Back in the twentieth century my beloved aunt gave me a tintype of my great-great grandfather Wesley Cunningham. In the years before Photoshop, the only choice for reproduction was to take the tintype to a professional restoration service to have it enlarged and printed on paper. I posted it on …
NEW YEAR, NEW ARTICLE: Vera Sinclair’s Friends from Englewood High School [Colorado]
A group of student photographs included in an eBay auction were a mystery. No provenance. No photographer’s name. They were mostly inscribed with first names or nicknames. The clues to unlocking their identities were the initials “E.H.S.” and the names of characters from a school play. These clues led to …
How to Use Fonts to Date Old Photographs
Figuring out the date of an old photograph can be pretty tricky. Hairstyles, clothing and furniture that change with fashion can help date a photo. Because fonts come into and out of style, they are another tool for establishing when a photograph was made. What Is Branding on Old Photographs? …
Do You Take Photographs from eBay for The Sake of Genealogy?
Before you think I’m accusing you of stealing from eBay, I want to make it clear that I’m asking questions to spur consideration and discussion. Are you a thief? Are you a thief if you “lift” listing photos from an eBay? Say the listing photo shows a photograph of a …
Postcard: Merry Xmas to Grandma Chrysler in Big Pine, California
Figure 1: “A Christmas Greeting Postcard” (front) Figure 2: “A Christmas Greeting Postcard” (reverse) “A Christmas Greeting Postcard,” front and back, addressed to Mrs. C.J. Chrysler of Big Pine, Cal. [Calif.], in the author’s collection, received in 2011 from mother’s estate. The names are not found in the author’s family …