best at Jenga.
This picture is beautifully captured; it shows that the Photographer has put his effort into it to make the viewers feel that they are part of the sister’s conversation.
10. 1984, we can see the shadow of Nixon
In 1984, the “Baby on Board” sign in the cars had started gaining popularity, and it helped the responders to evacuate babies in the event of an accident.
In this picture, we can see that the sisters are enjoying a sunny day at the beach and can see a shadow of Nixon too. Maybe this was a way to include him in the portrait.
11. 1985, a new year, a new photo
It looks like the Brown sisters and Nixon have taken their project of family photo very seriously. They have now been doing this project for ten years. In no particular order, the sisters’ ages are thirty five, thirty one, twenty five and thirty three.
The fun fact about the year 1985 is that Coca-Cola introduced “New Coke” that lasted until 2002.
12. 1986, A close up
This year the Nixon has decided to take a close-up photo of the Brown sisters. The sisters are looking happy, and it seems that they are looking forward to the photo project every year.
The most famous thing of the year 1986 was the song “that’s what the friends are for “by Dionne Warwick.
13. 1987, Focus is on Bebe and Mimi
In this picture, Bebe and Mimi got the center stage, and Heather and Laurie are in the background.
Probably Nixon was trying just a different pose for the photo, or maybe this year some important event has happened in the life of Bebe and Mimi, and they wanted to celebrate it in the picture.
14. 1988, we spot go-to-luxury cheetah print
The animal prints are one of the top fashion trends of the ’80s, and here in this picture, we can see Laurie wearing a cheetah print; although we can see its original color, I am sure it must be something fancy.
In 1988, the iconic movie Rain Man was released, and I wonder if the sisters were Tom cruise fans or not.
15. 1989, a mystery picture
Heather is completely hiding behind the Mimi; we can only see her one hand and half face. I assume that she might be pregnant, and the sisters do not want the viewers to have an insight into their life outside of the photo.
The fun fact about 89 is that the Sony Walkman has decreased to $79.
16. 1990, once again they are together on a cold day
The 90s, no doubt, was a happening decade, and at the beginning of it, the Brown sisters took their family photo on a cold winter day.
It looks fabulous when the sisters are wearing similar dresses as in this picture; the Mimi and Bebe are twinning in denim, and Heather and Laurie are twining in fleece.
17. 1991, they are look-alike
There was no resemblance between the sisters in their teens and twenties, but now as fifteen years have passed, we can see how similar they look, especially Mimi, Heather, and Laurie.
This year’s exciting fact is that the 91 hit Smells like Teen Spirit by Nirvana was named after an actual deodorant.
18. 1992, Mimi looks pregnant
One thing is clear that Nixon tries to focus on the sister who might have something important happening in her life, yet he does not want to give away too much.
In this picture, the way Heather is looking and holding Mimi’s stomach shows that she is pregnant, or perhaps we are assuming too much.
19. 1993, their first shot at the nighttime
Until now, all the photos of this project have been taken in the middle of the day. It is the first photo that has been taken at night with a flash.
This time the Brown sisters and Nixon tried to bring creativity by changing the photo time because now they are short of poses.
20. 1994, another close-up
Nixon shot the same close-up picture of the sisters back in 1986. Probably they have recreated the photo because they are at the same place.
The highlight of the year 1994 was the mud fight at the Woodstock, Green day performance. The fight was so massive that the guitarist Mike Dirnt was mistaken for a fan and punched by the security guard.
21. 1995, the strong sisterly bond
The sisters are hugging each other to show their strong bonding and love.
One thing I have noticed is that in all these pictures, the sisters are not wearing a lot of jewelry, maybe they are not fond of jewelry, or perhaps they want to keep the photos natural and subtle.
22. 1996, another photo re-created
This photo is a recreation of the photo that Nixon took in 1984, 12 years back. In both pictures, we can see the shadow of Nixon covering his wife.
The ever-famous “Tackle me Elmo” was launched in the market in 1996, and this red plush toy turned out every parent’s nightmare.
23. 1997, when Diana was no more
The sisters are clearly enjoying each other’s company on a beautiful windy day and posing for a photo with windswept hairs.
The 1997 biggest news was the death of Princess Diana in a tragic car accident probably; that is why the sisters are all dressed up in black and gloomy colors.
24. 1998, Bebe has got the center stage
In that year’s photo, Nixon has focused on Bebe, and it looks so good that all three sisters are standing around their elder sister and supporting her.
As we are talking about ladies here, let me tell you that 1998 was the first year when the life expectancy of females in the US reached 79.5.
