Beards and Mustaches: Identifying Facial Hair Styles in Old Photos
Here is a quick overview of the history of facial hairstyles in the United States. From frontier beards to waxed mustaches, here’s what you need to know to identify key clues in your ancestors' facial hair.
Read MoreTeasing the Clues Out of An Old Photo
Larry Calhoun thinks this is a gathering of either the Benfield or the Calhoun family in western North Carolina. Last week, I discussed how Annie Oakley influenced frontier dress for women. This week, let's study the other clues in the same image and see if they help Larry figure out...
Read More6 Vintage Photos of Fantastic Facial Hair Premium
Leave the clippers on the shelf. For No-Shave November, we take a look back at some of our ancestor's best facial hair.
Read MoreCard 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 MoreThe Old Man
Two years ago, Ben Naylor discovered this photograph of a older gent. Ben is stumped about the man's identity. Every photo tells a story and this one is no different. Ben's great-great-grandfather, Irish immigrant George Gleasure (1858-1921), had five children and raised them in Natick, Mass. ...
Read MoreFriendship, Love and Truth in the Family Album
Pam Rolland is working her way through family albums in the possession of her aunt. She reports that she's been able to date and identify many of the pictures in them, but still has a few mysteries. This is one of them. It was in an...
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Wacky Hair or Fashionable Foible?
I can't help it. I love the hairstyles and facial hair in photographs so much I'm actually thinking about a second volume of my Fashionable Folks: Hairstyles 1840-1900 book. The curls and whorls of nineteenth century styles definitely provide insights into your ancestor's fashion sense and their personality...
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