ancestor photographs

How to Google photograph records for ancestry research.

One day, I looked through a series of ancestor photographs taken in the early 1900s. For the first time, I noticed the writing on the window behind the row of carriages. I took out my magnifying glass and looked closer to find the name of the company (Spanish Fork Co-op), the date it was established, and related information. I learned more about the co-op and found that my great-great-grandfather was president. That piece of information was just the beginning of the stories and documents that helped me build my knowledge of that generation and their place in my history.

Google Ancestor Photographs
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This is an example of a collection of ancestors that can be found at universities, libraries, societies and more. The collection is entitled:  BYU Library: George Edward Anderson Collection. I found over 50 photos that were related to my family.

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Clues Found in Ancestor Photographs

Now, as I look at ancestor photographs, I see essential clues that are so prominently displayed but so innocently overlooked. Next time you look at your ancestors’ photographs, search for the following clues to help in your research:

Photographer’s imprint

Photographers placed imprints in different places, depending on the type of image. The imprint can be on the front cardboard mount, the back of the image, or in the lower right corner of some images. Imprints include the photographer’s surname and sometimes the location where they operated their business. Try these resources for additional help researching photographers. With this information, you can do a Google or other online search. On one of the photographs in my collection, I saw the imprint of George Anderson. I did a Google search on the name and included the location of Utah County, Utah. My search results included a listing for the BYU archives, which housed over 12,000 images taken by George Edward Anderson. As I searched the database, I found over 200 images relating to my family, most of which did not have anyone in my family.

Military uniforms

Pay attention to the hats, braiding, patches, shape and style of pants and jackets, and any props included in a military uniform. Consult one of the many encyclopedias for the military dress. With the help of a shoulder patch from a WWI photo, I secured details about the individual’s unit and military records.

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Work or trade dress

Throughout the 1800s and 1900s, uniforms were an essential part of defining individuals and who they were. Even today, the uniform is as important as the job itself in many countries. In many of the photos, men wore loose shirts, work pants, and sometimes hats. Tradespeople were known to wear more distinctive clothing that identified their occupation, which can help place them in a geographic context. Look for individuals who posed for portraits with the tools of their trade.

Use Photographs to Expand Your Historical Family Research
Introduction to how you can use photographs to tell the story and expand your research for individual and family research. Learn about the types of clues that are in plain sight but often overlooked.

  • Ethnic or regional variations. Many ancestors were proud of their heritage. Look for ethnic and regional dress reflecting the local culture. Pay attention to any details in a person’s dress that does not reflect contemporary fashion.
  • Postal clues. Family pictures were often used as postcards, and I’ve used the postmark and stamps to define periods and locations. Don’t forget to check the back of the card for a message.
  • Props. Many photographs of ancestors include props. A prop can tell you where a picture was taken. Interior scenes can reveal products, furniture, and even religious beliefs.
  • Location. Outdoor pictures contain scenery, signage, and buildings, and these can all help determine where the picture was taken.
  • Celebrations. Since families document their history in photographs of events like weddings, baptisms, holidays, and even deaths, look carefully for extra clues to the location and ethnic roots.

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Include Ancestor Photograph Information in Your Timelines

I have used clues found in the ancestor photographs to help trace my ancestors’ immigration and migration.

One of my main objectives as a genealogist has been to re-gather the record from generations past, which includes many precious and one-of-a-kind photographs, which I preserved, documented, and shared with members of my immediate and extended family. Look for photographs by asking relatives. Re-examine your research and see if documents and histories contain photographs. For instance, starting in 1929, all Declarations of Intentions required a picture of the individual seeking citizenship. Alien registration cards and passports also contain images of your ancestors. Make sure you search library, archive, genealogical, and historical society collections. Once you learn who your ancestors’ friends were, contact the genealogist of the family and request to see if some documents or photographs document the relationship between families.

As a matter of practice, when you look at ancestral photographs, ask yourself these questions to recognize available information:

  • What do you know about the image?
  • Who was its previous owner?
  • How did it come to be in your possession?
  • Are there any stories associated with it?
  • Why was it taken?
  • When was it taken?
  • Do you know any of the people in the picture?
  • Did a family member supply the identification?

When you can’t identify ancestor photographs on your own, show the picture to as many relatives as possible. You don’t know when someone will have an identical copy. Post it on your website or someone else’s. Many sites help identify photographs or reconnect people with lost family photographs.

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Identifying Ancestor Photographs

Now that you have located ancestor photographs, the next step is correctly identifying the images. Treat the photos with great care. Do not turn the photo over and start writing. That will damage the photo. The method I use is to scan the photo and name the image. I will then enter the following data into a photo log:

  • Date (exact or approximate) of the photograph.
  • Names of individuals in the photograph, in the order they appear, are recorded so as not to confuse anyone at a later date. (“From left to right . . .” or “In the top row, second from right . . .”).
  • The ages of the individuals.
  • The circumstances around which the picture was taken.
  • Who took a photograph, if known.
  • If there is an original negative, where it is located.
  • If the photograph is a copy of an original, where the original is located.

The above information is accurate for images that have been captured from tombstones, newspapers, and so on. Add any other information to help find where the photo came from, such as the cemetery and lot number, the name of the newspaper, issue and page numbers.

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Google Other Ancestor Records

The following is an overview of the common 18 types of ancestor records that I have found constantly valuable in my historical and genealogy research and hundreds of other resources I have learned to research and use through the years. When I mastered researching these resources, I could quickly expand my research to other records to help me connect the pieces of my genealogy puzzle.

Google Ancestor Records
Cemetery Records Census Records Church Records
Civil Vital Records Directory Records Family Histories
Histories and Biographies Land Records Maps
Message Boards, Mailing Lists, and Wiki’s Military Records Naturalization Records
Newspaper Records Photographs Probate Records
Publications and Periodicals Ship Passenger Lists Writings of Ancestors

In my profile of each resource, I have included what you will find, how to use the resource, and research insights for each resource. I would encourage you to use this section as a starting point from which you can search out and find other genealogical tutorials, and guides that help to provide deeper insights.  The common websites that researchers first think of are Ancestry, Archives, FamilySearch, FindMyPast and MyHeritage.

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