Photography - Family History & Genealogy Message Board

Dating this photograph

corya1975 — 1 Nov 2007 6:12:22 GMT

I need help dating this photograph. It was in an old oval metal frame and has no identification on it anywhere. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks

Jamie

tintype picture

STILLER118 — 17 Oct 2008 2:01:30 GMT

I have a tintype picture that we have figures from research that is was from 1860's.. does anyone know the value of this?

Need help dating photograph...

ebockenstette — 16 Oct 2008 11:16:37 GMT

Attached is a photograph I found with my grandfather's possessions (he passed away this year, and has no living siblings). It appears obviously to be a marriage photograph. Trouble is, it is a reprint of the original on 1 x 10 photo paper. I have a few ideas on who the couple is - and they are people I have not seen photos of before.

My first idea is that it could be my grandfather's paternal grandparents. They were married in 1876 in Germany. I have this hunch because the man standing bears a resemblance to my grandfathers father. The groom was 26 at the time, and the bride 22.

My second idea is that it may be his maternal grandparents, who were married in 1885 in Covington, Kentucky. The groom was 23, and the bride 21.

Hopefully I am not too far off in my guesses. I hope someone can further examine the clothing their wearing or the husbands hair to maybe be able to more accurately date this photograph. I was thinking maybe the gloves the man is wearing could be a clue.

Any help is much appreciated,

Erik

help dating a mystery photograph?

hmpollard — 14 Oct 2008 6:23:15 GMT

This old photo has been in the family for a little while and no one knows who it is. It may be my great-grandmother (born 1892) or maybe one of her children (born 1910), but I am thinking it is more likely my great-grandmother...? She did not like photos being taken of her so I have no others to reference.

Here is what I know: I am guessing it is a confirmation photo. The photographer is G. Dobkins Studio, 507 Eight Ave., NY. I looked up the photographer and he is in the NY directory for 1915 and 1916, but not 1917, those were the only years I could check.

Also mysterious is the writing on the back:
"Mrs. Matamo" (perhaps a misspelling of her last name, Montano)
That is underlined and then it has "Mr. Montamo (this is certainly a misspelling of my great-grandfather's name, Montano, because the following was his address in the 20's),
214 E. 29th St,
apt. 2nd floor rear,
as it is death (death circled)
(underline)
has one oil painting picture to give"

I have no idea what to make of this! My g-grandfather died in 1962, my g-grandmother in 1973, and they were no longer at this address then. Did someone in the family die and they got evicted? Why write this info on the back of a photo, which obviously remained with the family?

Anyone want to venture a guess? Thanks!

(Am attempting to attach photos, hope it works!)

pre-civil war photo, painting or photograph?

pj_roots — 1 Nov 2007 3:31:41 GMT

Known Info
Taken prior to Civil War.
On a thick cardboard kind of paper
Size is between 5x7 and 8x10 roughly
looks like a combination of drawing pencil and ink type paint.Hair ,facil feartures look like pencil but clothes appear as ink or paint.
Is this a painting or a photograph?
This is different from any of my other old photos. How Can I safely preserve it?
Any info is very much appreciate.

preserving photographic negatives

cjwall0531 — 2 Aug 2008 2:17:54 GMT

I inherited a small paper bag full of negatives after my grand parents passed away. I recognize a lot of the people in the negatives so I know the pictures were taken in the 1930’s and 1940’s. Many of the pictures from these negatives have also been lost. How do I preserve these? Is the preservation the same for negatives as it is for old photographs?

Help dating an old photograph

katherineofengland — 23 May 2008 10:59:48 GMT

I've attached a photograph that has been frustrating the family for a very long time. We're not sure what kind of date we could put to it. I think the colour of it might be a little misleading, as the photo came from my great-grandmother, who was a chain-smoker, and therefore it might look browner because of the smoke fumes.
I think maybe the only way to date it properly would be by looking at the clothes the ladies in the photo are wearing, but i have almost no knowledge of fashions through the ages.

Any help would be greatly received.

Help to date a photo from 1890-1910

colubridlady — 3 Mar 2008 11:52:47 GMT

I recently found out that this photo is of the house of my g-g-g-grandfather, Jacob Seibert. Looking at census info, I've narrowed it down to sometime between 1890 and 1910, but since I don't know any of the people in it, other than pure speculation, I don't know how to get any closer than that. Any ideas?

Thanks.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3290/2308546204_5e9d6642a9_o....

dating a picture from the u.k.

babysys35 — 1 May 2008 3:45:10 GMT

I'm having a lot of trouble trying to date this picture. I see that his collar is very different but I have not been able to find any other pictures to match for timing. I also noticed the way his jacket buttons. It doesn't seem to overlap like most would. There was an address on the back of the photo which may help but I couldn't find anything. I know that the address would most definitely be in Middlesex England. 262 Wadsworth Rd

What time period is this?

MorganCole34 — 7 Sep 2008 3:56:02 GMT

I'm desperately trying to figure out what time period this couple is in. The woman is my gg-grandmother Eva Crossley. It's the man I can't figure out. Eva married my gg-grandfather William Bell in 1867. He "died" by 1875 when she remarried. Then he died in 1889. She remarried #3 after 1889 but before 1893. I'm really hoping it is my William. But I doubt it. But I'd like someones help to identify the time period. If it helps, Eva lived in Iowa.

