These days, phones are typically thought of as impeding the development of genuine friendships, especially between members of different generations.
For a young professional and an elderly photographer, the exact opposite proved true. 24-year-old Lauren Stevens received a text to her new work phone number that was clearly meant for someone else, but it caught her attention nonetheless. It led her to find her “adopted grandpa,” 72-year-old Wernher “Vern” Krutein.
Stevens has documented the time she’s spent with Krutein in a series of TikTok videos. In one, she explained, “I got assigned a new work phone number that used to belong to an iconic 72-year-old photographer, and now we’re friends.”
The adventure began when Stevens got a text that was addressed to someone named “Verndawg,” in which a friend asked a “quick question” about copyrighting photos in Washington D.C. Stevens had no idea who the mysterious Verndawg was, but instead of ignoring the text or letting the sender know they had the wrong number, she did some digging with a friend and came to the conclusion the message was for Krutein.
“Wernher, or Verndawg, is a photographer of more than 500,000 images worldwide,” she shared. “He’s an archivist, explorer, and lifelong student of the Universe whose life’s work spans over five decades.”
In an interview with People, Stevens said she found Krutein on LinkedIn and decided to send him a message, which he quickly replied to. He sent her several signed posters of his photos and really assumed that would be the end of their interaction. But, as Stevens said, “Little did he know he was stuck with me.”
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Stevens and Krutein began talking over the phone before they eventually started meeting up in person. They both brought something special to the friendship. “I think we kept talking because, in different ways, we both made each other feel seen,” she said. “For Vern, I think my curiosity made him feel like his work mattered after years of silence … and for me, talking to Vern gave me a kind of comfort I did not even realize I needed.”
fizkes | Shutterstock
Stevens didn’t just start sharing their friendship on social media because it was proof that people from different generations could get along. She was seriously impressed with Krutein’s work, and it broke her heart to discover that he was facing financial concerns. While his website used to average 100,000 daily views, it’s fallen to about 50 per month, and he has no family to fall back on.
Krutein told Stevens he was struggling with the most basic of expenses, so she jumped into action. She now runs his website, where she encourages people to buy prints from his vast photo archive, and she started a GoFundMe that has raised over $46,000 so far.
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Chris Wilcha, a Gen X director, shared his thoughts on trying to maintain a creative career later in his life with the New York Times. “My peers, friends, and I continue to navigate the unforeseen obsolescence of the career paths we chose in our early 20s,” he said. “The skills you cultivated, the craft you honed — it’s just gone. It’s startling.”
Ivan S | Pexels
For a baby boomer like Krutein, who feels even more removed from modern technology, the effect must be even more jarring. Data from Gallup revealed that AI is making an impact across creative industries, even though it’s not yet replacing workers evenly in every occupation. It’s hard for a Gen Z or millennial creative to get by right now, so it must be nearly impossible for Krutein.
In a GoFundMe update, Krutein thanked “the amazing Lauren” for causing an “amazing transformation” in his life. Not everyone in Krutein’s shoes has a Lauren, though. Younger generations must do all they can to remember those who paved the way for them and could use their help now.
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Mary-Faith Martinez is a writer with a bachelor’s degree in English and Journalism who covers news, psychology, lifestyle, and human interest topics.
