The Photo Detective
Time is cruel to memory. When memories fades with the generations it is only the corporeal remnants of memory that serve to remind us of events past. Photographs are the most easily accessible documentation of family history but often the photographs are unlabeled and thus contain no outright information about their subjects. Unlabeled photographs, however, are not entirely devoid of clues to their content. Enter Maureen Taylor - Photo Detective.
Using sociological analysis of clothing, hair style, accessories, and other contextual clues, plus a seemingly encyclopedic grasp of markings, stamps, and the like, Ms. Taylor has made quite the career out of her genealogical hobby.
I am willing to bet that Ms. Taylor wishes that her job, though enjoyable, didn’t have to exist. A lesson should be learned here: documentation. Daguerreotype, ambrotype, JPEG, or TIFF: document your photograph for future generations. Take some time to learn about archival methods of storage so that your twentieth-generation descendants can find value in your photographs.
Ms. Taylor: I’ll have you know that I struggled with the temptation of sending in one of my decidedly anachronistic daguerreotypes. Perhaps I’ll use a smidgen of subterfuge and submit one through an intermediary in order to tickle your funny bone.
