Tips for dating old photographs

How do you date old photos?

This new section below is devoted to dating old photographs and pictures by analysing costume, fashions, hats & jewellery worn by the wearers in the photos. Use costume history to date photos. Learn tips and hints and examples to help you to achieve a date within 5 years either way of the photo ‘s original date.

How can you tell how old a photo is?

Whether the photograph was taken inside or outside there are clues in the background that can again tell when the photo was taken. Although you may not be able to tell the year you may be able to approximate a range of years. Furniture is a great way to tell the age of the photograph.

How are old photos of family members taken?

In general, old photos of family members were posed and usually taken by professional photographers. Even when people began to use their own cameras, subjects were often posed. People dressed their best for these portraits in new, fashionable garments.

How do you study old family photos?

One method is to study what kind of clothing a subject is wearing in a portrait. This is easiest if the subject is female as womens fashions change more quickly than for men. In general, old photos of family members were posed and usually taken by professional photographers.

How can I Date my photograph?

If your photograph is a carte de visite or a cabinet card (i.e. 1860 – 1910 only) – use our DIY dating wizard – it is UNIQUE and FUN and is available ONLY on this website. The Wizard will date your photograph to within a 9 year time span or less, if not, we will custom date your photograph personally at no additional cost.

Why should I Date my old photos?

Dating old photos is helpful when you have inherited some old family photographs. Unfortunately, most do not have any annotation with the person or people’s name or date. This can lead to some confusion as to who the sitter is or when the photo was taken.

How can I find out how old a photo is?

Depending on the type of photograph, the sorts of clues that may be available include: Try the following approach: If your photograph is a carte de visite or a cabinet card (i.e. 1860 – 1910 only) – use our DIY dating wizard – it is UNIQUE and FUN and is available ONLY on this website.

What to do with your old family photos?

If you have living family members with a possible connection to the photograph, don’t forget to ask for their input. Sitting down with somebody and giving them time to reminisce over a photograph may be the most fruitful thing you can do.

She teaches at the Genealogical Institute of Pittsburgh and the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy. Old family photographs are a treasured part of any family history. Many of them, unfortunately, do not come neatly labeled on the back with names, dates, people or places. The photographs have a story to tell...but about whom?

What to do with your old family photos?

What do you need to know to identify old family photos?

Here’s what you need to know to be able to do it. This is the most important step in identifying and interpreting old family photographs. If you don’t know the time period in which the photo was taken, you won’t have much luck determining who is in the photo, or anything personal about them.

Can old family photos help with genealogical research?

A picture paints a thousand words and at no time is that more true than when analyzing old family photos for clues to help with your genealogical research.

What can I do with old family photos?

Add a vintage touch to a simple framed photo of your ancestor by placing it in a beautiful antique frame. Up the wow factor by grouping many old photos together, each in a one-of-a-kind frame dug up at a local antique store or thrift shop, to create an impressive gallery wall dedicated to your ancestry.

How to identify your ancestors and discover your family history?

Tips to identify your ancestors and discover your family history in old family photos. Genealogy research, old family photos and mystery individuals in those photos seem to go hand in hand! (But they don’t have to!) The old family photographs I share in this post arrived in a box originally marked “Richardson”.