In this monthly podcast, Maureen shares questions received via email and through social media. Can you tell us about changing exposure times for photographic portraits and why people didn’t smile for pictures? Do you have a good resource for looking up photographer names by location and years they were active? Is there a good resource for dating children’s clothing styles? How can I preserve a rusty tintype? Can you determine the financial status of a person in a portrait? What can you do with d...
Mar 28, 2021•21 min•Ep. 125
How did you and your ancestors learn how to take “Good Pictures?” It’s likely they read Kodak’s guide for amateur photographers, How to Make Good Pictures published from 1912 to 1995. New cameras and new technology influenced how we took photographs and what they photographed. My guest studied those popular guides to photography to compile a new type of history…one that focuses on average folks and their cameras. Arranged topically within time frames you’ll learn that photographing your tv was a...
Mar 21, 2021•28 min•Ep. 120
In amateur snapshots and selfies we don’t take care with our fashion. We pose in what we decided to wear that day. Now think about when you go to a photo studio. That’s entirely different. We dress up and our ancestors did too. They wore their best dress and perhaps a new hat to look their finest, the epitome of the fashion they could afford. Women’s magazines told them how to capture a good image and rules often came down to color, fashion, and the skill of the photographer. Related Episodes: E...
Mar 14, 2021•18 min•Ep. 119
If you thought that you knew Eliza Hamilton because you watched the Broadway musical, well…you need to read Susan Holloway Scott’s book, I Eliza . What makes good theater isn’t necessarily accurate. There is a whole lot more to the Alexander/ Eliza story. Susan is a master storyteller weaving fact with fiction to weave a tale that’s compelling. In this beautifully written novel of historical fiction, bestselling author Susan Holloway Scott tells the story of Alexander Hamilton’s wife, Eliza—a fa...
Mar 07, 2021•39 min•Ep. 118
In this episode, I answer your photo questions submitted through my social media accounts and via email. I have dozens of large photo albums that were put together by my grandfather and father from the 1980s to the present. Do I take all the photos out of the pages (4/page) or scan the whole page? I am trying to identify people in a large group photo. What is a good procedure for “blowing up” individual faces and comparing them to other photos of possibly the same person? How many backups of dig...
Feb 28, 2021•19 min•Ep. 117
I think that 19th-century tintype photographers would be amazed to see that their medium is still thriving in the age of digital photography. Their spirit exists in my guest for this bonus episode. Rob Gibson travels around the country with a motorcycle and a portable studio, similar to his itinerant predecessors who used wagons. He calls his set up the World’s Fastest Darkroom. From being a machinist participating in Civil War reenactments as a passion which landed him a movie role to his becom...
Feb 24, 2021•33 min
Collecting images is something that I’m familiar with. There are thousands of images in my research collection. It’s hard to stop purchasing interesting pictures because each one is a little different. My own collection features a variety of image formats including tintypes of men fishing off a prop boat with lines and fake fish. Women standing in front of fences and painted backdrops. Children posed in cute outfits in chairs designed for the purpose. The range of props, backdrops, and poses is ...
Feb 21, 2021•31 min•Ep. 116
When I saw coverage in The New York Times of a cache of slides and the attempts to identify the who, what, where, and when of them, I had to talk with the man who made this serendipitous discovery. Not all slides belong to be discarded some as my guest called it are “gold dust.” They document past local history and are cherished for that reason. Paul Moar is still stunned by the worldwide public interest in a bag or two of slides. It’s a feel-good story in a year of negative news. You’ll see wha...
Feb 17, 2021•29 min
Those inexpensive metal images of our ancestors appear in antique shops and online auctions in cases, paper sleeves, and without any protective covering. Durable enough to be mailed during the Civil War they were common throughout the latter half of the nineteenth century and persisted into the twentieth. Anyone could afford to pose for one. They came in a variety of sizes and shapes. Tiny thumbnail gems had lovely palm-size albums so that you could collect images of family and friends. They cou...
Feb 14, 2021•10 min•Ep. 115
If you thought tintypes were only from the olden days, you may be surprised to learn that the tintypes are still being produced today. Those dark tin images in your family collection don’t begin to show off the beauty of a tintype. Modern tintypes are amazing. The subtle colors let us imagine what those varnished ones of our ancestors must have looked like once. Suddenly the allure of a tin photo is clear. They are gorgeous portraits, ones that our relatives once relished. My guest uses a histor...