Many regards,

Morgan

Dating an old photo - Warwickshire?

robynmarden — 17 Sep 2008 12:36:59 GMT

Trying to date the photo below. I know it is on my fathers parents side who were all born in Warwickshire area. I have other old photos of my great grandmothers who were both born in 1884 but it doesn't really look like either of them. Also if anyone can tell me a little about the outfit that would be a great help too. Thanks. Robyn

how to restore a daguerreotype

kbmidura — 22 Aug 2008 5:55:51 GMT

I recently discovered a very old daguerreotype underneath a old photo in a folding case. I have done some research and am 99 percent sure that it is actually a daguerreotype (not a tintype). It is most likely a picture of my gg grandfather from the Civil War era. It is badly tarnished, however, I understand that it may be possible to professionally restore it, at least to some degree, with a chemical or laser tarnish remover. I have not been able to find anyone who performs this service outside of a museum. Can anyone suggest a company that restores old daguerreotypes? (Don't worry, I'm not going to try and do it myself!) Thanks.

Henry Andrew Jacob, Sr.

clydelles — 6 May 2008 11:05:06 GMT

The man in this photo is believed to be Henry Andrew Jacob Sr., born: 1813 in Alsace, died: 1897 in Texas. Other people are unknown. If the woman to Henry's left is his wife, Agathe Sifferlen, she died in 1867. I would like to know the approximate time this photo was made. Could it have been made as early as the 1860's? Photographer was Fey & Braunig, Cuero & Hallettsville, Texas.

Daguerreotype (Male): Need help in dating clothing, etc

lucybutko — 31 Oct 2007 2:27:38 GMT

I am trying to identify this unknown ancestor. Can anyone identify when this daguerreotype was taken?

Thanks, Lucy

Digitizing Photos

dhlisa — 14 May 2008 12:25:47 GMT

Is anyone sending their family photos out to a digitizing service? Looking for recommendations. Would like to have jpegs on a dvd along with thumbnail albums for reference.

New Site for Antique Photographs- Please look- recognize anyone??

jadina — 18 Mar 2008 11:28:03 GMT

Hi everyone, I collect antique photos of all sorts from daguerreotypes to tintypes, etc. and have just recently started putting them all online in the hopes that someone might see a particular image and recognize an ancestor or two.

My site, http://jadestintypes.250x.com/ has hundreds of photos, some identified, most not, which are waiting for someone to recognize them. I also have quick little definitions of each kind of antique photo in case you need help identifying a photo in your collection.

I am hoping that I can spread the word about this site to reach as many people as possible, so please check it out and pass it on to anyone who may be interested.

Thanks!
Jade Schmitt

File Formats

JMOlshefskiJr — 15 Mar 2008 2:52:38 GMT

I hear lots of diffeernt things, but what is the best format to save my files, JEG, GIF, TIFF, BMP, etc,?

Sandstone grave marker

rick14781 — 28 Jun 2007 12:05:43 GMT

Can anyone offer any advice on how to get the info off of this old sandstone marker, I believe some of the inscription reads:
? Mitchell daughter of E? Died ? Age 10 18??
I have tried the shading technique on a piece of paper with no luck and I'm not sure if I should scrub the soft stone or apply any chemical.I've also tried making the photo lighter, darker, etc.
Thanks, Rick

How to 'youth-en' photographs

CharlotteCM — 20 Nov 2007 10:06:06 GMT

Does anyone know of a software program that would let me scan photos of grim, old relatives and regress the faces to see what they might have looked like when they were younger? I know programs exist that will age people's faces. They're used by police when looking for lost children primarily but also adults to see how the person might appear years after a disappearance. I want to find a program that can do the opposite, not age but youth-en.

Tin Type pictures Date?

K_a_r_e_n_Weiss — 9 Jan 2008 8:52:38 GMT

The 3 links below are of tin type pictures. The size of 2 are about 2x3 inches. Sam Tucker's tin is smaller, 2x2. I'm trying to determine if the one of Charles Tucker, standing, (1855-1907) might be of his father Samuel Tucker (1818-1870) instead.

This link is one I question on if it is Charles or Samuel. Dating it might determine who it is.?
http://www.rootsweb.com/~wijuneau/samtuckerchas.jpg

This tin might have been taken about 1862 or 1863. Samuel was mustered in the Civil War in Aug 1862, was home on leave Sept 1863. There is also a large drawing of this tin.
http://www.rootsweb.com/~wijuneau/TuckerSamtin.jpg

This tin is of Julia Delaney Tucker, Samuel's wife. I enlarged the photo and cropped it to determine what book she had in her hand and it is a book of Basics of Photography. Julia & Samuel's oldest son Geo. Henry Tucker was a photographer in Juneau Co. and then in Phillipsburg, Kansas
http://www.rootsweb.com/~wijuneau/TuckerJuliatin.jpg

Would someone have ideas on the dates of these tins. I am unable to attach a file at this time. :-(

Thanks,
Karen

The Unknowns: Do you know these people?

jeremyrabbott — 27 Feb 2008 5:03:05 GMT

I visited a flea market the other day and found a few priceless photographs. There is NO relation to me; however I wanted to get them.

