Photo Detective with Maureen A. Taylor

What I Saw at the National Genealogical Society Conference
Posted by Maureen

Thank you to everyone who stopped by my booth at the National Genealogical Society Conference last week! I looked at a lot of photos and many people promised to send in submissions for this column.

Larae Schraeder showed me two photos. Here's one of them (I'm still working on the other):

It's a portrait of the Jeffers Family of Missouri. There is so much to like about this picture.

It was taken circa 1890, based on the women's peaked shoulder seams.

This was the style for a few years from 1889 to 1892.

The whole family dressed up for this group portrait, likely taken by an itinerant photographer. Look closely at these two details:

You can see the temporary wall set up and the edge of the backdrop.

In the second closeup, you can see that the backdrop stands on legs and the grass beneath the family's feet.

The family took their excursion to the photographer very seriously by dressing up for the portrait and posing with solemn expressions.

This photo from the Ralph M. and Nettie Finley Jeffers collection is a family history treasure.

Solve your family photo mysteries with these books by Maureen A. Taylor:

Fashionable Folks: Bonnets and Hats 1840-1900

Preserving Your Family Photographs

Fashionable Folks: Hairstyles 1840-1900

Finding the Civil War in Your Family Album

1890s photos | group photos | hairstyles | unusual photos

Monday, May 14, 2012 3:45:39 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)

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Monday, May 07, 2012

More Family Photos of Ancestral Children
Posted by Maureen

Last week I showcased your photos of ancestral children and this week it's a second installment.

This little guy is Sandra Jerome's grandfather, Ralph Frederick Jerome. He was born September 7, 1894 in Jordan, Scott County, Minnesota. He's wearing attire approximate for boys less than 5--a skirt. It's paired with a short jacket and a wide collared shirt. A cute hat sits on his head. He doesn't seem old enough to be able to ride the photographer's tricycle prop. It was likely taken circa 1899.

Jennie Youngedit.jpg

Can you spot the school photos in your family album? They usually look something like this. This 1899 photo depicts 11 year old Jennie Young. She's Bonnie Bolster's great aunt.

The boy in the front row holds a sign--Coral School District no. 1 May 27, 1898. The children wear a wide array of styles popular in that period. The flags in the background are likely for Memorial Day.

Thank you for sharing pictures of your ancestors as children! I'm off to NGS in Cincinnati, Ohio. Please stop by my booth 712 and say hello.

Solve your family photo mysteries with these books by Maureen A. Taylor:

Fashionable Folks: Bonnets and Hats 1840-1900

Preserving Your Family Photographs

Fashionable Folks: Hairstyles 1840-1900

Finding the Civil War in Your Family Album

1900-1910 photos | children | school photos

Monday, May 07, 2012 5:58:04 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)

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Monday, April 30, 2012

Ancestor Mystery Photos: Unidentified Kids
Posted by Maureen

Thank you for all the pictures of your ancestors' cute kids!

prichard21-A- Josie Powell Nannie Wilsonedit.jpg

prichard21-A- Josie Powell Nannie Wilsonedit.jpg

These little girls are named Josie Powell and Nannie Wilson. Don't you love their identical outfits? They are in a photo album owned by Gwen Prichard. She's trying to establish a relationship between them. Perhaps their mothers were friends? The two girls are even the same height.

Candace Buchanan emailed this lovely trio dressed for winter. The boy in the middle wears attire from his family's cultural background. Buchanan bought the image at an auction and only knows that it was taken in Waynesburg, Pa. Is the dog real or a stuffed prop? It looks a bit unnatural to me.

This unhappy little fellow (look at that expression) posed with hat in hand in the 1860s. Bonnie Bybee-Bolster isn't sure if he from her Young or her Brown family line. The families lived in Baraboo/Delton, Wis.

Another 1860s pose. You can see the brace at this girl's feet. I love the fact that she holds a parasol. Rachel Pierce bought this image because of the little girl's shoes. Unfortunately, the photo is completely unidentified.

cute kids1edit.jpg

Shelley Baumeister isn't sure who the child is wearing an oversized collar in this photo. She thinks the child is a girl. I think she's right because of the center part in her hairstyle. This photo was passed down through Shelley's maternal line. This child posed in 1887 in Dubuque, Iowa.

I'll be back next week with more photos of children. My inbox is full of gorgeous images.

Solve your family photo mysteries with these books by Maureen A. Taylor:

Fashionable Folks: Bonnets and Hats 1840-1900

Preserving Your Family Photographs

Fashionable Folks: Hairstyles 1840-1900

Finding the Civil War in Your Family Album

1860s photos | 1880s photos | children

Monday, April 30, 2012 3:16:20 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)

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Monday, April 23, 2012

Identifying Old Photos of Children
Posted by Diane

Genealogists need a sense of humor. You never know what you're going to find. Loretta Gillespie, author of the blog Barking Up the Wrong Tree, submitted this photo of two children. Last week I dated it to the mid to late 1880s.

