Four Times the Mystery
There is so much to love in this photo collage--the smiling face, the cute baby, and the timeless shot of a mother and child. The problem is that Michael Thompson has no idea who she is. Each image is tiny, only about an inch in size. They were all glued...
Read MoreA Two-Part Italian Photo Mystery
How many of us have found a note in a box of family photos? I suspect that it's pretty common. Unfortunately, the person who left the note probably didn't realize that it could cause confusion about who's who. Eileen Poulin has a double mystery based on a set of notes...
Read MoreConfirming Identities in Old Family Photos
I'm working on a photo mystery that is making my eyes hurt and my brain spin. With any luck I'll be able to present it here next week. In the meantime, Milah Goler Pasto contacted me through Facebook to ask about a couple of her family photos. She...
Read MoreTurn-of-the-Century Family Photos
Terry Graham's mother showed him a few unidentified photographs and now he's using the power of the web to try to identify them. He's posted them on his Ancestry.com family tree so that family members can comment on them. He thinks the mother's maiden name could be...
Read MoreTwelve Months of the Photo Detective
It's time to look back at the year. Every week I write a Photo Detective blog post—that's 52 columns in 12 months. It's a lot of free photographic advice and tips. Here are my month-by-month 2012 favorites.JanuaryLast New Year's I offered advice on sharing images online, tackled a photo...
Read MoreMulti-Generation Portraits, Redux
Last week, I featured a multi-generation picture submitted by Mary Lutz. We've been communicating about this photo via email, and I have a few more details to share. The original post mentioned that the baby is Mary Ruth Talbott Godwin. There is one problem with that identification. She was born...
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Multi-Generation Portraits
It's Thanksgiving! If you're planning a family gathering and are wondering how to keep folks occupied until the meal is ready, try getting them to chat about family photos. It doesn't matter if they are identified images or a group of mystery pics. I'll be taking out a box of...
Read MorePhoto Contest Submissions
A big thank you to everyone that submitted photos to our contest. The deadline has now passed and I'm gradually working my way through all the images to pick the winning image. The winner will receive a copy of my book, The Family Photo Detective, and the image...
Read MoreMore Family Photos of Ancestral Children
Last week I showcased your photos of ancestral children and this week it's a second installment. This little guy is Sandra Jerome's grandfather, Ralph Frederick Jerome. He was born September 7, 1894 in Jordan, Scott County, Minnesota. He's wearing attire approximate for boys less than 5--a...
Read MoreAncestor Mystery Photos: Unidentified Kids
Thank you for all the pictures of your ancestors' cute kids! These little girls are named Josie Powell and Nannie Wilson. Don't you love their identical outfits? They are in a photo album owned by Gwen Prichard. She's trying to establish a relationship between them. Perhaps their mothers were friends...
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