Category: Preservation

A Halloween Mystery: Women Dressed as Men in an Old Photo

Our reader inherited this old family photo of young women dressed as men. When was it taken? Why the costumes? We'll examine the mystery photo for clues.

Why Was Someone’s Face Cut Out of This Old Family Photo?

A genealogist was given an old black-and-white photo with someone's face cut out. She's not sure who the people pictured are—or why the image was defaced. Our Photo Detective is on the case!

Identifying Unfamiliar Faces in an Old Group Photograph

Last week I shared three tips for identifying an old group photograph, using an early 1900s mystery photo of German-born inventor Emile Berliner with unnamed family members. We looked at the youngest person and the oldest person in the picture, then asked if census records could helps us identify the people in the picture. They […]

Old Military Uniforms in 19th-Century Photos

These four photos of men in military uniforms occupy a single page from a family photo album—but that doesn’t mean they’re from the same family. It was a common practice for our ancestors to share photos with friends and classmates. It’s possible that these four men knew each other from military service. The album belongs […]

Preserving Memories: Saving Water-damaged Photos

Recent weather has caused severe flooding on the Gulf Coast. Can water-damaged photos be saved? Let's look at the steps to saving water damaged photos.

Two Faces But Just One Name in This Old Mystery Photo

We know the name of one young woman in this old mystery photo, thanks to the scrawled caption. But there’s no way (yet) to tell which person the name belongs to. Here’s what we’ve been able to figure out so far, and what to do next: The Eyes Have It These two women posed […]

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10 Tips to Preserve Historical Campaign Memorabilia

Learn how to preserve your campaign buttons, flyers and more with these quick tips from the Family Archivist.

5 Quick Steps for Preserving Holiday Toy Trains

Is your old electric train set hidden in the garage or basement? Pull it out, dust it off and bring back the excitement of your very own Polar Express. All aboard!