What is the Network Of Time?
The Network Of Time is a research project, educational resource and artwork created and maintained by Jesse Ward.
You've heard of "six degrees of separation."
This is the first project proving it with real photos.
This is the first interactive, visual social graph spanning from the 1800s to today – proof we're tangled in the same photographic web, just scattered through time and space.
Match any two people on the front page and you will see how they have "met" through a series of meetings or chance appearances, in the smallest possible number of photos from our collection.
If you've ever been in a photo with someone who's connected to someone here – even through several degrees – you're probably in the Network too. (Even if you're not visible yet.)
How can this claim to be the largest photo network?
Smaller photographic networks exist – clusters of people for whom no known photo connects them to the broader graph.
In most cases, it is not possible to definitively say someone living after the advent of photography in the mid-19th century is not part of the Network Of Time.
The real network spans millions of private photos, film frames, and crowded scenes where people can't even be identified.
This site is just a snapshot of an unexposable whole.
The earliest known photo of Queen Victoria and her daughter dates to 1844. In 1926, she's pictured with her great-great-granddaughter Elizabeth II.
Elizabeth, over her 96-year life, was photographed with thousands.
From there, the net spreads – politicians, warlords, nuns, wrestlers, hackers, prophets, rappers, you.
That royal chain likely spreads to everyone living today.
Why the name "Network Of Time"?
The name "Network Of Time" emphasizes how the Network includes billions of people whose lifespans have overlapped over 150+ years in a network that can be documented, in connections that are not always chronological.
Who is this site for?
The Network Of Time is intended as an educational and cultural resource suitable for ages 14 and up.
While care is taken to avoid explicit or graphic content, this archive contains some photographs that may depict:
We do not include images with:
When in doubt, we prioritise historical integrity, respect for subjects, and emotional appropriateness for curious, thoughtful viewers.
What criteria exist for a photo existing on this website?
Photos appearing on this website will meet the following criteria at a minimum:
Why is X missing, or why aren't X and Y connected?
A connection is missing because:
Why does this matter?
We are all interdependent. This is what the evidence looks like.