Here are the pics:
http://www.jeremyabbott.com/unknown/

Are these the same people?

corya1975 — 1 Nov 2007 9:49:37 GMT

I know that the photo of the two little girls is of my gg grandmother and her older sister. The photo of the woman by herself is of my ggg grandmother. My question is: Is the photo of the woman and little girl the same woman by herself and is the little girl the same little girl as in the other photo? The necklace appears in all the photos. I would love someone elses opinion. Thank you.
Jamie

photo mounted on glass

gregbyer — 9 Jan 2008 7:24:00 GMT

I have an old photo (not sure of the date, but probably 1880s) that it mounted on a piece of glass. The glass is 8X10 and the picture is about 5X7. The back of the glass and picture is painted black. I don't know if this is how the picture was originally or if it was mounted to the glass later on. I tried to remove it from the glass and it seems that it is glued to the glass itself. I'm not that it can be removed. Does anyone know if there is any harm in leaving it mounted to the glass or if it is even possible to remove it. Was this a common practice?

Help dating this tin type

cyndi29 — 15 Nov 2007 8:44:37 GMT

Hi,

This tin type is approximately 8 X 11.

I've never seen another like it with the horse prop.

Can anyone help me to date this picture. It is the great grandmother of my boss. He is approximately 55...so 120 to 140 years ago would probably be the approximate time I'm guessing but I'm hoping the clothes or the props will help someone else place it more accurately.

Thanks,
Cyndi

Scanning tin type photos

Anthea93 — 31 Oct 2007 9:17:03 GMT

I have three photos of my great grandmother as a child about 1868/70. My aunt who gave them to me said that they must be kept in the dark. They are quite small and in sealed frames although one frame is begining to deteriorate and the back of the photo appears to be tin. Interestingly although black and white her dress is a pink colour.

Is it possible to scan these photos without damaging them? Is there any way of preserving them as I can't see them lasting for much longer.

Thanks
Anthea

Comparing faces of Alice

Bonnyvb — 7 Nov 2007 2:03:43 GMT

The attached page shows two pictures of Alice Margaret bottom middle and bottoom right. Do you think the rest of the pictures could be her.

Is there a heirarchy in old photos?

Caballera3 — 19 May 2007 3:42:32 GMT

I'm trying to discover leads to who people are in some old photos. I notice one person will have a hand on anothers shoulder or be standing to the right or left in a photo. The photo I have attached is of my great Grandfather and Grandmother. I am wondering who the man on the far left and the woman on the far right are. There is some disagreement in my family regarding this matter. Some say the man is the son of my great grandparents and the woman his wife - but some say he is actually my grand mothers brother. Any ideas?

Need date estimate on old photo

pata41 — 1 Nov 2007 10:05:40 GMT

Can anyone help me to date the photo below? Guesses welcome.
Pat R.

help with old photo from Skye

barbara13511 — 6 Nov 2007 7:19:46 GMT

I would be grateful for any help in dating this old photo believed to be of an ancestor named Christina Ferguson McAskell from Skye. I also wonder about the boy in these fine clothes as the family were very poor.
Barbara

Help!! What relationships do you see here?

floridazzle — 1 Nov 2007 6:33:09 GMT

I know that the young girl in front on the far left wearing a hat is my grandmother, the youngest of 4 sisters. The girl next to her is a sister and I think the woman between the mans legs is their mother. The woman holding the baby is the oldest sister. The woman to the far left at the top is another sister. The 3 women between those sisters are friends of the family. I assume the man in the middle is the father of the 4 girls and the husband of the woman in front since she is positioned between his legs. The man on the far right in the white shirt and bow tie is married to the oldest sister. I'd like to know what you think of the relationship of the 3 women on the far right to the man in the middle? Since one woman has her arm draped over his houlder, I wonder if she is his sister or his mother.

TINTYPE

workinranch — 1 Nov 2007 3:19:01 GMT

I have a tintype of, I thought my uncle James in World War one. He is in a army uniform. According to what one person said tintypes were made only until 1900?? He was born in 1899, and he is abt. 18 in this photo?? Does this mean it must be someone elso??
Karen in Id.

Dating Old Tintype or Daugerreotype

Sanjos347 — 5 Mar 2007 6:23:46 GMT

I am hoping someone can steer me towards a group that could help with dating old photography....I have a very old "metal" photograph that has no frame, it is fairly thick but I need some help in finding the age to possibly put a name to the boys in the photo.....any ideas???? Thank you very much! Sandy McClay

Dating of old photos - England

tina11127 — 8 Jan 2007 1:52:11 GMT

Hello all,

Dating of old photo's - England

Can anyone help in dating the following photo's. They are scans of original photo's from the family album, so I cannot tell you what they are printed on or if they have a photographers stamp.

Thank you for any help you can give.

Tina

Does Beard and Lapel style place this picture in time?

JWRITTER — 31 Oct 2007 5:46:23 GMT

I only have a photocopy of this picture, but it appears to have come from a small case. Might the style of the lapels and the cut of the beard tell us when the picture was taken?
I am hoping it is of my gr gf, ELIAS BUEL WALKER, who died March, 1866, in Michigan.
Appreciate any comments.

Need help dating photos

xoxo__proud — 23 Jul 2007 4:03:09 GMT

I need help figuring around what time period these photos were taken. Can anyone help?

