First Communion Mystery
I can tell that a lot of folks looked at their family photographs last week by the number of emails I received. Scannning, identifying and organizing your photos is a great way to start the new year. Remember to scan at no less than 600 dpi and select Tiff as...
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A Genealogist’s Guide to Digital Photography Premium
Turn your digital camera into a handy research tool! Our genealogist's guide to digital photography offers tips on taking five kinds of family history photos.
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Immigrant Clues and Family Stories
Terri Poore and her cousin have a lot of questions about this photo. Who, what, when and where is just the beginning. Unfortunately, the original owner of the picture is currently unknown. Terri's cousin received a copy of it years ago and can't remember who gave him the print. Terri...
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Shipboard 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...
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Shipboard Clues
Last week in A Photo Mystery, A Clue at a Time, I introduced you to a wonderful group picture of folks on a ship. The ShipWhat I didn't show you is the caption that runs along the bottom edge of the picture. Unfortunately, part of the cardboard is broken off...
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A 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...
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Lookalikes in the Family Album
I'll blame it on the holiday season. I'm feeling a little silly today. I laughed out loud when I saw Karen Thornhill's picture submission. Thank you Karen! It's not the subject matter of the photo that made be chuckle, it's how she started the e-mail. First, though...who...
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Family Across the Border
Like so many French-Canadians and Acadians, some of Marie-Josee Binette's family left Quebec in the 1890s to seek jobs in the United States. She owns a lovely photo album that documents this move in pictures, but she has no idea who the people are. Marie-Josee knows that her great-grandmother Elina...
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From My Mailbag
Not everyone has owns a scanner or has access to one, so in the "How to Submit" link to the left, there are instructions on how to send me copies (not originals) of your mystery pictures. Every so often I receive a package containing photos from the editors at Family...
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Deciphering a Photo, Civil War Style
Nancy Gibson's story will sound similar to many readers. She found this photo in her great-grandmother's album. Initially, she had no idea who the man might be, but now she thinks it might be her great-grandfather, born in 1822. This is a fabulous photo! It's a man dressed in uniform...
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