Feb 07, 2021•31 min•Ep. 114
In this new series, you ask the questions and Maureen answers. You can email her questions at photodetective@maureentaylor.com In this edition she talks about an interesting Spanish-American War image, a type of skirt worn by women in the 1920s, and how to resize images. It’s a potpourri of photo related inquires. Related Episodes: Episode 80: Photo Fun While Stuck in the House Links: View the Spanish American War image. Sign up for my newsletter. Watch my YouTube Channel. Like the Photo Detecti...
Jan 31, 2021•11 min•Ep. 113
Why let kids have all the fun at camp? For folks that love history see if there is a History Camp in your area and join in by presenting or participating. As they advertise: At History Camp, everyone is welcome. Anyone can attend. And anyone can present. Topics may range from local history to ancient times While Covid has shut down in-person events, this group has done a great job of pivoting with the times with weekly Thursday presentations on their Facebook page with recordings later on their ...
Jan 24, 2021•22 min•Ep. 112
I’ve mentioned before how the history of photography needs dedicated individuals to compile and collect bits of the story. There are so many details not covered in traditional history of photography publications. My guest this week uses digital collections and images in his own collection to study and date cased images like daguerrotypes and ambrotypes from the case styles to the mats. It’s an amazing project. Related Episodes: Episode 101 Rediscovering an African American Community Episode 24: ...
Jan 17, 2021•33 min•Ep. 111
It’s the beginning of the year. A good time to review the ways we approach our photos. Best practices vary based on what you are trying to accomplish. There is no setlist of what should be done in which order. For instance, Identifying photo best practices are not the same as the tasks relating to planning a virtual reunion. The same is true for photo organizing. The approach varies based on what you are trying to organize and whether it’s real or digital. Let’s start with the real stuff. First ...
Jan 10, 2021•13 min•Ep. 110
Family history doesn’t always come in a size and shape made for scanning. Pictures can be oversize. Albums don’t lie flat. Artifacts come with the mix. What’s a family historian to do? Invest in a Shotbox, a portable studio that’s simple to use. Debuted at Rootstech a few years ago and now is available at Michael’s, the craft megastore. My guest is Aaron Johnson. He combined a passion for preserving family history with design know-how to produce something that’s a must-have for anyone with a des...
Jan 03, 2021•27 min•Ep. 109
Ships passenger lists contain the name of the vessel that transported our ancestors from their homelands to the United States or travelers crossing the ocean. But do you know how to research those vessels to find information and images? This week’s guest can help. She’s with the Steamship Historical Society of America. Their mission is to record, preserve, and share the history of engine-powered vessels. In 1935 a group of historians and collectors passionate about steamships formed the Steamshi...
Dec 20, 2020•30 min•Ep. 108
Every Fall I start mumbling about the “highway to the holidays,” that hectic time of year that consumes any leftover moments of the day with preparations. The rituals, cooking, and cleaning are part of the holiday season regardless of what event you celebrate and how many people are in attendance. This year is a different kind of year for all of us. A once in a century event. It doesn’t mean I’m not decorating or sharing cooking with family though. I’ll be delivering confections to doorsteps ins...
Dec 13, 2020•12 min•Ep. 107
A number of years ago I attended a conference in Kansas City Missouri. With a free afternoon, I decided to visit the National World War I museum. The National World WWI Museum and Memorial is America’s leading institution dedicated to remembering, interpreting, and understanding the Great War and its enduring impact on the global community. The Museum and Memorial holds the most comprehensive collection of World War I objects and documents in the world and is the second-oldest public museum dedi...
Dec 06, 2020•36 min•Ep. 106
Every so often I’ll turn over an image and I’ll see a woman’s name as the photographer. Now I know that there were many female photographers from the daguerreotype era onward, but rarely are they featured in histories of photography or their work on display in an exhibit. My guest today is on a mission to change that her new book women in the dark focuses on female photographers from 1850 to 1900, the volume includes in-depth profiles of some women photographers. Revealing how they worked in a m...
Nov 22, 2020•38 min•Ep. 105
I’ve been delving into my family history a little more than usual and perhaps you are too. I’m also taking another look at my pictures. Examining them more closely and trying to tell the story of them. Even I have a photo mystery, one that’s bothered me for years. I’ve managed to tease out a few new identifications but the problem persists. It could be a group of friends mixed with some of my family. The issue is the number of images in my family collection. I don’t own many images of this side ...
