Everyone has heard the saying, "Nothing lasts forever," but most of us don't really think about the passing of time like that during our day-to-day lives. However, the simple fact is that before you know it, this exact moment in time will be history, and everything you know will have changed, including the objects you use every day. Read on for some truly remarkable photos that show how passing time can change items that are seemingly permanent as rock.
The Sun 'Tie-Dyed' This Shirt
If you've ever hung your clothes out on a line to dry, then you've probably seen how the sun can bleach clothes. Even if you haven't, you've likely experienced some of your favorite clothes fading over time. Those aren't shadows cast over the used shirt in this photo. The owner had left this shirt in the back of their car for what they said was a seriously long time.
The lighter areas are parts of the shirt that were exposed to the sun during that period. As you can see, the shirt was completely bleached, and now it looks like someone tried to tie-dye it.
A Cat's Walking Path
Most of the time, when humans or dogs follow the same path over and over again, that area eventually just turns into a dirt trail. However, apparently the same isn't true of cats. Someone took a photo of their cat's usual path, and it looks like tiny little dips in the grass. It actually reminds us of tracks in the snow, except there is no snow in this photo.
We're sure that one day, years from when this photo was taken, the owner is probably going to look back on this photo and feel a little nostalgic. Maybe they'll try to preserve it with stones or something.
Rabbits Have Worn The Edges Of These Boards Down
This one is pretty adorable. Over time, rabbits have worn the edges of these boards down, trying to pass through a fence in someone's yard. They were probably a little too big to make it through the gaps at first, but as time passed, their exit slowly got wider and wider. Now, it's a perfect bunny-sized hole that allows them to get from one yard to another without any trouble.
When this photo and story was first posted online by the homeowner, someone suggested that they paint rabbit ears on either side of the hole, and honestly, that's a really great idea.
A Pair Of Stuffed Rabbits, Gifted At The Same Time
This is a pair of vintage stuffed rabbits someone posted online. They said both were given to their girlfriend about 23 years ago, but one was stored away. The other was kept out and played with during that time. We'll let you guess which one that was. The one that was stored away looks brand new, but the other one obviously received a lot of love during all those years.
When paired with this photo, it's honestly a really beautiful story. Maybe they can give the newer-looking rabbit to their own kid one day while keeping or restoring the other one.
The Result Of Wind Constantly Swinging These Chains
We're not exactly sure what the item in this photo is, but it appears to be a door of some kind. Anyway, the marks on the metal are the result of countless times the wind swung this old chain back and forth. The result is a pretty cool-looking piece of art, and it looks like it's made a nearly perfect group of circles where there would normally be rust.
It probably took months, if not years for the chains to make marks like these, but the result is just so oddly satisfying to look at, and it makes us want to try out a similar experiment.
The Remnants Of A Family Photo Inside A Watch
This is a pretty amazing watch and story. The poster said that this old pocket was a family heirloom. Apparently, it was passed down to them, and it used to have a family photo on the inside. The photo had been in there so long that it left a faint imprint. You can make out three or four faint faces in the imprint, and you can even kind of see their hair and clothes.
If you inverted your screen colors, the images imprinted on the watch would be much clearer and easier to make out. You'd even be able to see all of their faces.
An Old Stop Sign After Years Of Use
Apparently, stop signs don't last forever and have to be replaced at some point. This one has been exposed to the elements for years, according to the person who posted this image. You can see where the reflective material has started to peel off and separate from the metal sign. The poster likened it to something you might see on the cover of a metal album, and we have to agree.
We bet this old stop sign has seen some history, both good and bad. If you're curious, most signs like this are replaced anywhere from every 10 to 17 years.
A 400-Year-Old Staircase In Europe
You may have seen something similar to this if you've ever been somewhere with a really old building. This staircase has been around for 400 years. It's located somewhere in Prague. You can see the indentions that have been left over time by all of the people who have gone up and down the stairs. These stairs are truly a historical piece of architecture that've been around since before the U.S. was even a country.
They also don't really make them like this anymore because most of the old stairs we've ever seen have just been creaky and seemingly ready to fall apart or split.
'Game Over' Burnt Into An Old T. V.
This one is going to make a lot of people out there nostalgic. Someone found an old T.V. out there, and it had the words "Game Over" burnt into the screen. Someone probably got their money's worth out of this thing and spent hours playing something like Duck Hunt or the old Atari racing game, Pole Position. (Kudos to you if you've ever heard of either of those games.)
If you look closely, you can also see the word "speed" in the top right-hand corner of the monitor, which makes us think it was a racing game of some kind.
