Photo Detective

Photo Detective: Keeping the Peace Premium

Photographs entertain us with glimpses of the past and trigger long-lost memories, but in this case, one caused a minor family feud. Two of Lisa Wooldridge's aunts disagree with her about the man in this group portrait—is he the children's father or their grandfather? Wooldridge has compared these two...

Photo Detective: Photos Taken Abroad Premium

Get tips and resources for researching foreign photos.

Photo Detective: Reminisce Over Reunion Photos Premium

Reunions are the perfect opportunity start collaborating on your family history.

Photo Detective: Family Resemblances Premium

How do you identify a family photograph if you don't even know what side of the family the image belongs to? The answer is to look for physical features that distinguish one side from the other. In Rita Werner's case, the striking resemblance between two women in her photograph collection...

Photo Detective: The Story Behind the Picture Premium

"Was a formal wedding unusual for the 19th century?" Cora McDonnell asks about this wedding photograph of her grandfather's brother and his wife. In this case, the story surrounding the photograph is as fascinating as the image itself. Cora's grandfather, Otto Frederick Richter, born March 16, 1864, immigrated...

Photo Detective: Mixed Bag Premium

Analyzing some of the pictures submitted for this column is a bit like making coffee—the percolated kind. I loved these pictures the first time I saw them, but the answers took time (and some extra information from their owners) to "perc." Playing the Game Lucia Perry's family...