Archives for Maureen A. Taylor
Immigrant Clues and Family Stories
Terri Poore and her cousin have a lot of questions about this photo. Who, what, when and where is just the beginning. Unfortunately, the original owner of the picture is currently unknown. Terri's cousin received a copy of it years ago and can't remember who gave him the print. Terri...
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Shipboard Clues, Part 3
This week is another installment of Jake Jacoby's photo of a group in his collection. Two weeks ago in Photo Mysteries, A Clue at a Time, I discussed clothing clues. Last week in Shipboard Clues, I told you what I knew about the caption and the ship. Photo...
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Shipboard Clues
Last week in A Photo Mystery, A Clue at a Time, I introduced you to a wonderful group picture of folks on a ship. The ShipWhat I didn't show you is the caption that runs along the bottom edge of the picture. Unfortunately, part of the cardboard is broken off...
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A Photo Mystery, A Clue at a Time
Complex image identification often requires examining each piece of a photo story—historical context, family history, and costume history along with a bit of common sense. Jake Jacoby owns this wonderful image of a group of people onboard a ship. There is a caption, but I'll share that next week. I'm...
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Lookalikes in the Family Album
I'll blame it on the holiday season. I'm feeling a little silly today. I laughed out loud when I saw Karen Thornhill's picture submission. Thank you Karen! It's not the subject matter of the photo that made be chuckle, it's how she started the e-mail. First, though...who...
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Family Across the Border
Like so many French-Canadians and Acadians, some of Marie-Josee Binette's family left Quebec in the 1890s to seek jobs in the United States. She owns a lovely photo album that documents this move in pictures, but she has no idea who the people are. Marie-Josee knows that her great-grandmother Elina...
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From My Mailbag
Not everyone has owns a scanner or has access to one, so in the "How to Submit" link to the left, there are instructions on how to send me copies (not originals) of your mystery pictures. Every so often I receive a package containing photos from the editors at Family...
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Deciphering a Photo, Civil War Style
Nancy Gibson's story will sound similar to many readers. She found this photo in her great-grandmother's album. Initially, she had no idea who the man might be, but now she thinks it might be her great-grandfather, born in 1822. This is a fabulous photo! It's a man dressed in uniform...
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Civil War Roll Call, Part 2
I hope you enjoyed last week's gallery of Civil War soldiers. I have several more to share with you this week. Merle Ladd's ancestor Lemuel Ladd (below) lost his life at Blackburn's Ford, near Manassas, Va. on July 18, 1861. He served with the 12th New York.Roxanne...
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Civil War Roll Call
Last week I posted a call for Civil War images...so many folks answered that request that I have enough material for two columns. I also mentioned some tips on how readers could find images of their Civil War ancestors. In William C. Darrah's Cartes de visite in the Nineteenth...
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