Joyful Portraits of Centenarians That Are Happy at One Hundred

Date of Birth: May 4, 1910

Through his freelance exhibition project Jahrhundertmensch, which means “Happy at One Hundred” in German, Karsten Thormaehlen takes photographs of men and women over one hundred years old. These portraits are very sharp and detailed, clearly showing every wrinkle (and twinkle) present in the subjects' faces. The photographs are a nice reminder that a powerful emotion like happiness can be beautifully captured on people of any age.

Thormaehlen is a very well-known photographer in Germany who has received numerous awards. He's a member of the prestigious professional associations BFF Stuttgart and Fotografie Forum International and his portraits have been exhibited in various places around Germany.

UPDATE: We're elated to announce that Karsten's “Happy at One Hundred” photos are one of 25 photo stories featured in our new book For Love, published by Chronicle Books! The official release date is March 15, 2016, and the book is currently available to pre-order at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Indie Bound.

UPDATE #2: Karsten Thormaehlen’s book Aging Gracefully is now available. He expanded the geographic scope of the project, and the book now includes centenarians from 12 countries, including the U.S., Peru, Ecuador, and Japan.


Date of Birth: March 30, 1909


Date of Birth: September 13, 1907


Date of Birth: January 13, 1906


Date of Birth: October 9, 1906


Date of Birth: September 6, 1908


Date of Birth: August 22, 1909


Date of Birth: December 3, 1908


Date of Birth: January 18, 1910


Date of Birth: June 17, 1911


Date of Birth: August 7, 1909


Date of Birth: December 5, 1903

Karsten Thormaehlen: Website | Facebook

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