[hirundo]

I keep noticing this, and then keep reminding myself that it's cliche for seniors like me to see adults as kids. But then I watch, say, an episode of Dragnet, and the feeling comes back. Jack Webb was 35 in 1955, in that show's prime. He looks normal for the times, but so much older, or perhaps mature is a better word, than a modern 35 year old. Multiply this observation by a large number of cases.

You could test the theory with photos of class graduations and reunions for various years, with faces extracted, normalized and pasted into a standard setting. I'd bet it's real.

[jleyank]

I’ve always thought there’s a psychological effect as well. Baseball players who were old when I was a kid look (way) older than same-aged players today. Like 20 years different, and it can’t be the sun and smoking. I’ve always felt I just knew what they looked like. And what was older then is now “damn near college” for me now. But typing this, maybe it’s just the presence or absence of crows feet at the eyes? The hands certainly show peoples age (still).

[derbOac]

This is a prime use case for DL models I'd think. Train them in age prediction now and then set it on older photos. There would be issues certainly but it seems pretty doable.