Photo Detective
Cars in Family Photos
In 20th century family photos, it's pretty common to see folks posed with their automobiles. It's a variation on the late 19th century scene with the family posed with their horse. Not everyone owned a car. Photo studios jumped on this as a marketing opportunity. Individuals...
Read More
Stories in the Family Album
Way back in grade school, I learned that the building blocks of a good story are who, what, where, when and how. Those elements plus a little family history lore add up to tell a tale. In the case of this photo, here's how it breaks down:Who: There are lot...
Read More
Sweden to the U.S. and Back Again
Do you have photographs in your collection that were taken overseas? That's Maria Benini's problem. Only she lives in Stockholm, Sweden. and her mystery photo was taken in Illinois. Benini found this boy's picture in a little brown box that her mother had in her family home in...
Read More
Old Family Photos: Boys in Dresses
Anna Swinney's question doesn't have to do with the identity of the people in this picture. She knows who they are. She submitted it because of what the youngest child is wearing: a dress. Amanda Perryman Collins (1860-1930) and her husband Albert Buell Collins (1862-1942) posed with their three children...
Read More
New England House History Mystery
This photo of a large family farm has proven difficult to identify. However, a closer look at the small details can help yield some clues.
Read More
Photo Album Mystery: Whose Granddad is It?
Photo albums are always interesting to look at. You can find almost anything tucked into a album: I've seen locks of hair, swatches of fabric, colorful scraps of paper, postcards, family photos, and images of friends and famous folk. Most times it isn't clear as to who's who...
Read More
Card Photo Clues
What's a card photo? If you've heard the term you're probably wondering. A card photo is an image mounted on cardstock. The earliest ones are called carte de visite and are approximately 2.5x4.5 inches (although the sizes can vary a bit). Late 19th-century cabinet cards are larger and...
Read More
Figuring Out Who’s Family in Old Photos
Do you own one of those photos that nags you with unanswered questions? Karen Perry does. Unlike the rest of the photos in her collection, this lovely family group is completely unidentified. She's asked relatives, but no one knows who they are. Mom and Dad are...
Read More
Puzzling over Black Dresses
Rebecca Foster wrote to me: Most of my elder family has passed away, so I am struggling to piece together my family history. I believe this is my third-great-grandmother Mary Ann Fagan. Rebecca initially thought this could be her in 1860s mourning dress, but she's right to doubt her initial...
Read More
Downton Abbey and Your Snapshots
It's finally here! If you're like me you couldn't wait for the premiere of season 4 of "Downton Abbey." My husband and I are avid fans of Crawley household happenings. Last year I wrote about "Downton Abbey" and your family photos.Here's another installment of Downton...
Read More