First Photo Mystery of 2015
Diana Luellen and her father found this old photo at his sister's house almost 20 years ago. A lot of the aunt's pictures were identified, but the portrait of this man and several others were not. Diana emailed me that "this is the one I keep on my computer desk...
Read More
My Favorite Photo Websites of 2014
Happy New Year! Here are some websites that readers and friends told me about in 2014. Add them to your to-do list of sites worth exploring in 2015. Edit and Share PhotosPixlr.com Not a week goes by that I don't take time to explore new ways to...
Read More
More Mystery Photos in an Old Family Album
The trouble with women in light colored dresses is identifying the occasion. Not all dresses that appear white in a picture are that color. Many pale shades such as light blue look white in nineteenth century photographs. A woman wearing a "white" dress could be dressed for a wedding, a...
Read More
Mystery Photos in an Old Family Album
Whenever I see a old photo album, I want to curl up in a cozy chair and read it like a favorite book. That's because every album tells a story based on who put it together, who's included (and who's not!), and when it was laid out. One of...
Read More
5 Brick Wall Busters for Old Mystery Photos
Give yourself a present this holiday season by taking time to solve one of your unidentified-photo mysteries. Here are five proven ways to break down that pictorial brick wall: 1. Broadcast your picture. Take it to family gatherings, post it on your social media pages and share it in Facebook...
Read More
A Yard-Long Old Photo Brick Wall
Cathy Jordan found three panoramic photographs in her father's old trunk. These oversize photos can cause eye strain and headaches as you try to find your relative in them!Thankfully, Cathy's been able to locate her father in two of them, but the third one baffles her. It's a group...
Read MoreSign 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
Religious Clues in Old Photos
A single photo tells a story of a person, place or event, but an album often tells the tale of an entire family. Katy Krause inherited a photo album. It all started with single question. Katy asked her father-in-law about his family history and said, "I wish I had a...
Read More
Old Family Photos: Mystery Child, Part 2
Last week I shared Jacqueline Curry's 1910s mystery photo of a woman and a young child. The family identification didn't hold up. Several people commented that the tot could be a boy. I'm waiting for a bit more family information from Jacqueline to help answer that question, but it certainly...
Read More
Old Family Photos: Mystery Child From Across the Pond
This week's mystery comes from a woman in the UK. I love the way the web connects us all. Jacqueline Curry found this photo in her grandmother's photo album: Look at the curls on that child! The woman is trying to get the child's attention and elicit a...
Read More
The Ring Brothers: Triplets in the 1850s
Multiple births aren't uncommon today, but they were rarer in the 19th century. Four years ago I wrote about Judy Linnebach's photo of an unidentified set of triplets. This week, it's the adorable Ring brothers. Image copyright: David Levy. Not to be used without permissionMeet Charles, Eleazer and Millard Ring...
Read More