You’ve probably seen the shows where ghost hunters go to spooky places to look for entities and use equipment to capture them. Well, believe it or not, one of the tools they use is special technical cameras. Behind the scenes, ghost hunters are a lot like genealogists. They look for documents and images to help determine what might be going on in these haunted places. This episode is part of my series on how other professions use historical images. Related Episodes: Episode 61: Mourning Jewelry ...
Oct 24, 2021•21 min•Ep. 151
There is so much confusion about which photos depict mourning and which ones don’t. I thought it was time to have someone other than me weigh in on the controversy. My guest posted on Twitter about mourning dress and it went somewhat viral. So glad she said yes to be a guest on the podcast. Related Episodes: E pisode 61: Mourning Jewelry: Fact or Fiction Episode 76: Who’s That Baby? Tips for Solving Snapshot Mysteries Links: Roses and Rue Antiques Sign up for my newsletter. Watch my YouTube Chan...
Oct 17, 2021•34 min•Ep. 150
A long time ago, my skills as The Photo Detective helped me identify photographs for press kits and textbooks. Over the years, I’ve located photos for my own publications and helped countless authors and historians with their image problems too. Today’s guest is an experienced genealogist and historian. When she needed help piecing together a photo mystery, she contacted me. I was happy to help. Without her guidance as an editor at Betterway Books (now Family Tree Books), there wouldn’t be a Fam...
Oct 10, 2021•25 min•Ep. 149
Genealogists love going to cemeteries to view the resting place of ancestors. Information and symbolism on stones vary depending on the time period. Beginning in the mid-nineteenth century, some gravestones featured photographs. Have you ever seen one? My guest has. He’s been wandering in rural cemeteries in Maine to find out more about the practice. Related Episodes: Episode 21 The Gravestone Girls Episode 94 Dead Still: Postmortem Photography and Crime Fiction Program Links: Daguerreian Societ...
Oct 03, 2021•37 min•Ep. 148
This month’s Q & A is a themed podcast on postcards. Thank you to everyone that mailed me a postcard! Related Episodes: E pisode 143: Ask Maureen September 2021 E pisode 138: Ask Maureen July 2021 Links: Sign up for my newsletter. Watch my YouTube Channel. Like the Photo Detective Facebook Page so you get notified of my Facebook Live videos. Need help organizing your photos? Check out the Essential Photo Organizing Video Course . Need help identifying family photos? Check out the Identifying...
Sep 25, 2021•27 min•Ep. 147
Twitter is a social media platform that folks either love or hate. It doesn’t generate too much of an in-between feeling. It’s known for short posts and hashtags. It’s the place you go for breaking news and some groups like #GenChat use it to inspire collaboration and social interaction in the genealogy world. There are photo historians on Twitter too. But I was surprised to see a photo reunion trending. Historian and author Victoria Johnson maximized her Twitter reach by encouraging her student...
Sep 19, 2021•33 min•Ep. 146
I know that my guest’s feelings about abandoned orphan photos will resonate with you. He hates seeing a photo abandoned and unfortunately he sees a lot of them. It’s a personal mission for Kody Beltz of the Good Finch Company of Witcha, Kansas. He’s an estate and antique dealer. His eventually successful adventure using Facebook to reunite some identified images with family resulted in national attention. Here’s the amazing part–Kody isn’t a family historian. He just loves photos and prefers the...
Sep 12, 2021•24 min•Ep. 145
How long do you spend working on a photo mystery? It might surprise you to hear that this week’s guest spent more than a decade on her photo problem. The combination of family connections and research can helped her solve several photo problems. Early on in this journey, she asked me to weigh in on her picture. It resulted in an article in Family Tree Magazine . A few years later another article in Family Tree Magazine was a status update. Recently she sent me her analysis and I was amazed. In a...
Sep 05, 2021•20 min•Ep. 144
Every month Maureen does a live Q & A on Facebook and YouTube answering questions submitted by listeners. Have a question? Email her at photodetective@maureentaylor.com This month’s questions: How did Maureen become The Photo Detective? Summertime hazards for photos Disaster planning tips Did snapshots get mounted on card stock? Related Episodes: Episode 138: Ask Maureen. July 2021 Edition Episode 125: Ask Maureen. April 2021 Edition Links: Sign up for my newsletter. Watch my YouTube Channel...
Aug 29, 2021•23 min•Ep. 143
Their website makes it clear that the eight-person team at Vintage Aerial loves preserving the heritage of rural America and sharing it with anyone and everyone who cares. They’ve built a website of an amazing 18 million images and growing that anyone can access. There are also photo mysteries on the site that you might be able to solve. Identify one homestead and it unlocks the rest on the roll of film. Anyone can sign up for an account, browse the collection, and order prints. Beware though…on...