25. 1999, Protecting Bebe from the chili wind
The Brown sisters are back to the beach, the one they visited in 1984, and perhaps it is their favorite family vacation spot.
If you look closer at this photo, you will see that all the sisters except Babe are wearing fleece, and now they are trying to cover Bebe from the chilly wind.
26. 2000, the Brown’s welcoming the new century
Brown sisters are once again on the beach probably; they are having their New Year party there. Even Nixon has tried something new; he took the farthest picture of the sister and symbolizing that the project has come a long way.
With the new century, the world’s population has also escalated, and it reached 6 billion.
27. 2001, Thank God, the sisters are safe
It’s good to see all the four sisters are safe because, in 2001, one of the worst events, 9/11, happened in America and has changed many lives.
The sisters embrace each other and have fun, establishes that we should live the moment and do not spoil it because of the issues happening around us.
28. 2002, rocking the “Polo“
All the sisters, except Heather, are wearing Polo, and they are looking super cool. It shows how much thought and effort they put into their photo project.
As I have mentioned earlier, the “New Coke” was discontinued in 2002, and then they reintroduced Coca-Cola Classic; I wonder if the sisters liked this change.
29. 2003, the Brown’s are keeping up with the new trends
These photos show us the respective lives f the Brown sisters and how they are keeping up with recent trends and technology; look at Mimi’s haircut.
Heather’s flip phone gives us insight into how far the technology has come; if we compare this flip phone with today’s smartphones, it is for sure a relic. It will remind some of us of that time.
30. 2004, Heather and Laurie at the front:
This year, for the first time, Heather and Laurie are the centers of the photo project. Maybe this was a special year for the two ladies’ career or family-wise.
Another interesting thing about this photo is Laurie is looking at Heather instead of the camera. I wonder, what does that mean?
31. 2005, why is Laurie looking away?
Once again, Laurie is not looking at the camera, and this time she is not even looking at Heather. Now I am curious to know the reason behind it, but who am I gonna ask to?
Maybe Laurie is looking for the members of the Church of Flying Spaghetti Monster, who wear colanders.
32. 2006, sun-kissed photo
The sisters are looking lovely on the bright sunny day, and the sun rays falling on them make them bright a well. The photo shows that they are still as close as ever.
An interesting fact about 2006 is that Blu Rays replaced DVDs, and it became quickly popular because the Blu Rays can store more information than DVDs with high-quality streaming.
33. 2007, This time Mimi is hiding
In this picture, Mimi is hiding behind Bebe, and Bebe and Heather are at the front, and Laurie and Mimi at the back. We can see Laurie’s wedding ring for the first time, and I also like Bebe’s stylish bracelet.
2006 will always be remembered for the launch of the first iPhone that sold for $599.
34. 2008, Nixon’s fingers
It is one of the lovely pictures of the Brown sisters where they snuggle each other and shows that their bond has become stronger with time.
A funny fact about 2008 is that NOAA recommended that one safely walk in the event of a lightning storm, and there no more need to crouch.
35. 2009, so peaceful and content
The way Laurie is resting her head on Babe’s shows that how good and peaceful the sisters feel with each other.
One of the biggest hits of 2009 was Teach me how to Dougie by Cali Swag, and it is still one of the most popular dance numbers. Keep reading to see the sisters enter the next decade!
36. 2010, where are Heather and Mimi looking
I wonder why Heather and Mimi are gazed off and would love to know what is holding their attention, or maybe it’s just another creative pose.
Do you know that Mourisaq, a settlement on the Island country, had a population of three in 2010, and now that settlement is closed?
37. 2011, holding each other arm
Like all other sisters, the Brown sisters also like to hold and grab each other, and they have shown it in many of their photos.
An informative fact is that words LOL and OMG are no more slang because they were officially added to the Oxford English Dictionary in 2011.
38. 2012. The world kept ongoing
You must be aware of the rumors of the world ending in 2010; I am glad that they were just rumors and the doomsday did not happen.
It looks like even the sisters did not take the rumor seriously and did not miss their annual photo for the family photo project.
39. 2013, they went on a break
After taking 39 consecutive pictures for 39 years, the sisters took a break for four years. We will never know the reason but hope that everything was well in their lives.
In 2013, Pope Benedict XVI resigned from his post, and it is the first Pope to resign in almost 600 years.
40. 2017, the last photo of the project
In 2017 the sisters reunited and took the last photo of the photo project. They did not continue the project because one of the sisters reportedly died, and another one did not approve to continue the project.
The Brown sister’s photo project is helpful to understand the sisterly love and affection.