Thanks

Finding old photo studios

LoreneSchertzl51 — 2 Jun 2004 3:04:59 GMT

Does anyone know of a web site for finding old photo studios? I am looking for studio called Muller. Could be in Manchester New Hampshire, Wyoming, Massachusetts, Michigan, Idaho probably it around 1910, 1920s

PRESERVING DOCUMENTS

bcypert51 — 3 Jul 2007 7:16:45 GMT

I RECENTLY CLEANED OUT MY DADS HOUSE AND NOW I HAVE LOTS OF OLD PAPERS AND NEWSPAPER CLIPPINGS. THEY HAVE BEEN FOLDED AND STORED POORLY FOR YEARS. MOST ARE FALLING APART AT THE FOLDS. WHAT CAN I DO TO SAVE THEM?

Rainier Art Studio

rogerbratseth — 10 Apr 2007 9:10:57 GMT

After my grandfather we found a picture of two unknown young men. The photo is mounted on card-board with engravement saying "Rainier Art Studio". I guess this is a local photo studio in either Rainer, WA or Rainier, OR.

Any ideas how I could find more information about this photo?

Best regards,
Roger Bratseth
Oslo, Norway

Construction paper on back of photo

xoxo__proud — 28 May 2007 3:47:37 GMT

I have alot of old photos from most likely the late 1800s early 1900s that have black construction paper on the back of them. One of the photos has a couple of names on the back of it and I can make out a couple of the letters but nothing else. Is there anyway to get the construction paper off without ruining the photo? I'd really like to know what names are on the back of it.

PhotoGenWeb : photo numérique et généalogie

MBBourquin — 12 Nov 2006 10:29:04 GMT

I don't know if this has been posted before.

main page is here: http://www.francegenweb.org/~photogenweb/index.php

many interesting links on the subect, especialy the one about dating old photos:

Identifiez vos anciennes photos http://pierre.connolly.net/photosa.htm

GREAT SITE. sorry, it is in French.

They ask you to answer some simple questions about your photo, like "is it on paper? what type ? what color ? ....." .... and you get the date.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Dating a photo form background/clothing

rick14781 — 21 Aug 2007 11:15:42 GMT

Hoping someone can help me date this photo with the background used and style of clothing.
Thank you

Cemetery Photos

Compmary — 31 Mar 2007 1:47:24 GMT

I would like to hear from anyone who is actively taking cemetery photos. Do you have any tips for enhancing your images? What software are you using, and are you publishing them anywhere? Thank you!

Please help with my university research into old family photos

fwilson151 — 25 Jul 2007 12:32:44 GMT

Questionnaire about Old Family Photos in Family History Research

You are invited to complete a questionnaire which forms part of my dissertation research for my MSc in
Information Management.

I am interested in researching my own family history and particularly intrigued by the Victorian photo albums
in our family. This has motivated me to find out more about the information needs and behaviours of family
historians with special regard to old family photos (c.1840-c.1901).

This questionnaire explores various aspects of the importance of old family photos to your family history
research, questions about identifying and labelling old photos, and about storing both original and digital
versions of these photos.

To read more about the questionnaire and access it, please visit:
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=rZN_2fhfPk0ITnVhluANR8...

Thank you for any help you can give. Any questions can be addressed to me:

Fiona Wilson
MSc Information Management Student
University of Sheffield, UK
email: lip06fhw@sheffield.ac.uk

Help Identifying photo from clothing and backdrop

rick14781 — 24 Jul 2007 11:20:38 GMT

The photo is labeled with a name however their is a Sr. and a Jr. hopefully someone might be able to identify the era.
Sr. 1842-1900
Jr. 1876-1950
Thank you,
Rick

Help dating photo by clothing and backdrop

rick14781 — 23 Jul 2007 11:52:35 GMT

Hello,
If anyone is willing to take a guess on the era this photo may have been taken , it would be greatly appreciated.
It was sent to me via email for the family disk I'm putting together and I know it wasn't a tin type but that's about it. The picture is labeled with a name but there was a Sr. and a Jr.
Sr. 1842 - 1900
Jr. 1876 - 1950
Thanks, Rick

Need Help Dating Very Old Photo

waltnkimsnuggle — 16 May 2007 9:10:44 GMT

Hi,
I came into a tiny leather photo album that had belonged to an ancestor in the 1800s, and it has 2 tintypes and 4 other very old photos. There aren't names written on the backs of any of them, but the photo I'm interested in the most looks to be the oldest, going by the fashions. Can some one help me date it, going only by the fashions? The color in the original is very faint, not nearly as vibrant as the scan.
Thanks!!
Kim

Help Dating Tintype Photo

ptjekic — 26 Feb 2007 6:11:16 GMT

I have recently located a second cousin that sent me about 150 photos of relatives. Unfortunately most of them do not contain any names of the back of them. I have been able to identify several of them with the help of other family members. One photo in particular has really thrown me for a loop. It is an old tintype photo of a young girl. On the back of the photo it is stamped, "Patent Pending United States Patent Office." From research I know that the tintypes received patent in 1853. Would this mean that this photo may pre-date the 1853 patent? Has anyone else ran across a photo stamped Patent Pending? I am attaching copies of the front and back of the photo. Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated:-)

Deleting photos from a personal tree

glh99 — 18 Jan 2007 8:55:55 GMT

Is it possible to delete a photo from a personal tree once you have uploaded it? I've searched the Help file but cannot seem to find any mention of it.