Aug 22, 2021•36 min•Ep. 142
From stamps to envelopes and postcards, my guest’s collecting passions expanded when he bought a few cards at a sale and became fascinated by the postmarks (and messages). He’s an expert on postmarks and using them as a photo clue. We chat about the golden age of postcard printing and the bits of history a postcard can convey including a link to President Garfield’s assassination. Jim Mehrer tells some great stories relating to postcards–why they were sent and why we should definitely read the b...
Aug 15, 2021•38 min•Ep. 141
In today’s world, those of us with mobile devices communicate by texting. For our turn of the twentieth-century ancestors, it was through the mail. Imagine getting multiple mail deliveries a day and the possibilities of that communication. Postcards were a quick way of touching base with friends and family. Businesses used cards to advertise and so did realtors. Real photo postcards are my favorite, but if you think they were unique, my guest clarifies that. My guest started writing postcards as...
Aug 08, 2021•32 min•Ep. 140
It’s time for another themed month. This time it's postcards. Three guests this month share stories about their personal connections with these mailable images. In this episode, English collector Mark Routh chats about his collection which spans 1869 to the present. He has some museum-quality gems. Did you know that dirigibles mailed items for their passengers? Neither did I. You won’t believe how many postcards he’s accumulated in his lifetime. It all began with a single card that his father ga...
Aug 01, 2021•28 min•Ep. 139
Every month, Maureen tackles photo identification, photo preservation questions from those submitted through social media and email. You can submit a question through photodetective@maureentaylor.com This month’s questions: After scanning portraits, what to do concerning saving or discarding the card stock photo frame/folders. Will that card stock damage the photo long-term? What should I use to mark the back of un-mounted tintypes? I inherited family pictures that are incredibly old. Many of th...
Jul 25, 2021•15 min•Ep. 138
Attorney David Whitcomb purchased space for a new office and found forgotten picture history of the suffrage movement. These old photos revealed clues about local history and national politics. In our last house, we found a note from the first owner hidden beneath the wallpaper. Nothing too amazing. His name and a date. In this house, there is a cobweb-filled bin in the back of the basement filled with old doors that were once used. I’m actually afraid to dig around in it, but this podcast episo...
Jul 18, 2021•28 min•Ep. 137
Collecting is often a hobby that starts when we’re in grade school. Did you have a childhood hobby? I did. I loved learning about family history and old photos. I’m still passionate about it today. My guest turned his hobby of collecting old photographs of famous stars of television and movies into a lifetime pursuit. At some point, he began gathering bits of New York’s picture history one box of glass negatives at a time. When I asked him about the size of his collection, he laughed. Yup…that a...
Jul 11, 2021•28 min•Ep. 136
A few years ago, I gave a presentation at The Varnum Armory a medieval-style building in East Greenwich Rhode Island. After the talk, members took me behind the scenes. Built in 1913, it is the headquarters for Varnum’s Regiment, a chartered unit of the RI colonial militia. Flags, banners, uniforms, artifacts, and weaponry in the collection date from the colonial period through the twentieth century. Since I’ve worked on the Last Muster series of books of images of individuals who lived during t...
Jul 04, 2021•33 min•Ep. 135
At Rootstech 2021 myself, Nancy and Christopher Desmond of MemoryWeb.me presented a three-part class on unlocking the shoebox of photos. I love partnering with those two. They have a passion for genealogy and photography. Thousands of people watched our class and asked questions about the topic. There were so many queries we decided to do a dedicated Q & A webinar. This is a recording of that event. By the way…the class is still live and will be until 2022. We offered a show special that is ...
Jun 27, 2021•43 min•Ep. 134
Included are ambrotypes, daguerreotypes, glass negatives, tin types, cabinet cards, photo postcards, photo strips, photomatics, and snapshots – over 100 years of social history and the development of photography. Related Episodes: Episode 116: America and the Tintype with Steven Kasher Episode 99: Finding Photographs on the Smithsonian Learning Lab Links: Interview with Hugh Nini and Neal Treadwell Sign up for my newsletter. Watch my YouTube Channel. Like the Photo Detective Facebook Page so you...
Jun 20, 2021•32 min•Ep. 133
Take one wedding photo, add some research and you’ll end up with quite the story. That’s the premise behind The Wedding Detectives on BBC Radio 4. Charlotte Sibtain was on The Photo Detective back in episode 44 vintage Wedding Photos. I discovered Charlotte’s Instagram feed and so did reporter Cole Moreton. Together they uncover the tales behind what on the surface look like ordinary wedding images. Murder and mayhem are just one of the stories they found. You don’t have to live in the UK to lis...