Finger Imprints On Keys From The 1850s
Here's one for all of the musicians out there. These are the keys of an old organ that's been around since the 1850s. You can see where, over the years, musicians have pressed down on the keys and just how much they've pressed on each individual key. Some of the keys in this photo look a lot more used than others, but we're not musicians, so we probably couldn't tell you why.
It'd be really cool to know who all sat down and played on this old organ and exactly what they played. It's probably been played by some really talented people over the years.
11 Years Worth Of Cat Scratches
If you're particular about your furniture or damage to your home, then look away now. This old spindle has been through 11 years of scratches, and you can actually see the culprit in the background of this photo if you look closely. It honestly looks like a piece of art the way it's been widdled down over the years, and we can see why they might've chosen to just leave it there.
When their cat is gone, we imagine they're going to look back at this and feel a bit nostalgic for when it used to stretch and claw away at this post.
Layers Of Graffiti On A Wall
This photo was actually taken in 2012, and it shows a wall in Oakland, California. The story behind it is that the wall had been painted by graffiti artists through the years, with each one painting over the artwork of the last. Over time, all of that paint built up into layers until someone removed a chunk of it, resulting in this photo. It looks to be around four or five inches of paint.
You can actually count down the layers if you sit there and really try to. This in and of itself also kind of looks like a work of art.
Someone's Belt After Losing A Lot Of Weight
Most people out there have experienced this at some point in their lives. You poke a hole or two in your belt, only to end up reverting back to the old holes at some point or another in the future. This person tracked their weight loss story using the holes they'd put in their belt before they started working out and getting into shape. It looks like they put three or four of their own holes in there.
This is actually a pretty clever measuring stick, and best of luck to them if they still have a couple of more goals to check off of their list.
Stirring Marks Left In A Coffee Cup Over Time
Nostalgic probably isn't the right word here, but this photo definitely makes us want a cup of coffee. Someone posted a photo of their coffee cups, and you can see the marks left by their spoon on the inside of the cup. If you have old cups or you've shopped for them at antique stores, you've likely seen similar marks on the inside of cups. We've actually never known where those came from but it all makes sense now.
It's also really cool how the marks have formed a star at the bottom of the cup, although it does make us wonder if this is actually healthy to ingest.
A Toy Soldier Embedded Into Cement
Someone was walking down the sidewalk when they came across this. It's a toy soldier that looks like he's been embedded into the concrete. We're not really sure if this one happened over time or if it happened when the sidewalk was first poured, but either way, it's pretty cool. His back also looks really flat, which tells us that he's been there for a while and been stepped on a lot.
There's just something about this photo and this whole scene would honestly make for a really cool album cover, as would a couple of other photos on this list.
Four-Leaf Clover Found In 1923
There's a really cool story behind this photo. The poster said that their grandmother found this four-leaf clover all the way back in 1923 while she was on her way to school. A lot of history has happened in that 100 years. We hope this clover brought this person's grandmother plenty of luck throughout the years. It's obviously been cherished since it's still taped to the inside of this book.
We didn't even know a plant could survive that long and not have disintegrated by now when pressed to the inside of a book. Even if it were to be removed, there's probably a permanent clover mark on the paper.
A Road Sign Being Devoured By A Tree
We've seen trees reclaim things like fence posts but never an entire sign. The tree in this photo looks like it's literally eating a road sign. It makes us wonder what the story behind this whole encounter is because it seems like someone would've had to put the sign there since we can't see a post. Either way, that sign is probably only a few short years away from being completely devoured.
It turns out that trees eat extremely slowly. It also perfectly represents how everything eventually succumbs to time and change and how nothing is truly permanent in the grand scheme of things.
Someone's ID After Being Stolen Years Ago
Someone posted this nostalgic photo of their mom after her ID was found in the woods. It turned out that her purse had been stolen sometime in the 1980s near a trailhead. The leather purse had long since rotted away, but all of the plastic on the inside, such as her ID, was still there. So, she got her old ID back around 40 years after it was stolen on the trail.
It's also in pretty good shape to have been outside, exposed to the elements and all kinds of animals for 40 years, which is kind of crazy to think about.
Someone Found These Jeans On The Jobsite
Jeans are made to last forever, at least that's what companies usually advertise, but not even your favorite pair of blue jeans can stand up to mother nature for very long. Someone found this used pair of jeans while out at the job site. There's no telling how long these have been outside because there's literally nothing left but the woven fabric. It's actually a pretty cool thing to find.
However, we'd probably immediately start looking around for signs that this was a crime scene. At least from this photo, we can't spot any obvious signs other than the jeans.