Thanks for any help
glh99

Organization of Photos

Diana Dexter — 27 Sep 2006 1:07:45 GMT

I have gathered many photos from various family members and scanned them into my computer. Now I want to organize them. Any tips? Should I make more than one folder--one organized by date and another organized by descendent? I want to link them to my RootsMagic Genealogy database as well as view them in my own database. Any comments would be appreciated. Diana

old photo Album

beaglenose — 10 Sep 2006 8:33:40 GMT

My Dad has an old album with photos from 1942-43 . The pages are falling out, as are the front & back covers are falling apart also. He has everything in order & under each picture the person's name or the event & place.
Are there any large sleeves I can purchase to keep it in tact? The pages are 14" x11". Any suggestions what kind of sleeve these will fit into?

Has anyone OCR-ed a roll of microfilm?

R_mesnard — 13 Nov 2006 8:31:58 GMT

I may be doing this in the future. This is probably the board for this kind of information.

Dating old photos

essexboy81 — 8 Mar 2006 4:22:35 GMT

Can anyone help me date these old photos?

They are all a fairly thick britle card-like material and approx A3 in size. (see photos attached)

Thanks in advance

Tim

Interpretation of photo

copet1 — 19 Jun 2006 2:32:27 GMT

I found this in my late grandmother's photo album. Supposedly it is of my great-grandfather's truck that was used when he was a house painter around 1912-1916. Can anyone make the paint on the side, or the year/make of the truck? Anyone's help would be GREATLY appreciated. Thank you!!

Printing old photographs

marianhill_1 — 2 Oct 2005 10:56:39 GMT

I have received copies of old photographs which were scanned at low resolutions (72 dpi in many cases). Does anyone have any tips for improving the quality of the printed images?

Advice on scanning photos - equipment

Niels Nielsen — 18 Dec 2005 4:11:32 GMT

I am about to embark on a project to scan approximately 500 larger photos (some dating back to the 1880s), some of a collection of 10,000 snapshots, and perhaps 5000 color 35mm slides. My goal is to create both digital and hardcopy albums for myself and family members. I want good quality but am not trying to create an archive for the ages.

Can anyone on this board advise me or point me to resources -- books, websites, other boards -- that will help me make the best choices for scanner(s), a printer, and software?

Thank you for your help,
Niels

very old photos

tdj1981 — 19 Dec 2005 8:18:25 GMT

Hi,

I have some photos that i think date back to about 1900-1920 and are about A3 in size and quite thick, they have been stored in carrier bags for many years and are crumbling away around their brittle edges. Obviously they are far to big to be put in an album, can anyone suggest what i should do?

Thanks in advance

Tim

dating a photo

Kare624 — 4 Feb 2006 2:17:06 GMT

I need help with this Query family picture that I have posted on my site. Do you know of a site that would help with dating this tintype. I appreciate any help from anyone.

http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~brandt/Alex%20pictu...

Scanning 35mm negatives

Dianne Kitson — 4 Jan 2006 5:40:34 GMT

Happy New Year!
My christmas new year project is to scan in our old negatives, whilst I have access to a scanner. The 35mm strips are a puzzle as I don't know what is the best way to scan them. What I am not sure about is whether to save the scanned file as bmp or tif picture files at the size of the negative (and scale them up when I print), or whether to increase the scale to print size when they are scanned.
Is there sks out there who can advise on scaling and resolution? Any advice would be gratefully received.

Question on Cemetery Lists / Photos. Please help me :-)

crolidge — 10 Aug 2008 5:52:40 GMT

Dear friends,

I intend to create/put available a list on the web with all the British people who have been buried at St James Cemetery, a British colonial cemetery in Porto, Portugal, Europe.

Should I forward you a plain text file to Ancestry.com databases, or just advise them of a URL where that list could be available ?

Further, I also want to take photos of tombstones inscriptions. Where can I find advice on doing that ?

Is it preferable to create a stand alone website with the tombstone photos ??

sorry to bug you with this questions, but anyway thanks a lot for any advice.

regards
Carlos Moreira
Porto, Portugal

copying old photographs

Lu Ann Ferguson — 10 Jan 2005 3:56:35 GMT

Has the world gone crazy? I went to one of those cool Kodak picture scanners at the biggest of the big box stores to copy some VERY old family photos to start on great Christmas presents for next year and was denied use of the machine due to "copyright" issues. Give me a break! There was no such thing as copyright prior to 1923 and since these photos predate 1850 (obviously, by the clothes and faces, to anyone with any sense at all), I'm furious that I don't have copies of these pictures in addition to the way I was treated. Short of hiring an attorney, does anyone have any suggestions or have you run into this problem before?

Thank you to those who helped

James W. McManus — 3 Sep 2005 7:57:28 GMT

A while back I posted messages seeking information about early 20th century photo postcard machines. I received invaluable assistance and information from a number of people and wish to thank them. Their generosity with information greatly assisted me demonstrate the means by which the Duchamp photograph, cited below, was made.
Information that I sought was related to an article that I was writing about the 1917 photograph of Marcel Duchamp seated before hinged mirrors. That article is included in the current edition of Les Cahiers du Museé national d'art moderne (Summer 2005, #92), published by the Centre Georges Pompidou. The article is titled, "Trucage photographique et déplacement de l'objet: À propos d'une photographie de marcel Duchamp prise devant un miroir à charnières (1917)
James W. McManus

Is this old woman the same as the younger woman?

