Studio Backdrops
At last weekend's FGS conference in Knoxville, I did a little shopping. Picked up a couple of interesting books and this lovely trio of photos. I just love the backdrops. This photographer spared no expense. While in the 19th century most backdrops looked like the outdoors or living rooms, in...
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Favorite Photo Mysteries
I’m taking a short vacation, so instead of a new column I’m taking a look back at some of my favorite mysteries. Back in January I published a photo of the Hobo 8, a group of young people (above) smiling for the camera. It’s a great photo that captures the...
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Your Mourning Pictures
Two weeks ago I wrote about mourning traditions and clothing and asked for e pictures of women wearing mourning clothes. This week, I'm featuring the two I received as well as one from my work collection of images. Toni Mann sent in this very interesting photo. It's a...
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Prize Catch
No doubt about it, I've looked at a lot of family photos. Every so often there's an image that not only depicts an ancestor, but also documents a bit of local history. Take this photo, for instance:Pamela Fisher sent me this photo owned by her cousin Lorrie Glover. The women...
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Identifying Mourning Clothes in Victorian Photos
Queen Victoria set the standard for both wedding attire and for mourning. Here are three examples of mourning dress in Victorian-era photography.
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Follow-up to Stitching Together An Identification
Two weeks ago in Stitching Together An Identification, I wrote about Candace Fountoulakis and her search to identify the women in two photos. At the time she thought they were related. Soon after I posted the column she wrote to update me on her search. Now she doesn't...
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Uncovering Your Revolutionary War Ancestor
This carte de visite of Daniel Frederick Bakeman commemorates his status as the last living Revolutionary War soldier in 1868. Bakeman died the following year. This image was widely available in the 19th century and Bakeman is generally accepted as the last living Revolutionary War soldier, but there is one...
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Stitching Together an Identification
Last June, I wrote about a photo owned by Candace Fountoulakis that was surrounded by a cross-stitch pattern. At the time I published the photo, Candace thought the couple was from either her Watts or Boohler side of the family, but now she's not sure. This photo changed her mind:&...
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Spotting a Wedding Photo
Irene Powell sent me this lovely wedding photo of her great-grandfather Joseph Kapler and his wife, Theresa. They were married in December, 1888. Their clothing is perfect for the late 1880s. Theresa's dress features a fitted bodice and her sleeves have vertical puffs at the shoulder seam. Her skirt has...
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Jamboree Mystery Photo
I'm back from the Southern California Genealogical Society Jamboree. Over 1,700 folks attended the three-day event. I met many readers of this column. Thank you for stopping by and saying hello! As usual, I held individual photo consultations. This is one of my favorite part of going...
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