Lichen Growing On A Sign
Someone came across this while out in the country. It's lichen, which is similar to moss, and it's covering the parts of this sign that light up. We're not sure if that's because of the light or because those areas contain tiny holes for the lichen to grab onto but either way, it's pretty cool. We're also not sure how old the lichen actually is, but the sign itself looks fairly new compared to most signs.
If this sign were to never be cleaned or replaced, it probably wouldn't take long for the grass, lichen, and trees to completely take over and erase any trace of it.
Two Hands Of Different Ages
This photo tells the stories of two members of the same family. One hand belongs to the grandmother and the other belongs to the daughter or granddaughter. It perfectly captures how we all age over time if we're lucky. If you look closely, you can see how similar both of their hands are to one another right down to the shape of their fingernails, which is also really cool.
It's both a really moving photo and also a bit sad in a way. However, it just shows what happens to everybody and everything over the slow progress of time.
A Brick Wall Exposed To The Sea
We've never really considered what would happen to a brick wall that was exposed directly to the sea, but if we had to guess before seeing this image, we'd probably think it just falls apart. Apparently, that's not always the case. This photo shows a brick wall that's literally been shaped by the sea. You can see how the wall has all kinds of undulations and protrudes in some places.
Honestly, you could probably take this, (if you could lift it), and put it in an art gallery somewhere. It's just fascinating to look at and shows the power of mother nature.
These Two Stuffed Animals Were Bought At the Same Time
Here's a pretty magical story about two stuffed animals. The stuffed animal on the right is just as old as the one on the left. The worn-out plush on the right was a gift to someone from their grandmother in 1995. They said that they slept with it every night when they were young, and when their grandmother passed away, they found an identical stuffed animal. She'd bought two and kept one put away.
You can see all of the years of love on the one on the right when compared to the stuffed animal on the left. Despite both of them being old, they look like they're different ages.
A Tree Wrapping Around A Tombstone
Here's another pretty symbolic photo. It shows an old historical gravestone with the word "Mother" written on it. The marker is being wrapped up by a tree that's started to grow in the same spot. The tree looks to be pretty old, meaning that the marker is probably just as old, if not older. It'd be really neat to know the history of both and how this came to be.
This photo was taken in Wakefield, Massachusets, although we couldn't find out much more than that about it. Still, it's a really interesting photo no matter how you view it.
An Old Trail In France
You've probably seen an old walkway or trail that's nothing but dirt, but have you ever seen a trail like this one? It's so old that the surrounding earth just surrounds it on either side. There's no telling the history that has happened here over the centuries. There was probably a time when horse and buggy used to travel down this very same path along with those walking on foot.
It kind of reminds us of something you might see in a movie like Lord of The Rings or Harry Potter. It just looks so ancient and worn, which we guess it is.
A Decade-Old Chair Leg Turned Scratch Post
This old chair leg was apparently used as a scratch post for a cat for around a decade. You can see how much the cat actually widdled down the wood, and it's pretty impressive. Not only that, but everything looks really even. You would think that the owner would've gotten the cat an actual scratch post after seeing it use this leg a couple of times, but maybe they wanted to see what would happen over time.
We're glad they let their cat just go to town though, because if not then we never would've gotten this image, which is oddly satisfying for some weird reason.
A Bike That Was Swallowed By A Tree
This is what happens when you leave your bike next to a tree and never go back to get it. This photo shows a vintage bike that was probably a little kid's prized possession at some point in time. It was abandoned beside a tree sometime in the 1950s, and the tree eventually swallowed the bike up. It's pretty incredible, considering the bike was only placed there in the 1950s.
According to Snopes, you can actually visit this bike and over the years different people have stolen or replaced different parts of the bike, meaning it's not all original.
Faded Finishes From Where Barbers Move Around Customers' Chairs
We're not exactly sure if the old flooring in this photo is wood or linoleum, but we're leaning towards the latter. If you look closely, it appears as though the wood grain on all of the planks is identical, which would mean that this flooring isn't really wood. Either way, it's still really cool to see the marks from where barbers move around all of the chairs in this tiny barbershop.
This old shop also looks like it stays pretty busy, which would help explain all of the wear and tear on the finish. The barber chairs in this photo also look pretty old.
A Cathedral While It's Being Cleaned
We have to admit that we've always just thought all of those old stone cathedrals just naturally looked gray and beautifully gloomy. Well, apparently that's not the case. This photo shows a cathedral in France called Trinity Abbey while it's being cleaned. You can see that it used to appear almost white before history and time took its toll on the old building. Honestly, we don't know what look we like more.
It would've also been kind of neat to leave it half and half but they didn't do that and the cathedral was eventually fully cleaned and looks great.