K. Brand — 13 Jul 2005 10:46:53 GMT

I am going to attempt to do this in two postings. The last one I tried did not work. I want to know if anyone thinks the old woman is the same woman as the one in my next posting. The old woman's picture was taken about 1803. She would have been 86 years old.
Thanks!
K

I can't seem to get a decent copy sent...

K Brand — 14 Jul 2005 2:23:53 GMT

Help,
for some reason my second picture won't transfer. The only one that did is terrible! I clicked on the add and browse and selected the picture. The first few times nothing happened in 10 minutes. It just said done at the bottom. The last time, the lousy picture came through.

Traveling Photographer

K. Brand — 4 Jun 2005 10:30:47 GMT

Dad was finally able to delve into some of Granddad's photos (after 20 years). Unfortunately, the people that could identify the people in the photos are deceased. I did notice that several of the photos were stamped by a traveling photographer. What time period was this common? The family lived in southern Illinois near St. Louis. What is the likelyhood that one of these photos could be taken in the late 1850s before 1862?

Need photo dated

Ken — 23 Jul 2002 5:07:39 GMT

I too am trying to date a photo.It's a portrait photo of a man standing.It's very sharp & clear,including the watch-fob hanging on his vest.I'm hoping someone can date it from the suite he is wearing.KnCzar@aol.com

Help Dating Photo

Chuck Shultz — 17 Sep 2002 8:25:44 GMT

I need help dating the attached image. Perhaps the clothing is a clue. The woman may be my gg grandmother. If so, they are Polish immigrants and the picture was taken within 50 miles of Chicago.

Thanks for your help.

reproducing tin-type photos

swells9766 — 18 Jun 2004 9:32:03 GMT

I recently have found some tin type family photos. What is the best way to reproduce them?? I have photoshop 7 (neophyte) & an epson 2450 flatbed scanner. Any info would be greatly appreciated.

Where are they?

jcvsmom — 16 Sep 2004 5:43:09 GMT

I have a photograph of my great-grandparents and my great-grand aunt dated 24 Jul 1946. They appear to be on vacation and I am trying to figure out where. Does any one here recognize the spot or have any suggestions of how I could find out?
Thanks in advance...

picture of the dead child with it's eyes open

SH_McKenny — 29 Jun 2005 12:45:11 GMT

What do they called the pictures in the 1800's when a
baby or small child died and they took a picture of the dead child with it's eyes open, so it almost looked like it was still alive. Do you have any ideas? I have one of the
books that shows you how to narrow down the dates on the different photos, they actually have some of the pictures but do not say what "type" they are.

Dating Postcard Photos

mlgibson — 7 Jan 2006 2:47:18 GMT

Hoping someone on this board is into photography and knows what approximate years could be used to date the old picture postcards with studio portraits on the front and postcard printing on the back. We have a number of such cards with unidentified people in the pictures... they seem to be dressed in early 1900s clothing. Tried looking in the Ancestry.com book on dating photos, but couldn't find anything. Thanks for your help.

Copying slides

Don Hudson 7318 — 9 Dec 2004 3:45:33 GMT

I have about 2000 slides taken between 1957 and 1992 that I want to copy. I had thought of buying another scanner with the facility to copy slides. However, I’ve been told that much better results can be obtained by copying with a digital camera. Can anyone, from personal experience, tell me which method they have found to be best. If they have used the camera how did they set up to copy.

Help with removing musty odor from 50 yr old photos

missiehillie1 — 17 Sep 2004 8:17:05 GMT

Hi everyone!

I need some ideas on how to remove the musty, moldy odor from photos recently found in the basement of my parents home. Films date from the 40's to the 70's.

Thanks for your suggestions!

Robin
Anchorage, AK

digital cameras

rpf333 — 9 Mar 2006 12:09:28 GMT

is anyone using a digital camera to film microfilm images? it seems to me that you could film the image directly from the microfilm reader instead of having to take off the film and moving it to a microfilm copy machine. the image could be burned onto a cd, and with photo enhansing software it could be enlarged and or touched up to make it more readable. i am interested in doing this but don't have a camera and am looking for info from persons who are doing this and know what the problems or advantages are.
Thanks for your input!!

Suggestions for good B&W film processor of old photos

CatherineCooper91 — 6 Jun 2003 1:29:52 GMT

Hi,

I'm taking black and white photos of very old photographs.

Any suggestions for a really good developer/finisher who accepts mail-in orders?

I'm using TMAX 100 film.

Thanks for any help!

Trying to identify Civil War era photos

copet1 — 26 Jun 2004 5:33:50 GMT

I have a photograph of my ancestor's son, David Waller, who served in Co. D, WI 12th Infantry. He died in the Andersonville Prison in 1864. In the photograph he is standing with his hand placed on a book on a table. I believe it was taken before he entered the war.

