Capturing the essence of the 1940s and 50s in modern times is getting harder and harder for photographers. While there are plenty of hot rods out there to shoot these days, fewer and fewer “factory” vehicles can be found. But that’s not the only trouble. With modern construction, vintage buildings are also becoming scarcer by the day.

This leads to a whole lot of hassle for those set on bringing back memories of the past through modern photography. But as photographer and car enthusiast Michael Paul Smith, who posts his work on Flickr, discovered, recreating the past may actually be a smaller task than originally thought.

That’s because using model cars and buildings, Smith has come up with a way to recreate the past on a miniature scale while still keeping his photographs surprisingly realistic.

Looking at Smith’s photos of classic cars and notable vintage buildings, you’d never guess that they were really images captured on a miniature scale. Placed on platforms or tables against real-life backgrounds, the scenes Smith creates are captured so well that even the keenest eye would be strained to tell the difference between Smith’s work and a life-size model of the same caliber.

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On the left are Smith's model setups and on the right are the realistic photos that resulted!

But Smith’s work isn’t just for fun, although that is a major part of it. It actually stemmed from a fascination with the mid 20th Century and a want to catalog the past in the modern day. And that’s exactly what Smith has accomplished, bringing back a sense of nostalgia even to the most unlikely audience- Alzheimer patients.

“There was a doctor who contacted me who said he showed my photographs to Alzheimer’s patients,” Smith reported in his ‘The Weekly Flickr’ feature video you can view here. “And what they did was it started a dialogue between the patient and the doctor. These images would trigger an emotion or a memory, and it was one of the first times these people were coherent. So I’m clearly touching very deep nerves and cords, and that was not my original intent.”

After collecting and building model cars for years, Smith had acquired such a large collection of over 300 vehicles that he wanted to do something with them. He also collected vintage components, from wallpaper to carpet as his fascination with the 40s, 50s and 60s progressed.

With boxes full of classic pieces, Smith started creating model buildings, like a train station, houses, a gas station, movie theater, super market and even a car wash.

These buildings, over a dozen in number, all appear in “Elgin Park,” the fictitious town that Smith has created for his model cars and consequently, his photographs.

Elgin Park may be as made up as the buildings and vehicles the tiny town consists of, but all of it combined has brought back an era that many people believed was gone forever. Luckily, Smith’s dedication and art behind his models and photography will live on for future generations to experience the past in one heck of a unique way.

Check out more of Smith’s photos below!