Drum Roll for the Civil War
I'm deep into research and writing for Family Tree Magazine's forthcoming new book on Life in Civil War America. I'm busy working on the Afterword on Civil War photography. I love having a project I can immerse myself in. Last week The Genealogy Insider...
View DetailsWearing Family
This is a fantastic family photo owned by Sharon Pike. It's actually a photo within a photo. In this card portrait, a stunning portrait of a well-dressed middle aged woman, Jane Rivers Meriwether (1829-1897) gazes directly into the camera. Let's look at some of the details. HairIt appears she has...
View DetailsHome Sweet Homestead
I just love this picture! It's got a lot of family history layers. Terry Sargent sent in this photo asking if it was a Civil War-era picture. On the back is written, "Mrs. and Mrs. E.H. Sargent Strawberry." The "Strawberry" refers to Strawberry Point, Iowa, where...
View DetailsSummertime Farewell
I don't know about you, but I'm having a difficult time saying good-bye to summer. This weekend I took a short field trip to historic Concord, Mass., and ended up in an antique shop. I couldn't resist the piles of unidentified photos. Picked up some of fantastic hairstyles and hats...
View DetailsHand-Me-Down Family
Years ago, Truli Powell's mother received a box of photos from one of her husband's cousins. Now Truli is trying to date and identify the images. She's hoping that the cousin only gave them images from their specific line. In this "like mother, like daughter" tintype, the mother and the...
View DetailsStudio Backdrops
At last weekend's FGS conference in Knoxville, I did a little shopping. Picked up a couple of interesting books and this lovely trio of photos. I just love the backdrops. This photographer spared no expense. While in the 19th century most backdrops looked like the outdoors or living rooms, in...
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How your old photos were taken is the first clue to when they were taken. Use our timeline of photographic methods to date and preserve images from your family’s past.
View DetailsFavorite Photo Mysteries
I’m taking a short vacation, so instead of a new column I’m taking a look back at some of my favorite mysteries. Back in January I published a photo of the Hobo 8, a group of young people (above) smiling for the camera. It’s a great photo that captures the...
View DetailsYour Mourning Pictures
Two weeks ago I wrote about mourning traditions and clothing and asked for e pictures of women wearing mourning clothes. This week, I'm featuring the two I received as well as one from my work collection of images. Toni Mann sent in this very interesting photo. It's a...
View DetailsPrize Catch
No doubt about it, I've looked at a lot of family photos. Every so often there's an image that not only depicts an ancestor, but also documents a bit of local history. Take this photo, for instance:Pamela Fisher sent me this photo owned by her cousin Lorrie Glover. The women...
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