Genealogy Chat

Karen make sure you do get them , dont let anybody throw them away.

Glad to be of help, Next time you see a cowboy film on the box, look in the mirror behind the bar in the saloon,and you will possibly see the camera man, Maurice

thats a good tip, will have to remember to tell my mum when she gets the photos out again

thanks for that Maurice some really useful tips I did not think to look for wedding rings and quite a few have a photographers name on the back I am going to see if any records still exist on any of them.

Oh Maurice! Some wonderful ideas there but sadly, my lot all had posed studio photographs in the 1800s! Including wedding groups...and they didnt go in for fashion much, either. OC

DATING FAMILY PHOTOS Get them out and try this. Look for Wedding rings (if you already know the wedding date no ring may indicate before being married) and of course engagement rings. Look at dress (Go to the library - with your photos and study fashion) Look at which flowers are in bloom (denoting time of year) Look at trees (same reason) this is useful if you have a wedding photo and no certificate (It may help to reduce the search ,say to Autumn if leaves are on the ground. Look at weather Snow /High sun/ Brown Grass (same reason) Look at Hairstyles Look at Cars in the background and work out approximate year.Number plates ? If you know the area where the photo was taken - go there now and look at the buildings that have been built since - then find out when they were built. Changes in hight of trees ? Look at street furniture/traffic signs/telephone boxes type of. Indoors look at the furniture/food packets/ radio/television type/phone type/decoration. Uniforms - Badges The obvious look on the back. If there is a name of the photographer - look in the trades directories many old firms keep records, also if for example the photographer was shown in say the 1840 trade directory but not in the 1850 you may be able to discount anything after 1850 We tend to be drawn only to the person in the picture, so give this a try and you may sort a few out at least. regards Maurice

fancy burning old Photos , I know what you mean my cousin who managed to somehow get hold of all the family photos when my nan died destroyed most of them including Newspaper articles about an Uncles death in the War who had a heros funeral.When I asked why she said they were depressing, guess who was even more depressed.

Actually, I shouldnt moan, really. My third cousin recently sent me a load of photos from his side, including his GM's wedding photo. No-one in his fsmily had a clue who any of the guests were, but I was able to identify all except one, as being from MY side! Also in this collection was an unknown woman standing on a cobbled street, grinning madly in a daft hat. Oh dear - she is the spitting image of me!!!! As my cousin and I only share one female relative, our 2 x GGM, then I surmise that whoever the mystery woman is, who looks like me, and is related to him, then both I and the mystery woman look like our 2 x GGM! As no photos of her exist, this is an interesting idea! However, the reason for my sourness at the beginning of this thread is because when my Grandad died in the 1970s, my Granny had a two-day bonfire, burning every bit of paper, including photos. OC

i took some old photos when i went a fortnight ago to meet two of my mams cousins and the photo i had of my grt grand parents there grandparents they had never seen before so have since sent them copies but they helped me a lot with some of the people i didnt know.

Well done valerie, My mum has loads of old photos in an album i remember when i was younger she spent weeks shut away with her typewriter and sticky labels and her photos, theres only a few that she doesnt know who they are, im hoping to put names to faces with the info i have found on her side, also one day those pics will be mine all mine lol ( runs away rubbing hands with glee)

I wish one of my hot matches could tell me who this lot are I do have a couple of rellies who might know so will be very busy scanning , and I quite understand getting excited about old Photos, much more interesting than new ones.

How exciting Valerie I have inherited lots of photos from both my mother and mother in law and I have not got a clue who they are. However I have just linked up with a hot match who has sent me scans of a painting of gggggg grandfather and his daughter from about 1800. I never thought I would know what any of my early ancestors looked like. He also sent me a scan of what I think is my great grandfather's cousin who died about 1875. On it his ancestor has written this is doctor Blacker's father. I asked him about making my doll's eyes better when I was in my cot...... . If only my family could be as helpful. It is lovely when you get something to bring family history to life isn't it. Much better than ironing.

My mum-in-law just produced some photos from the 1920's and before + a couple of certs that she found while cleaning out an old box.. She thinks I'm totally mad wanting copies of people I don't know--doesn't get this family tree stuff at all -bless! but she keeps coming up trumps, it's marvelous when these things happen isn't it?

in the interests of my health, I am not doing any ironing I dont want to get heatstroke

A girl after my own heart Valerie, we should start a revolution!

I dont Hoover I spray that stuff you put in the bag around and he thinks I have been busy

A quick tip, just in case you ever think of trying the ironing thingy, you have to plug it in and then it gets hot !!! I know!!! Modern Technology. Don't try plugging in the hoover though, it makes a horrible noise, or maybe that's just mine :-) Just push it around to make a pretty pattern on the carpet.

Dover Sue now I know what that thing is for in the Airing Cupboard.. I must say I am so excited I cannot sit still , they are so good some are well over 100 years old

How lucky are you? I really envy you. Ironing is a thing that people with nothing better to do use to pass the time, I can't see it ever catching on though.

some are ever so old , to think I would not have looked twice at them before I started doing the family tree .I have a few contacts who will be getting some rare old Photos of their families.Going to be busy getting copies done, thats okay Old Crone Hiss all you like I would feel the same. By the way what is Ironing again can somebody remind me please?????