Nov 15, 2020•12 min•Ep. 104
Your family history data, images, and movies might be on the web in a variety of places from genealogy sites to movie hosting platforms. Now imagine that you can create an online collection that gives you all those links in one place. Then write a family narrative within that site and be able to share as well as collaborate with other family. In one place you’ll have links to Uncle Jim’s pictures of the last family reunion in Google Photos, Aunt Sue’s family history project, Ancestry.com pages, ...
Nov 08, 2020•48 min•Ep. 103
I’m pretty lucky to live walking distance from a National Historic Landmark. The Lippitt House is a property of Preserve Rhode Island and it is Providence Rhode Island’s premiere Victorian house museum. Once inside this 1865 house you’ll understand it’s landmark status. It has one of the best preserved interiors in America, allowing visitors to experience exceptional Victorian design and American craftsmanship. My guest shares how an 1893 photo of the house allowed them to recreate pieces of the...
Nov 01, 2020•28 min•Ep. 102
Most photo collectors dream about stumbling upon a significant collection that changes our understanding of photo history. For Frank Morrill, it was a series of connections that led to his purchasing a huge collection of glass negatives. Years later his granddaughter held one up and asked him about them. That second look led to a collaboration with a historian at Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts, an exhibit and an award winner catalog for the show. Those negatives documented the Afri...
Oct 18, 2020•32 min•Ep. 101
It’s the 100th episode of The Photo Detective podcast and we’re celebrating in a big way. From a scary first Facebook Live episode to the current audio only format, this show all about pictures. Guests from around the world shared their picture projects and photo stories. It’s the Photo Detective so topics are mostly photo related but watch out I’m a fan of historical fiction so authors talk about writing too. The show is a combination of my two loves–history and photography. Dear friend and col...
Oct 11, 2020•34 min•Ep. 100
Stuck at home during this pandemic looking for something fun to do? Look no further than the National Museum of American History’s Photographic History Collection and the Smithsonian Learning Lab. The Photographic History Collection (PHC) represents the history of the medium of photography from the daguerreotype era to the present. In numbers that adds up to over 2000 identified photographers and studios, about 200,000 photographs, and about 15,000 cameras, pieces of apparatus, studio equipment....
Oct 04, 2020•42 min•Ep. 99
Have you ever wished that you could verbally tell the story of a photo and connect it to the image? Suppose you could do that through an app or a phone call. And it was FREE. There is a company that offers a way to save those photo stories by putting pictures and words together. It’s pretty amazing. It’s called Storyglory.me On a visit home to Minneapolis one holiday, my guest found a box of old photos in the closet, spread them out on the kitchen table, and started scanning them with his phone....
Sep 23, 2020•32 min•Ep. 98
Perhaps you have a mystery photo and you’re wondering what a photo consult is like. During the course of a photo consultation, I look at your photos and discuss what you know about the pictures in question. It’s often a deep dive into your family history.Together we discover and discuss the clues in the photograph and look at connections to your family history. Frankly, I never know where a photo consult is going to go. It depends on the pictures. The pictures drive the inquiry. The clues of who...
Sep 16, 2020•12 min•Ep. 97
There are unscrupulous folks in every field. Even in historical photography. Imagine going to the effort of learning historical photographic methods, buying appropriate materials all to dupe a buyer. It’s unfortunately true. When I heard my guest at a conference, my mouth fell open in disbelief. Spotting the fakes requires sharp eyes and a knowledge of historic images. I’ve seen some at Brimfield, the huge antique market in Massachusetts. In this age of electronic purchases and auctions it reall...
Sep 09, 2020•42 min•Ep. 96
Imagine being able to save your digital family archive without spending a lot of money. And being able to share it too. That’s the premise behind Permanent.org. I’m not sure how I missed my guest at two RootsTech conferences but I did. Thank you to Nancy Desmond of MemoryWeb for reminding of of their service. I have to admit I still didn’t believe it was real. An archive for genealogists? How could that be possible? Well it is and as a former curator it’s a dream come true. It’s even better than...
Sep 02, 2020•29 min•Ep. 95
Postmortem images can cause quite a stir and for some it’s a fascination due to the disturbing subject. These photographs chronicle a family loss in a graphic manner. Often taken as a last attempt to capture an image of a loved one. There were photographers that specialized in the medium making the deceased as life-like as possible. These types of images were particularly popular during the Victorian period. Now imagine one of those photographers as a central character in a television series set...
Aug 19, 2020•38 min•Ep. 94
