Pictures Provide a Thousand Clues
Genealogy is not only about people. Looking around the house there are historical memories found in most everything within the line of vision. Seeing books, pictures and pieces of furniture are reminders of people, places and events that have created our lives. Tugging at the heart-strings and providing warm fuzzies. Some garnering thoughts of people and places we have only heard stories about but never knew them personally. As each piece is remembered as to how or where it fits into the family history, past and present, a genealogical book unfolds in the mind. These memorabilia pieces are not all antiques or collectables. Some will have been recently acquired to add to collections or perhaps are gifts from friends or family that instil new memories.
Commonly, a photograph is where the memories come from. People looking out from these pictures show history from young to old. The progression of the pictures through the years shows more than their faces.
Take the time to look into the background of those pictures. What do you see? Look for the type and style of clothing and jewellery they are wearing. Vehicles also provide information as do advertising signage and books that might be included. The very existence of these props can offer answers to the year the picture was taken and the location. This in turn, may tell you that the people in the picture were travelling or that, in the case of an old photograph, the building they are standing in front of no longer exists. However, the tree in the picture does because it is the one that stands by the monument in a nearby park or other landmark.
Furniture also has very distinctive aging style as do lighting fixtures. When reviewing family photos, look at these items closely as well. Other items such a book that may have been included in a picture is now known to be part of a collection that another family member owns. Often, the inside cover of old books will have inscriptions with a Christmas or Birthday wish along with the name of the recipient, the presenter and the year.
Identifying people in old portrait pictures can be a challenge if no one can confirm that the person in the picture is a family member. A bonus to having a studio portrait picture is that it will usually have the name of the studio the back. Quite often this is accompanied with the name of the photographer, the address of the studio and if luck is on the side of the information hunter, a date or at least the year. This may not identify the person; however, the use of this information may corroborate other data
Obtaining any piece of information from all reputable sources will contribute another piece of the puzzle to those on pursuit of family history. Looking into the past for family information is becoming easier; however, it can be worth the extra effort to delve behind the scenes of what is staring us in the face.
Ann Edall Robson is owner of Comfy Country Creations and HorsesWest.
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