Photo Detective
Family Across the Border
Like so many French-Canadians and Acadians, some of Marie-Josee Binette's family left Quebec in the 1890s to seek jobs in the United States. She owns a lovely photo album that documents this move in pictures, but she has no idea who the people are. Marie-Josee knows that her great-grandmother Elina...
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From My Mailbag
Not everyone has owns a scanner or has access to one, so in the "How to Submit" link to the left, there are instructions on how to send me copies (not originals) of your mystery pictures. Every so often I receive a package containing photos from the editors at Family...
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Deciphering a Photo, Civil War Style
Nancy Gibson's story will sound similar to many readers. She found this photo in her great-grandmother's album. Initially, she had no idea who the man might be, but now she thinks it might be her great-grandfather, born in 1822. This is a fabulous photo! It's a man dressed in uniform...
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Civil War Roll Call, Part 2
I hope you enjoyed last week's gallery of Civil War soldiers. I have several more to share with you this week. Merle Ladd's ancestor Lemuel Ladd (below) lost his life at Blackburn's Ford, near Manassas, Va. on July 18, 1861. He served with the 12th New York.Roxanne...
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Civil War Roll Call
Last week I posted a call for Civil War images...so many folks answered that request that I have enough material for two columns. I also mentioned some tips on how readers could find images of their Civil War ancestors. In William C. Darrah's Cartes de visite in the Nineteenth...
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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...
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Wearing 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...
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Home 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...
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Summertime Farewell: Historic Photo Finds
Two beach photos from the early 20th century show what life might have been like for our ancestors during summer or early fall.
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