A Pipe Used For A Mineral Pool Spa
These crystals are on the inside of a pipe that was used for a mineral pool spa. We're not exactly sure what kind of minerals were being used, but it only took them six months to build up and form this, which is pretty amazing. We're really curious as to how they would actually clean this and remove the minerals, and if they take the whole thing out or if they just break it all apart.
There are probably a couple of science teachers out there who would love to have something like this to show their classes when going over things like geodes and crystals.
New And Old Versions Of The Same Plush
Most of the stuffed animal comparisons on this list are of the same older plushes side by side, but this is something different. The stuffed animal on the left is a parent's old plush and the one on the right is new old stock that they bought for their kid. They were probably a bit nostalgic and decided to buy their own child something they used and loved a lot when they were the same age.
You can see how much smaller the used plush is on the left compared to the new one, which still has all of its fur and looks like it was yesterday.
Trenches And Bomb Craters From WWI
If you know anything about WWI, then you're probably aware that it was an extremely bloody time in history. Both sides combined used as many as 1.2 billion artillery shells during the course of the war. This is what one area of the front looks like today. You can still make out the trenches where soldiers lived and slept, as well as the surrounding craters that mark where artillery was dropped.
You don't have to be an archeologist to know that this doesn't look natural and that something traumatic happened here. It honestly looks kind of like a scar or wound.
Layers Of Graffiti Paint
This image of layers of paint is pretty mesmerizing. It came off an old graffiti and mural wall that was obviously used for many years. There are probably over 50 layers worth of color and art in there. Apparently, some people take layers like this that have been built up after years of automotive painting and cover them in enamel to make things like jewelry and other pieces of artwork.
It's called Fordite, and we can see why. This stuff looks really beautiful in its own way. However, it makes us wonder what effect this much paint would have on a wall, if any.
Marks From People Left Behind At Union Station
Here's another eerily cool image. These seats are or were located in Union Station. The station was built in around 1907, so it's a pretty old and historical place. These marks were left behind by thousands if not millions of people who all walked by and sat in these same exact chairs. It's really cool but also hauntingly spooky, considering most of those people are probably long gone by now.
The station itself is still there, but it's been renovated a couple of times over the years, and we're kind of doubtful that these same chairs are still there.
A Really Old Screwdriver
We're sure there are plenty of old stories behind this used screwdriver, but the poster just said that it belonged to their grandfather back in the day. It looks pretty old because if you've bought tools in the last 30 years, then you probably know that they don't make them like this anymore. This thing looks like it was built to last, and it's actually done just that through the years.
It's also really cool how someone, probably this person's grandfather, carved a letter for what we imagine is their name on the wooden handle. It just has a neat, vintage vibe to it.
Stones From Where The Wall Used To Be
Stones may last for centuries, but walls certainly don't. This tree was originally next to a wall, and over the years it grew around two stones on the top portion of the wall. When that wall collapsed, only these two stones were left as the tree had actually grown around them. It's pretty neat and it just shows the strength of the tree limb that's still holding onto them.
There's no telling how long these will stay suspended in the air like this, but hopefully, it's for as long as this old tree continues to grow and wrap around the stones.
Cement Bags From 40 Or So Years Ago
This photo shows cement bags that were first laid down to form a fortification more than 40 years ago. You can see from the round edges that the cement was initially inside bags that are now long gone. People probably just laid them down and left them in the weather to harden on their own. It's also worth noting that this particular photo was taken somewhere near San Francisco.
These were placed during the Cold War, so it makes sense that it would be out on the West Coast somewhere, probably in preparation for what people thought was an imminent Soviet invasion.
Whiskey At Different Stages Of Maturation
If you've ever wondered why moonshine is a clear whiskey then this is your answer. These bottles each contain whiskey that's been aged a different year. The first bottle is completely clear, but they only get darker in color as you go more vintage. It's pretty cool to see this in clear bottles like this because whiskey is usually aged in a barrel and you don't actually see the darkening process.
However, it does seem to kind of plateau once you get down to the third row. You can also see how each year there's less and less whiskey left in the barrel.
A Silver Dollar Someone's Grandpa Kept In His Pocket
This vintage silver dollar probably has a few stories to tell, but we only know the main one. The poster said that their grandfather kept this in his pocket for more than 20 years, and he probably played with it or rubbed it from time to time, which would also help explain why it looks so worn down. We've never seen a coin that has as much wear as this one.
However, it's really cool, and it tells its own story about this person's grandfather and how all of those years he toted this thing around in his pocket, probably waiting for the day to pass it down.