May 4th 2024.
Meet Tonet Rivera, a 66-year-old man from the Philippines who has spent the last 27 years honoring his late father's memory by recreating his old photos from a trip to London in the 1960s. Tonet's father, Antonio Rivera Jr, had only one opportunity to travel internationally and he chose London, capturing the city's iconic landmarks with his trusty 1952 Leica IIIf camera and tripod.
Using a disposable camera and later his phone, Tonet has meticulously replicated his father's photos, taking great care to position himself in the exact same spot as his father did decades ago. The heartwarming snaps showcase Tonet standing outside famous London landmarks such as Big Ben, Clarence House, and the Tower of London.
Tonet believes that his father would be happy to know that he has discovered and fallen in love with the city his father once adored. He also believes that his father would be proud of his dedication to preserving their family's history and grateful that these memories have been captured for future generations to cherish.
Antonio passed away at the young age of 50, when Tonet was only 19. But through his father's letters to his mother during his time in London, Tonet has been able to piece together his father's journey. Antonio had come to the UK on a scholarship from his employer, an oil distribution company, to pursue a Master's degree in mechanical engineering at Loughborough University.
Tonet shared that while his father was studying, he would write letters to his mother every day, including a photo inside the envelope to document his adventures in and around London. Tonet fondly remembers how his father would "sneak" these photos into the letters, despite the strict weight limit for the aerogramme forms he used.
After his father's passing, Tonet discovered over 300 photos, each with handwritten notes on the back indicating the locations. When his job brought him to England, Tonet saw it as an opportunity to recreate these photos and has been doing so since the 1990s. He has even tried to take the shots from the exact same spot as his father, despite the changing landscape of London.
Some of the photos were easy to recreate, like the one at Trafalgar Square, where Tonet discovered a chip in the fountain that had remained unrepaired, allowing him to place his hand exactly where his father's was in the original photo.
In 2017, upon his retirement, Tonet returned to London with his family to take better photos using his phone. Since then, they have made several trips to the city, capturing the perfect angles and recreating 15 of his father's 300 photos. Tonet plans to continue the project on his next visit in July, saying that his father is still leading him to discover new sights in London.
Despite his father's passing, Tonet feels a strong connection to him through this project, and he hopes to inspire others to cherish their family's memories and stories. He welcomes anyone with a similar project or story to reach out and share their journey.
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