Aging Well
Dating a photograph of an older person presents a unique dilemma: Is the subject wearing contemporary fashion, or an older style that he or she was hanging on to? On FamilyTreeMagazine.com, Photo Detective Maureen A. Taylor addresses this question as she analyzes these two photos that might show the...
Read MoreA Picture Pile-up
I love unusual surnames. It's probably because my last name and many of my ancestral surnames often end up on those top 10 lists of popular names. Laurie Clement has a great chance to identify the folks in her unidentified image. She thinks this large family group shares the surname...
Read MoreShipboard Clues, Part 3
This week is another installment of Jake Jacoby's photo of a group in his collection. Two weeks ago in Photo Mysteries, A Clue at a Time, I discussed clothing clues. Last week in Shipboard Clues, I told you what I knew about the caption and the ship. Photo...
Read MoreA Photo Mystery, A Clue at a Time
Complex image identification often requires examining each piece of a photo story—historical context, family history, and costume history along with a bit of common sense. Jake Jacoby owns this wonderful image of a group of people onboard a ship. There is a caption, but I'll share that next week. I'm...
Read MorePrize 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...
Read MoreA Success Story: A Graduation Class Identified
Months ago, I wrote a Photo Detective column for the March 2010 issue of Family Tree Magazine called "The Graduates." It was about the chance discovery of a photograph stuck behind the lath in a bathroom wall in Sandi Alex's house in Camas, Washington. This...
Read MoreSign up for the Family Tree Newsletter
Plus, you'll receive our 10 Essential Genealogy Research Forms PDF as a special thank you!
Get Your Free Genealogy Forms
"*" indicates required fields
Photo Fun with Friends
Way back in August, I asked for photos of people smiling. In response to that request Teri Colglazier sent me this photo. The woman in the back left has a toothy grin, probably because this group of friends has decided to have fun in front of the camera. No costumes...
Read MoreHead Toppers
As you know I love hairstyles, but I'm also a hat person. No, I don't wear one, but I wish I did. Given this fascination with brimmed accessories, is it any wonder I couldn't pass up Bro. Joseph F. Martin's challenge?This photo depicts his great-grandparents Nicholas and...
Read MoreFamily Stories: A Photo at a Time
Sharon Pike wrote to me with a question about the clothing on the children in this photo, "Do you think the photographer brought clothing as props for the children?" It's a really common query. In her e-mail, along with her question, was the story of this family. Since...
Read MoreOne More Time: Funny Pictures
I have another album of funny pictures to share with you. This time, there's even an entry from faraway Chile. Thanks to the Web, this column has readers around the globe.Laura Cook sent me several images of her grandmother Marie Schultheis clowning with friends in the summer of 1913...
Read More