MESMERISING images merging the past and the present are helping to celebrate our rich military history.

Dorset-based Jack Beckett from War History Online has seen his Ghosts of History project take off, with social media helping it reach around the globe.

The idea sees iconic images from the Second World War blended with modern day images from the exact location, pictured here.

Local artist Adam Surrey has begun capturing images of Weymouth, which Jack says comes at a particularly relevant time with the 70th anniversary of the D-Day embarkations from the town coming up and the Weymouth at War event due to be held next month.

Works have also been done at Burton Bradstock and Castletown on Portland while there are plans to do something in the Dorchester area.

Jack said: “The Weymouth ones are really good because the original World War Two images are really iconic.

“We have got so much information and so much World War Two stuff in this area.”

Jack said the idea of fusing old iconic images with the modern day was nothing new and he was first inspired to get involved by the works of Russian Sergei Larenkov.

Around 18 months ago he team up with Dutch artist Jo Hedwig Teeuwisse, who was doing a similar kind of thing, and since then the concept had just taken off.

He said: “It’s just ridiculous how quick it’s growing – that’s the power of social media. It does go to all four corners of the world because it was a world war and everybody is affected by it and everybody is fascinated by it.”

Jack said he tries to use local artists and local businesses wherever possible but the global nature of the business means he now uses a print facility in America as well as the UK.

He said: “It’s a real mix and 70 per cent of our sales come from the US.”

Jack said the images trick the brain and when they first look at them many people cannot work out what they are looking at.

He said: “It works and people can relate to it and communicate with the images.”

Jack said it was a particularly poignant time for remembering the past efforts of our military servicemen with the D-Day anniversary and the World War One centenary.

He said: “It’s come back into our national psyche again, which is great.”

For more information about the images visit ghostsofhistory.co.uk or facebook.com/thenandnowghostsofhistory.