Fraternal Membership Clue
David Farmer wrote asking about a photo of his paternal grandfather. It's on metal and depicts Charles Birchfield Farmer in his work clothes. Charlie Birchfield Farmer was a farmer. He stands in front of a barn and an old wheel. Tucked into his overalls is a pistol, and slung across...
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Locks and Lace
I couldn't resist posting this photo submitted by Cyndi Fraser. This little boy is Charles E. Lamson, born November 20, 1899 in Minnesota. Sears Roebuck's sold similar blouses for 50 cents. Thank you Cyndi!
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Curly Locks: A Trend Revealed
I asked for it. I posted a request for images of curly-headed tots and now I've got several. Thank you!! They confirm my hypothesis about boys and hair. It appears that in the early 20th century, there was a trend—little boys with long hair and hair bows. They look just...
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Tagging Along Premium
Want to organize your digital photos? Follow our lead — we'll show you the step-by-step secrets in Photoshop Elements.
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Family Portraits: Boy or Girl?
Elva Martin sent me this picture to help settle a family reunion disagreement. See the child in the second row on the far right? The one with a bow in the hair? Do you think this is a boy or a girl?The picture is an example of confusing details...
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New Discovery in Photo History
This story is so good I couldn't wait until next week to blog about it. The April 17 New York Times ran a story, "An Image is a Mystery for Photo Detectives." This is one mystery I wish I was actively working on. Turns out William Fox Talbot probably...
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Belieu Babies
Within moments of posting last week's column on the pictures of Catherine Denison Belieu and her babies, I received an e-mail from Midge Frazel, Denison family historian. Turns out there's nothing simple about those Belieu kids. Did Catherine have 11, 12 or 13 children? It's still being debated. I wrote...
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Family Travels and Family Photos
Every family has significant events documented in photographs. For immigrant families, that usually meant taking a group picture before a loved one left home. The immigrant also often sent pictures home to show he'd arrived in one piece and was happy. In some families, photographs don't actually document the travels...
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Internet Tag: Happy Baby Photo
I love the blogosphere! This week the sharp-eyed Kathryn M. Doyle of the California Genealogical Society sent me a posting she spotted on the Genealogue blog about a baby photo. Chris (the Genealogue) threw out a comment that he'd love to see what I'd say about this smiling...
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Baby Photos
In honor of Women’s History Month, I’ve decided to run another picture of a woman and baby—but this time only part of the woman appears in the picture. I’ve taken to categorizing images like this as “hidden mothers.” There's no way to say for certain the arm extending...
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