Old Family Photos
Finding old family photos of your ancestors is always a thrill, but often, they are elusive. Maybe you have photographs of your ancestors, but they are unlabeled! (Sigh...) Who is actually in THAT photo?
You need strategies to understand and identify those unidentified individuals in your ancestors' photographs. Learn about the five different types of photographs, the step by step process of identifying the individuals and important clues that can be found within your family photos.
New to working with old family photos? I suggest you start with 4 Tips to Identify Unknown Family Photographs.
Links to get started exploring our ancestors' photographs:
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Why Did My Ancestors Take Those Unusual Victorian Post Mortem Photos?
Taking post mortem photos was common in the Victorian era & early 1900’s. Part of grieving, these photos remembered passed away family. Let me set the scene….. At our traditional Thanksgiving gathering at my paternal grandparents’ home, my grandmother and aunt pulled out the family photographs. This wasn’t unusual when we got together, and family stories flowed. Sadly, this was in my “pre-genealogy” days, but I think the seed was planted. Thumbing through a box of photo, I stumbled across post mortem photo or photograph of a deceased relative. Then another one. And another one. Really?! Who were these strange people I was related to who took photos of deceased…
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How to Date Antique Photographs Using Tax Stamps
Tax stamps help date old family photographs to a very specific point in time. Learn how to look for them and what they mean.
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Identify an Old Family Photograph With These 5 Simple Steps
Wondering who is in that old family photograph you found? Learn the steps you need to put a name to the faces in your photographs.
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Tuesday’s Genealogy Tip – Cabinet Cards
Do you have old family photographs? Do you have cabinet cards in your collection? Characteristics of a cabinet card will provide clues to use in your genealogy research.