On the other hand, I have another photo that looks similar to him, without his small beard and in a Union uniform. Can anyone loan their opinion if this might be the same person? I'm really stuck. I've purchased a few books and bounce ideas around and even ask friends if they think it is the same person, but no one can point anything out that might tell me for sure. Unfortunately, I only have prints and therefore can't tell if they are from the same studio. I could really use someone's suggestion or opinion. Thank you!!

Digital interior photos of historic building being demolished

Jack Copet — 12 Jul 2004 7:48:49 GMT

I am with a local historical society and just two weeks ago took some interior photos of the chapel inside the local Catholic hospital. The entire wing the chapel is in is coming down any day now.

Unfortunately, some of my photos were not completely clear, no matter how hard I tried. I cannot try again, as the chapel has been cleared out and the wing of the hospital is now blocked off.

I would appreciate any suggestions or feeback as to whether or not I can somehow make these photos more clear (I would think so with them being digital, but I am far from a professional). Thank you!!

Identities in photographs and how to ID them

jrm21086 — 10 May 2004 8:22:02 GMT

I have been scanning all the pictures from our family albumsinto the computer. I am not as blessed as some with older photographs, the majority of mine are within the last 30 years. Most are labeled or easily identifable by me or my direct family.

My question is, how would you reccomend putting a virtual "label" on the back of the TIF file, so that the people can be identified. Any ideas or suggestions would be much appreciated. Thank you

Need manual for old film editing machine!

Diane Altona — 19 Oct 2003 2:03:32 GMT

HELP! I need to edit and splice family movies my deceased father took years ago. Having just acquired a somewhat vintage Mansfield "Portable Action Editor" for 16mm (also does 8mm) movie films, I now need the instruction manual for operating the contraption! It's labeled Model 950 and I need #CIN-229 Instruction Manual for Mansfield Action Editors P950/P960.

If you have one and can photocopy it I'll gladly pay costs. I tried the only website that sells them and they have none in stock and little chance of getting one.

Cemetery Photography

JScruton6007 — 27 Jun 2001 3:04:41 GMT

Can anyone make a recommendation as to whether black and white film or color film is better for photographing tombstones? Any camera tricks for either also?

Thanks -

Jennifer

Photographers Studio??

tres33 — 27 May 2003 7:25:11 GMT

How would someone go about trying to locate the negatives from a now-defunct photographer's studio?

I'm specifically trying to find a copy of my grandparents wedding portrait taking in Nov 1924 by Lorstan Studios on Market St (or Main St) Paterson, NJ. (The only copy they had was destroyed in a house fire many years ago.)

The studio is long since out of business. And I'm desperate to locate a copy, if that is even possible.

Thanks so much.

Reproducing Tin Type Photos

AudreyWhedbee — 28 Apr 2003 3:06:04 GMT

Does anybody know where a person can get Tin Type Photos reproduced? Not paper copies . . .on tin.

Have a couple tin type family photos . . .everybody is arguing that they want the originals . . . that scans won't do . . .is there anywhere that a person can get duplicate tin type photo's?

Need help with dating confusing carte de visite

CatherineCooper91 — 16 May 2003 2:44:28 GMT

I have a faded carte de visite of one of my ancestors. I've been doing a lot of reading about dating, but this one photo has me perplexed.

Her dress appears to be 1860s (though I can't be sure. I couldn't find one like it in the books I have). The mounting paper is approximately .3mm, which is supposed to date the paper between 1858 and 1869. However, the corners are clearly rounded. There is one thin gold line around the perimeter of the mount, and it has rounded corners as well. My understanding is that rounded corners weren't used until after 1870. No info on the back or front of the card regarding the photographer.

Any help out there?

Need opinion/ advice re:PHOTOs

Family Friendly — 5 Jun 2003 2:05:46 GMT

We have 2 cabinet cards of unknown persons. Each is marked as of Claremont (SullivanCO), New Hampshire, but different photographers. I can find no link to Claremont in my trees, but the _surname_ of one of the photographers (listed as from Vermont) can be found near our relatives in Nebraska. In the gentleman's photo, his necktie is similar to those seen today (rather than the flowing bow-ties of the Civil War era), so the photos may be c1880s.
~ ~ Now the question: would it be reasonable to assume that a photographer of New Hampshire migrated to Nebraska with his leftover NH-imprinted cards; and took the photos in Nebraska marked as New Hampshire? This seems a likely answer -- and problably solves the identity questions.
~ ~ Opinions? Advice?

Saving Documents in the Proper Format

CharlesStamp — 13 Dec 2003 8:22:12 GMT

I know that JPG is the format of choice for emailing photos, but should scanned documents that are typed/written be originally saved to TIF, GIF, BMP, etc., for better clarity and picture quality? If so, can they then be copied to JPG format for emailing?

