Archives for Maureen A. Taylor
Photo Detective: Petal Pushers Premium
Every photo question is a little different. Take this one, for instance: Sonya Tootle's relatives told her the boy in the front is her great-grandfather Herbert Seymour Scholes (born in 1909). This is a likely identification, but what's curious about this picture is the flowers. All but one of...
View Details
Photo Detective: Not in the Family Premium
Some of those unidentified photographs in your collection may not depict your family. Long before People magazine, our ancestors were fascinated by the famous and infamous of their generation, and they collected photographs of them. Sold by bookstores, stationery shops and individual photographers, these images often ended up in family...
View Details
Photo Detective: Sibling Portrait Rivalry Premium
Irene Uffrecht-Peters knows the names of the boys, but not the girls, in this captivating photograph of the Schiff children taken in Germany. Family lore identifies the little boy left front as her great-grandfather Ludwig Schiff (born 1864). His other brothers Felix (1854) and Paul (1862) are most likely...
View Details
Photo Detective: Weighty Accessory Premium
How an oversize necklace provides a date for these portraits
View Details
Photo Detective: Petal Pushers 2 Premium
For my last column, I borrowed techniques from "Who Wants to be a Millionaire?": I asked the audience and phoned a friend. Several of you responded to my request for ideas about the blossoms on the ladies in this group portrait. Here's what I learned: A...
View Details
Deciphering Olan Mills ID Numbers on Family Photographs
Can the numbers on the back of Olan Mills photographs tell you when the picture was taken? Our expert answers.
View DetailsSign up for the Family Tree Newsletter
Plus, you'll receive our 10 Essential Genealogy Research Forms PDF as a special thank you!
Get Your Free Genealogy Forms
"*" indicates required fields
Photo Detective: It’s a Boy (or a Girl) Premium
Judy Craven owns an adorable photograph of a toddler, but there are two problems. She can't date the picture and has no idea if the child is a boy or a girl. When her mother-in-law died, Craven and her husband inherited a bag of family photographs. Her mother-in-law took...
View Details
Newspaper Preservation Techniques Premium
You've got questions about discovering, preserving and celebrating your family history; our experts have the answers.
View Details
Photo Detective: Mystery Trio Premium
Rosemary U'Ren submitted this photograph, which was left behind in her uncle Frank's boxes of unorganized photographs and genealogical notes. In preparation for writing a family history, Frank had begun labeling the pictures, but he never finished. Now U'Ren wants to complete the job of identifying the pictures and researching...
View Details
New England Research Premium
Give thanks that our Pilgrim forefathers and those who came after them left a cornucopia of records. Here's how to get started researching your New England roots.
View Details