RevelationsDiscovering yourself, your family, and your genealogy

Part V

Photography for Genealogists by Julie Sikes-Speir

Photography for Genealogists

Tips for Genealogy ResearchersBy Julie Sikes-Speir

Journal makingJournal writingGenealogical PhotographyGenealogical Study

A FOUR PART GENEALOGICAL

PROGRAM

Julie Sikes-Speir

Genealogical Program1. Journal making2. Journal writing3. Genealogical Photography4. Genealogical Study

Genealogy 101 – Getting Started (including local materials housed in libraries)Internet Mega databases Government Genealogical Research sitesNon-Government Genealogical Research sites

Photographic Genealogy

Every Photograph Tells a Story

From the Revelations Genealogy Series By Julie Sikes-Speir

Preserving Materials through Digital Documentation

Scanning needle work, small 3-D objectsScanning newspaper articles, obituaries, family biblesPhotographing vital records in courthouses Photographing tombstonesPhotographing homes or home sitesRecipes and other primary handwritten documentsScrapbooksSaving old photographs through digital scanning

These digital documents can be readily shared withmany friends and relatives.

Photographing Family Artifacts

Collins’s Chair

Note how short the legsof the chair are. These were worn down from use or the rockers were cut off.

Photographing Family Artifacts

Sisters

Photographing Family Artifacts

Mama’s Window

Photographing Family Artifacts

Door Knob Triptych

Photographing Family Artifacts

Mama’s Piano

A variety of objects can be digitally archived by use of a macro camera settings.

.

Scanning Artifacts

Camellias on scanner

Using a scanner to digitally preserve

A black box is placed overthe scanner to achieveblackout.

A variety of objects can be digitally archived by scanning

The scanner’s depth of field is very narrow.Portions of thick objects will be out of focus.

A variety of objects can be digitally archived by scanning

Scanned pictureremoved from frame

Scanning Obituaries

Newspaper obituaries of the 19th and 20th centuries were many times written by family members as was this one. Lafayette Sun, 1935

Steve Jobs Obituary, 2011

Scanning 2-D Materials

From a localgenealogical periodical

Converting NegativesWith PhotoShop

Old Photographic Negativeslarge and small format

This is a digitized photography created from an old large format negative scanned and adjusted in Photoshop using the invert function.

Negative

Digital Photographyfor genealogists

Photographing Vital RecordsCourthouses

Photographing Vital RecordsCourthouses

Photocopied will of Capt. Thomas HeardGreen County Courthouse, GA

A photograph would be of Better quality.

This was the connectingLink to Adventurers ofPurse and Person.The will proved that Mary Heard Cook was Thomas Heard’s daughter. Page 1 Page 3

Photographing Tombstones

Handout: Instructions for takingtombstone photographs.

Photographing Grave Markers

Handout: Instructions for takingtombstone photographs.

Photographing Family Sites

One of two stack chimneys’ at birthplace of my grandfather.

Photographing Family Sites

Old Well House

Langdale MillPhotographing Dark Environments

Photographing Historical Markers

Excellent way to record data quickly with a camera

Brief Photogaphic History

of early photographic techniques in the deep South

To effectively analyze old photographs your must understand a bitabout how those photographs were taken.

Deep South Photography Wagons Post Civil War

took this type of outsidephotograph

and this type of inside flash photography

Note the “blown out” effect in areas of the photo

Note the blur of thechild’s face on thefront row----movement

Carte de visiteThe carte de visite was a type of small photographic visiting card which originated in Paris in 1854 and remained popular well into the 20th century.

It was usually made of an albumen print which was a thin paper photograph mounted on a thicker paper card. The size of the mounted a carte de visite was about 2.5 x 4 in. The Carte de Visite gained popularity in 1859 when Emperor Napoleon III‘ used the cardsThis format became an overnight success, and was so popular it quickly spread throughout the world.Each photograph was the size of a visiting card, and such photograph cards became enormously popular and were traded among friends and visitors..

