Four Sisters Capture the Same Photo Together Every Year for 40 Years – The Heartbreaking Reason They Decide to End the Tradition

In 1975, Bebe Brown’s husband, photographer Nicholas Nixon, snapped the first photo of his wife and her three sisters, Heather, Mimi, and Laurie. However, that wasn’t the last of it. Nixon decided to turn the photo into a project where they would be reunited each year by taking the same photo. Here are the results!

Part of Nixon’s process is that he doesn’t include any caption for the photographs, only the date and location. Posing left to right are Heather, Mimi, Bebe, and Laurie, and they are between 15 to 25 years old at this time. The viewers can create their own stories about the sisters and how they will change over the years.

While they could have done it intentionally, perhaps it was a mere coincidence! It shows how much they are alike. Despite the sisters’ serious faces, they have a silly side that is unexpected. Keeping in line with the comedic side of things, the BBC convinced listeners that a shift in the planets was going to occur in no time, lessening Earth’s gravity.

There weren’t any obvious references to the movie in this photo, so it’s unclear whether the sisters were fans of the movie or not. But, it’s likely that they saw the movie since that was a common activity to do as teenagers.

We wonder if the sisters were wearing leather pants since that was a popular trend at the time. The bohemian style of Stevie Nicks and the music of Fleetwood Mac were also influential, too. Perhaps the sisters were more influenced by that style, than what was in Grease.

Even 40 years later, the fashion is still representative of what women could wear today. It’s proof that the style or their sisterly love hasn’t changed too significantly over time.

What was going on in their lives at the time? Maybe it was a graduation or a wedding or even being in a new relationship that made them smile. We can only speculate, but it’s wonderful to see them happy and embracing one another’s presence.

It’s interesting to note that the sisters appear more mature and older here. We can truly notice just how much they look alike in terms of features. How much they have really changed in the past few years is going to become even more evident with the next set of photos.

We wonder if they were maybe on a trip or vacation. While we will never know, Nixon sure did snap a great photo and also got the sisters in their best cold-weather attire.

Nixon expertly positioned the sisters in this photograph. Heather and Laurie being close to the camera in a semicircle achieve the effect that the viewer feels included in their conversation. It’s also a special way that Nixon communicated just how personal the photos are, and how close the sisters remain.

1984 was an interesting year, and here’s a cool fact! Baby on board stickers began to become popular that year because they helped emergency workers spot babies who were in situations that were potentially harmful.

While they all have their own lives, they kept reuniting every year to take a photo together. Indeed, the project is special because it reignites their love for one another, and makes sure they stay in touch.

1986’s most popular song was the mega-hit “That’s What Friends Are For,” sung by Dionne Warwick. We have to wonder if there’s a sister version somewhere out there. Actually, this photo does look like something that would be on the front of an album cover!

For those who are diehard sports fans, we have a fun fact for you. Lionel Messi, an Argentine football player, and the world’s best, was born. 1987 is also the year that Nelson Piquet, a Formula 1 driver, received the title of three-time world champion for his sport.

1988 was a great year for movies. Rain Man starring Tom Cruise and Dustin Hoffman came out and we wonder if any of the sisters went to see it. The animated movie Scooby-Doo also came out that year, but it was a big miss for audiences.

Even in 1989, they still seem close and happy to be in each other’s company. It only gets better from here, though!

We have a fun fact about 1990; it was the year where the first accident between two cars with airbags happened. The drivers involved weren’t injured severely, but would have been if there were no airbags.

In 1991, the hit song “Smells Like Teen Spirit” by Nirvana was released, rocking the world to its very core. Funnily enough, the song was named after a deodorant: Kurt Cobain’s girlfriend apparently wore “Teen Spirit.”

Heather is looking at Mimi’s belly, placing her hand on it. Was Mimi pregnant? Laurie is also looking in Mimi’s direction which could signify that they know something we don’t. From the way the sisters are positioned, it seems that Mimi is the focus of this photo.

Taking the photo at night was definitely a creative choice on Nixon’s part. At this point, the sisters are such pros at modeling that they can get in line with anything after nearly two decades of shooting.

A huge event happened in 1994 called Woodstock. Think big mud fights and Green Day performing (and lots of rowdiness). The band and stage were heavily covered in mud. A security guard thought Guitarist Mike Dirnt was a fan, and threw him off stage, resulting in losing his teeth.

A sad fact is that 37 Americans in 1995 were killed by vending machines that fell on them. Maybe that number could have been lessened if the machines didn’t spit out bills that were partially wrinkled.

1996 saw the year of the “Tickle Me Elmo” toy, much to the annoyance of many parents! After it was released, Elmo would constantly tickle and laugh. The toy cost a whopping $28.99, but scalpers re-sold it in newspapers and on the Internet for up to $1,500 by the end of the year.

Sadly, 1997 marked the tragic year that Princess Diana was killed in a car accident in Paris. Maybe that’s why the sisters were dressed in black and dull colors? Were they fans of Princess Di and wanted to commemorate her passing?

Wildly enough, 1998 was the very first year that the American female life expectancy reached 79.5 years. Before that, for many decades, the life expectancy for females was around 78. Male expectancy was even lower, at 73.8.

The project continued for many more years, as Nixon kept using his camera to take interesting and perplexing photos of the sisters. We’re so glad that he did!

And, in that year, the world reached a population of 6 billion people. While the number of people on the planet had been steadily increasing, it finally crossed the threshold in 2000. The ushering of a new decade also marked the emergence of a new population number.

It seems the sisters were on a beach vacation, as Heather and Laurie are wearing Hawaiian shirts. They probably felt even more bonded than ever before here – just look at the way they are holding each other.

It’s fascinating to observe how styles changed over the decades and what each of the Brown sisters decided to wear on that particular day. You will be excited to keep seeing their progression.

Speaking of technology, we have a fun fact to share with you. The original Dunkin donut came with a handle for dipping it in coffee, but, in 2003, it was discontinued. Why? Because it had to be cut by hand and was thus replaced by a machine.

One thing that is so incredible about Nixon’s photographs and not including captions, is that the audience forms their own stories about the sisters. Nixon allows for us to create and control the narratives.

Nixon continues to take intriguing photos of the Brown sisters, giving us glimpses into their lives without even knowing what is going on in them.

So, 2006 was a pivotal moment in technology. It was the year when DVDs were replaced with Blu Rays. Much like today, we have access to many streaming platforms and can watch anything at our fingertips.

2007 was the year when the first iPhone was released on the market. It sold for $599 which is nothing compared to today’s iPhones which can cost up to $1,000 or more.

Nixon accidentally captured his fingers in the frame, but that’s fine because accidents happen! Although – it might have not been an accident. We wonder if there was a reason as to why he did that.

In 2009, the hit song “Teach Me How To Dougie” by Cali Swag District was a chart-topper and remains a popular dance song all over the world.

A settlement called Moriusuq in Greenland had a population of three people until 2010. Oddly enough, a self-defense case narrowed the population down to two. Now, there’s only one person who lives there now and the settlement is deemed “closed” by Greenland.

While the sisters were having fun, the Oxford English dictionary had two abbreviations added in 2011: “OMG” and “LOL.” They became official words.

We wonder if they believed any of that or if they thought it was nonsense. We’re glad that Nixon’s project continued – not for much longer, however.

Another resignation happened that year – Pope Benedict XVI. He was the first pope to resign in nearly six decades. Maybe the sisters had feelings about that!

The photos of Nicholas Nixon have resonated with people everywhere and continue to touch their hearts. His special project shows how family, strong bonds, and love are unshakable forces and that nothing can break them.