Copying old pictures that are in the original frame

kmbrown9010 — 27 Jun 2001 8:25:51 GMT

For most of my mothers family, the only pictures I have are in the original frames. Some of them are the ones with the oval convex glass. I am afraid to remove them plus my mother asked me not to take them out of the frames. Can anyone tell me how I can get copies of these photos done for easier handling and so I can share them with family members? I have no idea of who to see about them. Thank you.

tintype and burlap backed photo

sharih1 — 9 Aug 2004 8:35:25 GMT

Hi...
Can anyone tell me about a pic that is really different? I ran across a large 11/14 photo(loosely descibed-- as to me it looked like it was more of a painting with a chalky texture) the paper sort of thick and was pealing off a little from the backing which was burlap... Now, I have run across the tintype that I think was used to make the photo... the tintype is off 3 people but my subject is only from the bust up on the 11/14.
The lady in question is seated and wearing a print blouse with long puffy sleeves and a long plaid/checked skirt... They did not dress for this photo. Boy is in pants, suspenders and colarless shirt with arms rolled up or 3/4 sleeves. Girl is wearing a pin tucked dark color dress with what looks like a very wide waist just under bust line. Her sleeves are not as puffed and have a cuff. Their hair is strictly confined and pulled back. The background is painted and has a draped swag curtain and palm leaves...maybe a column

Can anyone help me date this?

Thanks,
Shari

Is this woman familiar to anyone

roonierella — 30 Apr 2004 11:24:52 GMT

I have no idea who she is, but her pictures was with a group of cards with 3 surnames:

Willie Jones
William Beaumont Jordan
Arthur Peter Woolfolk

Thanks

Scanning Old Photos and Negatives

LINDYLAND — 30 Jun 2001 1:31:59 GMT

I've had good luck scanning old negatives (film type) but have just recently come across several glass negatives about 4"x4". They have lots of detail when I hold them up to the light but none when I scan them. A local photography studio which specializes in restoration of old photos didn't do any better than I did on the film type negatives and charged $30 per picture so I'd rather try to figure out how to do this myself. Any advice?

PHOTOGRAPHS FROM THE PAST

mallen1720 — 23 Jun 2001 3:32:02 GMT

Hello,

I have a website dedicated to mystery photographs. Please take a look at the following site.

http://www.crosswinds.net/~plantation/index.html

Perhaps you can identify someone;perhaps you would like to add a photograph from your own collection of mysteries.

Please contact me if you would like to have a photo placed on my site. There is no charge since it is a labor of love for me.

Kind regards,
Mary Ann

Age of Photo?

abledrn1 — 11 Jun 2002 1:18:09 GMT

Can anyone help me to date this photo?
http://www.geocities.com/abledrn/oldPhoto.jpg

Copying documents with digital camera

jlieby — 25 Mar 2003 11:45:30 GMT

There was an article recently that described how to make a frame to hold the camera and document for consistent results. Does anyone recall where the article was published?

Seeking recommendations on inkjet printer for scanned old photos

Jmaccon — 22 Jun 2001 12:14:30 GMT

I have scanned many old (1870-1940s) photos which I'd like to print out. At this time I have an old HP 540 but want to replace it with a good quality inkjet for this job. Any recommendations?

restoring old photos

Roni — 28 Nov 1999 8:46:19 GMT

Can anyone recommend a program to restore badly faded photos. I have a wonderful old picture that is beyond my skills of enhancing with my scanner program.

Thanks for taking the time to answer, I am new and don't know if this has been recently discussed and if there are archives, I can't find them.

Roni

Stop by the Virtual Vintage Image

William Lawrence — 25 Dec 2001 1:16:35 GMT

Hi All,

I've recently updated my web site, the Virtual Vintage Image. The site contains a series of tutorials on enhancing digital images of vintage photographs. The most recent section addresses resolution for scanning old photos.

Please stop by and check it out!

http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~wflawrence/index.ht...

Bill

Annoyed using digital camera hooked up to TV

MonicaWilliams23 — 6 Jul 2001 9:26:14 GMT

Hello, I have a question. I take a lot of a digital pictures (all family events, travel, etc). When I want to show them off I use the big TV in the den because my home office with the computer in it is a mess and small. The pictures look good on the TV and I like to display them this way. But you can only look at what's on the memory card, IOW your most recent pictures. Also, the tiny controls on the camera (a Canon G1 are a pain and while I guess I could get longer cables I have to site very near the TV to operate. Are there any products that could make the experience better? I'm willing to spend a little but not too much since it is in the end a convenience issue. Thanks in advance for any suggestions you might have...

...Monica

Stuck photos

JenniferWheeler31 — 8 Jul 2001 5:50:13 GMT

Help i have this picture of my grandnothers great grandmother but it is stuck to a peice of cardboard any suggestions on how to free my photo so i can read the back of it

Lg. Oval Frame with convex glass pictures

P_Mrazik — 22 Jun 2001 4:51:13 GMT

I have several old family pictures in large oval frames with the convex glass. Can anyone tell me the time period these were most likely taken?
Thanks,
Peggy

Immigration photo

BarbaraKrause67 — 3 Sep 2001 2:55:44 GMT

I have what appears to be an immigration photo , it is of a woman and she is holding numbers under her chin. Is there anyway to go about tracing this.

Archiving photos on disk/CD

Barbara — 2 Mar 2001 1:42:15 GMT

I am currently going through old photos, scanning them, and saving them to my hard drive (for eventual transfer to CD). My question is -- what is the best format in which to save the photos? .jpg?? .bmp?? other??

Printing photographs via computer

whetston — 25 Jun 2001 10:18:57 GMT

Does anyone know the life expectancy of bubblejet computer printer ink when printing photographs? My aunt e-mailed me some wonderful old family pictures and I printed them on photo paper, but I'm concerned that a few years from now, the pictures may start to deteriorate because of the ink used. Thanks for your help.