Nicolas Cage and Matthew McConaughey aren’t the only famous time travelers. See 19th-century doppelgängers of John Travolta, Alec Baldwin, George W. Bush, and more.
By Michael Solomon
Last month, Jack Mord, an eBay seller in Seattle, put a photograph up for sale under the headline “Nicolas Cage Is a Vampire.” Mord claimed the image shows “a man who looks exactly like Nick Cage. Personally, I believe it’s him and that he is some sort of walking undead/vampire, etc., who quickens/reinvents himself once every 75 years or so. One hundred and fifty years from now, he might be a politician, the leader of a cult, or a talk-show host.” Though there were 78 offers—the asking price was $1 million—all were rejected, and as of Sept. 22, the photograph was removed from the site.
Ebay / PacificCoastNews.com (left); Peter Kramer / Getty Images
A week after the Nicolas Cage photo was removed from eBay, another seller offered a 19th-century ambrotype photograph of a man who looked eerily like John Travolta, proving that he was a “time traveler.” The woman, who identified herself as “Fawn” (and is friends with Jack Mord, the seller of the Cage “vampire” photo), insists the image is real—even if the asking price, $50,000, was a joke. “Most people were curious and just thought the photo was fake or that I was weird,” she told The Hollywood Reporter. “It’s a really cool photograph, but I never thought it would cause this sort of hoopla … funny.”
Ebay / PacificCoastNews.com (left); Hugo Philpott / AFP-Getty Images
Matthew McConaughey’s credo—and the name of his foundation—is “Just Keep Livin’.” The phrase comes from a line his character delivered in Dazed and Confused, but could it also explain why McConaughey appears in a Civil War–era photograph?
Library of Congress (left); Alexander Tamargo / Getty Images
In 2005, Christian Bale starred in Batman Begins, but based on this portrait of a Civil War soldier, Batman Forever seems more appropriate.
Library of Congress (left); John Shearer / Getty Images
Sure, Michael Phelps has won 16 medals in his Olympic career—but how many did he win for his service in the Union Army?
Library of Congress (left); Chris Gordon / Getty Images
In his Emmy Award-winning role as Coach Eric Taylor on Friday Night Lights, Kyle Chandler taught his players, “Clear eyes, full hearts, can’t lose.” Did that also go for the Union?
Library of Congress (left); Steve Granitz / Getty Images
On Boardwalk Empire, Michael Shannon’s character is wound way too tight. In the new film Take Shelter, he’s haunted by apocalyptic visions. Or perhaps he’s just seen too much, having been alive 150 years.
Library of Congress (left); Bryan Bedder / Getty Images
The Civil War famously pitted brother against brother—but not Alec and Stephen Baldwin.
Library of Congress (left); Cindy Ord / Getty Images
When George W. Bush ran for president in 2000, opponents questioned whether his time with the Texas Air National Guard during the Vietnam War had fulfilled the military-service requirement. He could have easily silenced his critics by talking about his time as a Confederate soldier during the Civil War.
Library of Congress (left); Getty Images
Was Oscar-winning actor Daniel Day-Lewis actually born 10 score and two years ago—on Feb. 12? One thing is certain, he will soon be portraying the 16th president in Lincoln, a Steven Spielberg–directed biopic based on Doris Kearns Goodwin’s Team of Rivals. Coincidence?
Library of Congress (left); Kevin Winter / Getty Images