To try to solve this mystery, Loretta sent me a link to her Ancestry.com family tree. Her ancestor Isabelle Pierce Wright had 11 children. Loretta is hoping this tintype depicts the two youngest children, Charles Pearl Marion Wright (b. 1877) and Geneva "Neb" Wright (b. 1880). Loretta sees the "Wright ears and weak chin."

This is a possible identification. Having other photos of the children taken later in their lives would help verify it.

Loretta's great-grandfather (and Neb's nephew) William Gillespie wrote a poem about Neb:

Aunt Neb was the youngest, about 16 years old. Her learning was slight, if not zero.
She'd chew her tobacco and fight for her share,
And woe to the hombre that got in her hair.
She could swim like a seahorse and dive like bear,
And frighten the fish as she came up for air!"

Next week is all about cute kids. Thank you for submitting all those pictures! (And if you have one to submit, click the "How to Submit Your Photo" link on the left.)

Solve your family photo mysteries with these books by Maureen A. Taylor:

Fashionable Folks: Bonnets and Hats 1840-1900

Preserving Your Family Photographs

Fashionable Folks: Hairstyles 1840-1900

Finding the Civil War in Your Family Album

1880s photos | children

Monday, April 23, 2012 2:58:47 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)

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Monday, April 16, 2012

Sorting Out Children's Clothing
Posted by Maureen

It's been awhile since I've put out a call for photos from your collections. If you have a photo of a child wearing interesting clothing, please send it to me. I'd love to run a series on what kinds of clothing children wore, and when.

This week's photo came from Loretta Gillespie. She asks, "With men's clothing being more difficult to date and [this girl's] clothing being a little unconventional, how do I narrow down the time frame?" Great question.

Studying clothing clues is all about the details—collars, cuffs, sleeves, trim and accessories.

In this case, the clothing suggests that this tintype was taken in the mid-to-late 1880s.

The horizontal bands with prominent buttons combined with horizontal contrasting fabric was a key feature of girl's clothing during the mid-1880s. Her dress was likely made at home. It's a printed cotton fabric.

The high collar with the slight ruffle and the cuffs also help date the photo.

Joan Severa's Dressed for the Photographer: Ordinary Americans & Fashion (Kent State University Press, 1995) is wonderful resource for clothing styles.

I'll be back next week with another installment of this photo mystery.

Solve your family photo mysteries with these books by Maureen A. Taylor:

Fashionable Folks: Bonnets and Hats 1840-1900

Preserving Your Family Photographs

Fashionable Folks: Hairstyles 1840-1900

Finding the Civil War in Your Family Album

1880s photos | children | men

Monday, April 16, 2012 1:27:20 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)

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Monday, April 09, 2012

A Double Mystery: Twins in the Family
Posted by Maureen

This cute-as-a-button toddler duo is a big family history problem for Laura Cook. Who are they?

The cabinet card was once owned by her paternal grandmother—a trail of ownership that at least eliminates her mother's family from consideration.

Laura asked her father if he could remember any twins in his family, and he didn't. However, in his confirmation Bible appeared a mention to his cousins Catherine and Dorothy Scheuerman.

Laura asked me, "Could this photograph depict the Scheuerman girls, born in 1918?" Here's how the evidence stacks up.

Dark-colored cabinet card mats—brown and green—were usually common in the 1880s, not in the early 20th century. In the circa-1920 period, photographs usually appear in an enclosure.

Props can also help date an image. In this case, the grass on the floor and the faux wall that the children are posed with could be from the 1880s as well.

The style of the interlocking initials of this photographer's imprint also suggests a time frame. The presence of gold stamped letters on an image can place the picture in the late 1880s to early 1890s.

Laura can use city directories and census records to research the business dates for the photographer, who according to this imprint, was based in Baltimore, Md. She also can type the name of the photographer and the city into Google to see if any hits pop up. An alternative would be to see if the Baltimore Public Library has a directory of photographers.

The identically dressed pair are likely twins, but sometimes cousins would dress their similarly aged children alike and pose them for a picture.

There is a lot more research to be done. I'd start with the photographer's work dates and then focus on children born in the family at the time, likely during the 1880s.

Solve your family photo mysteries with these books by Maureen A. Taylor:

Fashionable Folks: Bonnets and Hats 1840-1900

Preserving Your Family Photographs

Fashionable Folks: Hairstyles 1840-1900

Finding the Civil War in Your Family Album

1880s photos | children

Monday, April 09, 2012 7:02:06 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)

Comments [3]

Monday, April 02, 2012

Census Taking in Pictures
Posted by Maureen

My fingers are itching to start searching through the 1940 census. I've read that the National Archives website crashed due to the number of folks online doing the same thing. I'll wait a bit and try again.

In the meantime, take a peek at some census-related images.

This image from the Library of Congress is a poster advertising that it was a patriotic duty to provide information for the census.

In another photo from the Library of Congress, two women operate a new census machine. The "unit tabulator" on the left is being operated by Ann Oliver. On the right is Virginia Balinger, Assistant Supervisor of the Inquiry section. (Love those shoes!)

According to the caption, in 1870 it took seven years to compile statistics from the census, but this machine invented by Herman Hollerith fed census cards at the rate of 400 per minute. This machine was going to compile those stats in 2-1/2 years. Each written bit of information was translated into codes that were punched on cards then fed into this machine.