Napoleon III

Cabinet CardsThe Cabinet card was the style of photograph which was universally adopted for photographic portraiture in the 1870’s. It consisted of a thin photograph that was generally mounted on cards measuring 4¼ by 6½ inches.

Preserving and Protecting

PhotographsHandle photographs by the corners. Oils form fingerprints over time will damage photographs.

Preserving and Protecting PhotogarphsEnemies of Photographs• Sunlight or fluorescent light• Insects (particularly silverfish)• Rodents• Sulfur compounds given off by wood or rubber

cause fading (use metal frames)• High humidity – encourages mold growth

For these reasons don’t store photos in attics, basements or garages.

National Archives Preservation Tips

http://www.archives.gov/preservation/family-archives/mounting-collections.html

Saving Old Photographs through Digital Scanning

Every Photograph Tells a Story

How to Digitize Old Photographs

Use a home all-in-printer that has a scan option. (relatively inexpensive >$200)

Take photos to a commercial graphic or printing shop. May be necessary for large photographs or charcoal sketches. (relatively expensive)

Printer/scanner/copier

Digital Photo preservation

Scan photos at no less than 300 dpi.

This will allow for crisp images that can be enlarged a bit.

Photographing or Scanning Family Bibles

Primary and Secondary Sources

Family BibleThe family bible is only a primary source if events were recorded at or around the times that they actually occurred.

A family bible obtained in the 1800’s that lists birth dates, or other events, from the 1700’s is a secondary source.

Scanning Bible Records

Secondary Source

Bibles that belong to others are best photographed because you won’t have to take it home with you for scanning.

Note: Be careful not to get closer than the minimum focal lengthof your camera (At least 18 inches form the pages is usuallyfar enough away not to get a blurred image.) If available, the macro setting on a camera would be better.

Scanning Bible Records

Scanning other items

Scanning 2-D documents

WWII cereal box back foundin my great grandmother’s kitchen.

Scanning Recipes

Digitally archive hand written recipes .

Scanning Photographs found in scrapbooks and photo albums(copy stands may also be used)

Restoring Color PhotographsColor photographs fade within 20 years. Black/White or sepia photoswill not fade as readily as color.

RestorationUsing Photoshop

Scanning and Restoring Monochrome Photographs

RestorationUsing Photoshop

Properly labeling your Photographs

Lightly pencil the date and names of individuals in the old photos that you own on the back of the photo

Do the same with newer snapshots and studio photographs. Indicate the age of the subject as well as the location if known.

Years from now, this will help correctly identify the subjects.

Babies from individual familiesTend to look alike decades later.

Contacting Relatives

Family Reunions are an excellent source of genealogicalinformation as well as photographs.

Relatives may be willing to loan you family photos in exchange for a digitized archival copy .

A digitized photograph of a charcoal16x20 portrait. (Copied on a copy stand)

Photocopy of an adfrom the LaFayette SunOct, 1874.

Contact RelativesDigitized 4”x6”copy of the charcoal rendering.

Tips on Identifying Photographs

Who When Where

Photographic Detective WorkThe first steps in your research involve finding out who is in the photograph and when it was taken. While there are undoubtedly numerous photos of relatives among your family photographs, there are probably many images of friends, neighbors, and other associates as well.

Note: Be especially careful with portraits found in albums as many young men and women collected images of famous personalities. That distinguished portrait you have been trying to identify may be of royalty from a distant land or stage.

Dating Old Photographsby card color

White1858-1869 The earliest cards were on white cards( May have darkened or yellowed with age. 1871-1874 White was also commonly used but the cards were thicker.

Gray or tan cards were used 1861-66. Gray was also common 1872-80, though on a thicker card. And "soft" gray was again used, on very thick cards, 1902-1910.

Yellow was common 1869-74.

A variety of pale colors, lavender, green, blue, etc. were used 1873-1910. Some of these have one color on front, and another on the back.

Dating Old Photographsby Card Corners

As a general rule, older “carte de visite” or visiting cards (CDV's) have square corners, while later cards have rounded corners, up until about 1902 when square corners again came into fashion.

Rounded Edge

Dating old PhotographsNotched or Beveled Edges

Beveled edges were popular 1875-1900.