Jun 13, 2021•32 min•Ep. 132
The fight for racial equality in the nineteenth century played out not only in marches and political conventions but also in the print and visual culture created and disseminated throughout the United States by African Americans. Producing printed and photographic images for activists that advanced their campaigns for black rights. Related Episodes: Episode 101: Rediscovering an American Community of Color Episode 120: Good Pictures: Amateur Photography and Our Family with Art Historian Kim Beil...
Jun 06, 2021•31 min•Ep. 131
Each month Maureen answers questions from listeners. When scanning cabinet cards, do you only do one scan of the entire front of the card which would include the border & photographer logo, or do you also make a 2nd scan of just the photo itself? Carol asked: I have a picture of my GG grandmother (1829-1901). She is elderly in the picture & wearing small hoop earrings. It appears that her ears are pierced. Was it common in the 1800s for an older woman to have pierced ears? Did they go ou...
May 30, 2021•17 min•Ep. 130
Two and a half years ago, Shannon Uschold of Generation Story app was a guest on this podcast. Listeners rocketed it to one of the top ten episodes where it stayed for a couple of years. I know you have heirlooms you don’t know what to do with and items you’d like to share. Two years ago, Shannon had a dream and worked tirelessly to find solutions. She did it. Generation Story app gives us a way to preserve the stories of heirlooms large and small as well as providing a way for us to share our h...
May 23, 2021•24 min•Ep. 129
May became National Photography Month in 1987 when Congress recognized the role photography plays in modern society. The American Photographers Association one of the primary backers and supporters of Photography Month. There are activities, exhibits, and sales all month. Here are some fun ways to participate. With the advent of digital imaging interest decreased but then returned in 2007. National Photography Month Activities Photograph everyday moments Make a plan to document your life for you...
May 16, 2021•16 min•Ep. 128
Death by outfit isn’t something featured in the game of Clue but it could be. Our ancestors lured to the new bright colors of the nineteenth century wore garments poisoned with arsenic and mercury, perhaps hurrying along their deaths. Not that you’re likely to see that as a cause on a death certificate. These garments continue to be harmful to curators today with long lasting toxins. You’ve probably never thought about fashion history as a dangerous profession, but this episode will change your ...
May 09, 2021•35 min•Ep. 127
My guest offers tips on preserving the memories of loved ones we’ve lost. Photographs are a key part of remembering. We can see their faces and it triggers a range of emotions in us. Family history offers us the way to continue to keep our loved ones a part of our everyday lives. Allison Gilbert’s ideas for honoring the ones we love are not just for adults. Children will be able to participate in these activities as well. Related Episodes: Episode 103: Collect, Preserve, and Share with Collectio...
May 02, 2021•27 min•Ep. 126
At the end of every month, I answer questions from listeners. How do I safely remove photos from a spiral-bound album? The kind with the sticky page covered with a sheet of cellophane Celia, that’s called a magnetic album and they were really, really popular and you can still buy them today. There are so many family tree sites. How do we know which one might be best for us? Well, it depends because they’re all a little bit different. What is the best way to scan pictures from a yearbook? You can...
Apr 25, 2021•25 min•Ep. 125
It doesn’t take hindsight to realize you’re living in historic times. This last year has taught us that. This week’s guest told me that residents of Lexington and Concord immediately recognized the significance of April 19, 1775, and saved pieces to document that day. A few years ago, the Concord Museum in Concord, Massachusetts assembled a temporary exhibit called The Shot Heard Round the World. It was an amazing display of ordinary and extraordinary bits of history. Now they’ve created a perma...
Apr 18, 2021•28 min•Ep. 124
Every time I see another news story on a photo reunion that’s happened through crowdsourcing images online I chuckle. I have a closet full of mysteries and not much luck reuniting images with living people. Yet, just in the last few months, there are images being shared online that are within a short time being reunited. It’s clearly the world’s new Pandemic pastime. There is a Victoria Johnson, a professor at Hunter College who’s the author of American Eden: David Hosack Botany and Medicine in ...
Apr 11, 2021•9 min•Ep. 123
Over the years, clients have asked, “Where can I purchase a replacement case for my daguerreotype (or other cased images)? I finally have an answer for that. My guest takes molds of historic cases and creates reproductions. Not only can you purchase a variety of designs for old photos. Some of his clients use them for modern-day pictures creating a place where the past meets the present. Museum seeking to display copies of valuable images contact Steve Hane too. You may have seen his work and no...
Apr 04, 2021•32 min•Ep. 122