Enjoy your searching!

Solve your family photo mysteries with these books by Maureen A. Taylor:

Fashionable Folks: Bonnets and Hats 1840-1900

Preserving Your Family Photographs

Fashionable Folks: Hairstyles 1840-1900

Finding the Civil War in Your Family Album

1880s photos | 1940s photos | occupational | props in photos

Monday, April 02, 2012 7:16:34 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)

Comments [1]

Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Graduation Caps
Posted by Diane

It's the last week for hats. It's also your last chance this month to save 10% on Fashionable Folks: Bonnets and Hats 1840-1900. Use HAT10 as the coupon code when ordering from ShopFamilyTree.com.

I've blogged about a lady in a fancy hat, a young man in a felt hat and two men wearing work hats. You're probably wondering what's next.

A graduation cap!

graduation caps.jpg

This image, from the collection of the Library of Congress, is from about 1860. I love the young man's blue bow tie and red tassel. He's smiling for the camera with a toothy grin. That's something you don't usually see in a 19th century picture.

Notice the stripe down his pant's leg? He wears military style trousers. It's possible he's a cadet.

ehow credits the contemporary mortarboard to 15th-century France and Italy. The term "mortarboard" comes from its shape—it looks like a piece of equipment that a bricklayer uses for mortar. Today's graduates wear tassels that reflect their school colors. Some students personalize their caps, too.

I hope you've enjoyed this month's worth of hats. I'll be back with other caps, hats and bonnets this year.

Solve your family photo mysteries with these books by Maureen A. Taylor:

Fashionable Folks: Bonnets and Hats 1840-1900

Preserving Your Family Photographs

Fashionable Folks: Hairstyles 1840-1900

Finding the Civil War in Your Family Album

1850s photos | 1860s photos | hats | men | unusual clothing

Wednesday, March 28, 2012 12:59:53 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)

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Monday, March 19, 2012

Hats Off to the Men
Posted by Maureen

First it was work hats, then fancy hats for ladies, but what about everyday hats for men?

Go ahead. Take a guess: When do you think this young man posed for this image?

My mother has an expression, "what's old is new." It's all about how fashion repeats itself. This little tintype is a perfect example.

Go into any hat shop and you'll find hats for men that resemble this soft felt one with the wide ribbon band. He's a young man wearing a jaunty everyday hat.

This image is likely from the late 1870s. There were all sorts of hats for men in the 1860s and 70s, but the paper mat for this tintype helps date the image.

Don't forget the promotion for Fashionable Folks: Bonnets and Hats 1840-1900 is only good through the end of March. Enter HAT10 as a coupon code to receive 10% off that title.

The book is part of another deal, too: Spend $30 on these products and receive a free book download of the Family Tree Problem Solver.

Solve your family photo mysteries with these books by Maureen A. Taylor:

Fashionable Folks: Bonnets and Hats 1840-1900

Preserving Your Family Photographs

Fashionable Folks: Hairstyles 1840-1900

Finding the Civil War in Your Family Album

1870s photos | hats | men

Monday, March 19, 2012 2:23:01 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)

Comments [0]

Monday, March 12, 2012

Hats and Hair
Posted by Maureen

Last week the focus was work hats for men. This week it's all about the ladies.

When I go photo shopping, I love to find more than one image of the same person. I have two images of this woman—one in a hat and one without her hat and jacket. They show the relationship between hairstyles and hat trends. The shape and style of women's hats were influenced by the current hair and vice versa.

woman in hat.jpg

There is something intriguing about hats from the 1880s. They can feature high crowns, small brims and lots of trim. In this case it's a plush fabric decorated with feathers and botanical elements. It's not unusual to see stuffed birds on them as well. Women raised these birds at home to sell them to the hat industry for stuffing.

In the second image, the same woman has taken off her hat and sits for the photographer without her jacket as well.
woman no hat.jpg

She wears the same drop earrings and ruffled collar so it's likely she posed for both on the same day. Her frizzy bangs stuck out from under her front brimmed hat.

Both images were taken by Alman, a photographer with studios in New York and Newport. The affluent families of New York City built mansions in the city by the sea, in Rhode Island so it makes business sense for Alman to maintain his customers in both locations.

If you want to learn more about hats or hairstyles from different periods check out my Fashionable Folks: Bonnets and Hats, 1840-1900 or Fashionable Folks: Hairstyles, 1840-1900. There is a special offer this month in ShopFamilyTree.com. Enter HAT10 as a coupon code for 10 percent off the Bonnets and Hats title.

It's also part of the ShopFamilyTree.com deal of the month: Spend $30 on these select products and receive a free Family Tree Problem Solver book download!

Solve your family photo mysteries with these books by Maureen A. Taylor:

Fashionable Folks: Bonnets and Hats 1840-1900

Preserving Your Family Photographs

Fashionable Folks: Hairstyles 1840-1900

Finding the Civil War in Your Family Album

1880s photos | hats | unusual clothing | women

Monday, March 12, 2012 2:02:42 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)

Comments [1]

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