5 Photos Genealogists Should be Taking Now

Comments (22)

• All great ideas, but think the pictures of the cars should be stressed. When a teen drives his/her first car they will remember, but what about that second, third, etc., car? They should all be recorded as who knows when the electric car will be everywhere?

• Even military group photos. We have an old photo of my dad who enlisted in the Army January 1950, just after his 18th birthday, just before the Korean War. The photo is a group of young men in their Army fatigues and the only one we know in that photo is our father. We found this photo after my father’s passing in 2004.
  Most of the military records for the Korean War were lost to a fire in the building where they were kept.

• The House! Don’t forget to take pictures of the houses, including the changes in them overtime. Chimneys get removed, shutters, siding, and additions get put on as the family grows and/or becomes more prosperous. Take pics of barns and landscapes too because they change as well.

• Wonderful suggestions! My mother-in-law never threw anything away, and would always write on the back of photos the name and date. After she died, we found boxes and boxes of photos, receipts, newspaper articles, deeds, you name it…how wonderful for me to be able to match a name with a face. Thank you, Evelyn! I framed many of these photographs and placed them around a family tree my daughter had made for me. I made a map of the photos, and then compiled a page of information for each person represented in a reference “book.” Now anyone can go right to that person and read about them—and I don’t have to memorize all that info!

• Wonderful article on picture taking. I also read the comment that someone had put an envelope on the back of the picture with info. This is all good. However, PLEASE make backups of your photos and store them off-site! My youngest brother-in-law had all the photos of my husband’s family. I had borrowed them and scanned all of them. A few months later his house was totally demolished in a tornado. The tornado was on the ground for 127 miles – yes, 127 miles! None of the photos were ever recovered. Had I not scanned them, no one would have copies. They aren’t the original, but at least all the siblings have a flash drive or CD with photos.
  My brother and I also share lots of copies of photos. Therefore, we always have a safe back-up.

• The article was very well presented and I have taken numerous pictures of the types you speak of. I made up a book about each of my parents and used some of those pictures to add to the stories. The books were well received by my siblings and grandchildren.
  I enjoyed reading the comments written by the readers of your article. Thank you all.

• My mother started the tradition of taking my photo on the first day of school every year. And I continued that tradition with my children and grandchild. On the first day of school, children are usually dressed in New clothes, have haircuts, and look happy. So it’s a perfect day to take photos. BTW When my mother started this tradition, the photo was taken in our front yard, because in the late 1940’s, very few people could afford flash equipment. So, taking the photo in the front yard will also document where you lived. I still have a quiet chuckle when I think of the first day of school for my son in 1975. He was the epitome of fashion in his turtle neck t-shirt and plaid, flared pants…..😁

• I have been fortunate enough to have portraits and pictures going back to my great-grandparents (taken late 1800’s) hung like a geneaologist tree. My then 8 and 6 year old granddaughteres wanted to know who all the people are. As I began to tell the stories, the 8 year old asked if any of this was written down. I explained it is oral history passed from generation to generation. Her reply was a lopsided grin as she clearly stated “Gram, I don’t think you will live that long!”
  I know have a small envelope on the back of each picture with details and memories.

• Great article and suggestions. I agree with documenting photos – some of my very old photos say “this is the baby”. When photos don’t have information sometimes another family member – even a distantly related cousin! – may have the same photo (or another photo of the same people) that does have information. Hang on to old undocumented photos because eventually you may find answers and, in my case, meet your 3rd cousin once removed, solve a mystery together, and form a great friendship!
  Also, a photo of people in front of a house may show the house number. I recently learned the location and date of a photo of my grandmother with her siblings and parents (all adults) from the house number and an online directory. It was her sister’s house and she had moved there about 1949!

• Wonderful advice. I’m also working on photos of places I have worked. Sadly, many are now gone.

• I have been fortunate that most of the previous houses I have lived in have been listed on a generic realtor’s web site. They include photos and floorplans that I can combine with my own to provide an evolving timeline. It’s always interesting (for me) to see what changes others may have made along the way, if any.
  I agree that multigeneration photos, especially single gender, always look great. When we took a group photo of the extended family a few years ago at my parents’ 70th wedding anniversary it was a bit awkward to identify some people because not all were facing the camera. Smaller groups are definitely a better way, with the big group photo to tie it all together.
  I note some good pointers in some of the comments relating to labelling and dating photos, something I haven’t always done.

• Take pictures of work and business trips. You also might want to take pictures of the older pictures you have just in case. I also take pictures of fishing buddies that I only see on the fishing boat. Be sure to document who’s in the picture.

• A photo is only as good as the information attached to it… date and label physical photos… and/or include that information with digital images as a file name or as digital labels. I have hundreds of photos of grandparents, great grandparents and older relatives, none are labeled and nobody is still alive that can identify who is who or even if the individuals are actually related. They say images are worth a thousand words, but without a Date and Label, all those words become worthless!

• For those who are kicking themselves for not getting photos of homes before they’re torn down, I have a workaround for some of you. Google Maps! Type in an address and search. When you get to the photo of where the house used to be, check the upper left corner of the photo itself. Under the small “Google” logo, there may be a tiny clock, and next to that, it says “street view” and the date. Click that clock, and it will show you a timeline with dates past photos were taken. The earliest ones were from 2007, so if there is a photo from that year, the building may still be up!
  And for those who are inclined, I take screenshots of places my ancestors worked, went to school, went to church, any place of significance. It’s a nice way to add relevant substance to your ancestors’ lives.

• I’ve taken photographs of the steps making our traditional family foods for holidays, some years just a shot before going in the oven and after baking, and have some years detailing the entire process. My favorite photos are of my granddaughter and I making them together as I have photos of working with my son when he was young and also now as an adult and even my husband lending a hand. Multi-generational pics of baking or cooking together are the best!
  And I also read about a family that took a photograph of all the cousins when they were little lined up by ages–and how they’ve made it a tradition to duplicate the photograph over the years. So priceless!

• I’ve and am creating books for each member of the family showing their homes, vehicles, activities and family groupings at their. 40th, 65th and 70th birhdays.. It helps me to remember to keep on taking those photos.
  Thanks for reinforcing.

• I wish I had pictures of my grandparents at their work.

• Take a picture of all the places you have lived. Before they are no longer there. I am doing that.

• Take a picture of all the homes/ apartments you have lived in for future generations to see. I have been doing that. I was to late for a couple of places they had been torn down. One where my husband and I first lived after getting married.

• Good Housekeeping ran a series of a family that took a photo in front of their house every year. Another series of photos that would be memorable in later years is the family with their car. Showing the license plate would date the photo.

• When taking headstone photos I always have my son stand behind the husband’s stone and my daughter stand behind the wive’s stone. The both stand behind single stones for both spouses.
  This way I will always know which stone is whose.

• And don’t forget the house, at least the outside. I cannot get my children to take/provide pictures of past homes now while one remembers where it was (smile). I do not have pictures of the homes that three of my five grandchildren first lived in.
  I have enjoyed finding in the 1950 census the apartment numbers of places lived in NYC by my parents and my grandparents. I wish that I had taken pictures of those. One house of my maternal grandparents is now 10 apartments.