Advanced Search

We strongly believe that photographs need to be reunited with family. To accomplish this, we have created our gallery of pictures for you to browse through and search for your long lost relatives. While doing your research, we will try to assist you in any way we can. Please feel free to contact us with any questions about a photo we may have. You may choose from the following search options.

Search Identified Photos

We have collected numerous photographs of individuals and groups. These photos have been identified by surname. We divided them into categories to assist you in in your search. You may select which fields you would like to view or you may choose to view all fields. Please bear in mind that most photos look a lot better than the scanned version you will see here.

Category   Last Name   First Name   Middle Name   Subject City   Subject State   Subject Country   Date of Photograph   Photographer   Photographer's City   Photographer's State   Photographer's Country   Rating   Comments

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Search Unidentified Photos

Some people just don't value their ancestors' old pictures (especially unidentified ones), so they discard them along with other unwanted pieces of the deceased's estate. In other cases, there are no known relatives to claim the photographs when a person dies. We have adopted many of these photos and added them to our gallery. You may recognize someone or something in this group of photos.

View Photos by Category: Men Women Children Couples Groups Weddings Military Animals Buildings Scenery  

Helpful Tips

Keep in mind that the name you are looking for may have taken on a different look. There are many reasons why spelling and pronunciation variations might have been altered. Your ancestors may have changed the spelling of the family name, as a result of a family feud. Perhaps the census taker or clerk from your ancestors time did not record the proper spelling. In addition, ethnic groups and nationalities have equivalent, variant spelling and nuances of pronunciation which may have affected the spelling of the family name. It was not uncommon for an immigrant to shorten or change their name to make it easier for the natives to understand. Even today, modern forms can cause variances. One example is the little boxes that contain one letter. Longer names are shortened to accommodate the space.

Sometimes the photographer's name and address (known as the photographer's imprint) are stamped on a picture. Using this information, you can determine when the photographer was in business and when the image might have been taken. Many cities and towns outside of the United States maintained city directories or trade directories, which might list the photographer. Many families stayed in one area for a long time so just knowing where the photographer is located or when he was in business is a clue in itself.

When you're not sure whether two photographs show the same person, first date the pictures using family facts. Were the photos found in the same group or did you obtain them from different sources. Do the subject's age, clothing details and photographer's data match the life dates for the person tentatively identified? Look closely at the elements surrounding the subject. Landscape or objects in the background may provide valuable clues. Also, take into consideration the type of photography: Ambrotypes, Daguerotypes, Tintypes, Cartes de Visites, etc.

Family reunions and holidays bring opportunities to connect with relatives to show around those unknown family photographs and gather identification leads. Many people would be delighted to find "lost" pictures of their ancestors. A single family photograph can serve as a valuable social history document.