Finding the Story, Part Three
If you've been following the last two weeks' worth of Joan Lee's search for her husband's grandfather, you know how complicated this story is. In week one, I looked at a photograph reputed to be Fred Klingbeil and in week two, I explained some additional problems with the Lee/Klingeil family...
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Finding the Story, Part Two
Last week, I examined a lovely portrait of a young couple and their son. Although family in Canada identified the husband and wife as Fred and Marie Klingbeil, the facts of Fred's life and the date of the photo don't add up. I asked Joan Lee if she had any...
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The Big Picture Premium
Every picture tells a tale—sometimes you just have to tease it out. Here’s how my 10 best photo-identification tips helped solve your photo mysteries.
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Finding the Story: Picture Clues and Family Facts
There's nothing like a photo riddle when the picture and the facts don't add up. In my experience solving that particular problem relies on more than the pictorial evidence. You have to dive into family history in detail. Let's take Joan Lee's photo of a young couple and their child...
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It’s a Family Tree Magazine Reunion!
In July, I wrote a column, Which Immigrant Is It, on a photo submitted by Jeannette Bias. Last week, another woman contacted me to say that she's related to Jeanette and is the great-great-granddaughter of Simon (1843-1892) and Mary (1850-1932) Dulas, the couple possibly depicted in this portrait. Except that...
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A Blast From My Past
Last week after writing the column on photo storytelling I decided to take my own advice and browse through all the family photos I scanned last summer. I looked at pictures of my Mom as a young child and saw pictures of my own childhood. All of a sudden I...
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Photo Storytelling
The holiday season is nearly upon us! It's a time of year I associate with food, family and friends, but it's also storytelling season. One of the traditions in my family is looking at old pictures—not just those taken a century ago, but those considered "old" by the kids in...
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6 Medical History Mysteries Premium
Family photos may hold the key to mysteries in your medical history.
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Family 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...
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Photo Sites: Read the Fine Print
Yesterday's New York Times featured an article, Guardians Of Their Smiles, on the uses and abuses of photo sites. In it, a woman had posted baby pictures to Flickr without using the privacy settings, and later discovered that someone had used her daughter's pictures on a social networking site in...
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