Notched edges were common 1894-1900.

Dating old PhotographsReverse Tax Stamps

Tax stamps were required on photographs from 1 Aug 1864 to 1 Aug 1866. The amendment allowing one cent stamps for very cheap cards was begun in March 1865, so cards with one cent stamps date between March 1865 and 1 Aug 1866.

Tax Stamp on the back of a US CDV firmly dates the card to the Civil War era. Revenue taxes were imposed to help pay for the war effort. Better yet, they were supposed to be cancelled by the photographer with his initials and the date, though often the stamp was just marked with an "X" or left un-cancelled. The amount of the stamp was dictated by the selling price of the card: 2 cents for cards selling for less than a quarter; 3 cents for cards selling for 26 cents to 50 cents; and 5 cents for cards selling for 51 cents to a dollar. Another category was added later, 1 cent stamps for cards selling for less than 10 cents each. If you have a card with a tax stamp, look closely at the cancellation, it may give an exact date!

Dating Old PhotographsVignette Head shot size

Small image, 20mm x 20mm or less - 1860-64 1. Image 20 to 30mm x 25 to 40mm - 1860-67 2. Image larger than 30mm x 40mm - 1866-75 3. Large head, covering 3/4 of print (typically 50mm x 75mm) - 1874-90

1 2 3

Clothing StylesOne of the most important clues in a photograph is the clothing.

The shape of a woman’s sleeve, the cut of a man’s coat, or the selection of a hat or other accessory can help you date an image within a few years.

Clothing can even indicate the occasion for the portrait.

Clothing Styles

Ladies’ fashion form 1820 to 1870

Clothing Styles

http://www.fashion-era.com/Excellent site to assist in dating clothing in old photographs.

Clues form PropsSometimes the simple details in a photograph provide clues. •A handkerchief held by a couple signifies a deceased child. •The presence of flowers in nineteenth-century images usually was significant. Victorian women studied books like The Language of Flowers . Flowers in a picture, may reveal something about the relationship between the people in the portrait.

White roses- virtue and chastity Yellow roses still stand for friendship or devotion. Sunflowers- haughtiness or respect Gerber Daisy -innocence or purity. Anemone- disappearance of hopePansy- thought Daffodil- regardIvy-fidelity

Photographic Detective Work

Originally this was thoughtTo be my Gt. Gt. Grandfather,because it resembled him so much.However, it turned out to behis son and his bride on theirwedding day.

Who

Photographic Detective Work

The T-Model Ford in thebackground dates this photo dates this photo in the 1920’s.

When

Dating Old Photographs

New England Historic Genealogical Society http://www.americanancestors.org/every-picture-tells-a-story/

When

Family Chroniclehttp://www.familychronicle.com/dating.html

http://www.billblanton.com/date.htm

Photographic Detective Work

The principal’s office

Where

Furniture elementscan give clues asto the location.

StorageArchival plastic sleevesArchival boxes

Storing Unmounted Photographs

Storing photos in polypropylene boxes would be a better alternative then shoe boxes and corrugated cardboard boxes.

To determine it is pp, look for the recycling symbol on the bottom, with the number 5 and the letters "PP".

Beyond Preservation

American Museum of PhotographyProvides Information on:Early photographic processesProtecting and preserving photographsArchival products

http://www.photographymuseum.com

Beyond Preservation

American Institute of Conservation Provides Information on: How to care for personal archival materialsFinding a conservator (referral service)

http://www.conservation-us.org/

DeadFred photo Archive a fun site

http://www.deadfred.com/surnames_05.php

Find photos of deceased people with a particular surnames

The present will someday bethe past…..

Capture today what others will treasure in the future.

Remember… Photographs are as important

to your family history research as census and vital records.

Besides, you might find out who you look like!

It’s never really

The End

Extras

Dating Old PhotographsFraming

One or two lines rectangular border near the front edge - 1861-69 or later. Oval frame for picture, sometimes printed, other times embossed in the card - 1863-68 Faint geometric patterns on backs of cards in the 1881-88 period.