Kathy’s Corner » Exploring Our Mystery Photos, Part 3 » March 2025

Today’s episode opened with an exploration of Kathy’s process, reflecting on a massive project she embarked on over years for an aging client in Calgary with tens of thousands of images capturing personal events and business interactions. Our discussion today built on parts 1 and 2, which she covered in January and February: With the focus of a campaign director, she and her client taped the room with paper organized into a family tree and a collective timeline. The idea was to capture all information they could find to be readily accessible as questions came up in examining, identifying, and curating photos. Examples she gave included: * How family members were related and when they were born.* Notable dates in the family, such as holidays celebrated, anniversaries, etc.* Where the family lived and when (if they moved, all of which also implies seasonal clothing differences).* Where they vacationed (such as a summer home).* Sports favored and played or practiced.* Subtle details like when/if kids wore braces can be helpful in identifying photos. Structured plainly on a timeline, this detail can unlock puzzles and connect storylines.ResourcesAbout Photo Technologies* About Lantern Slides: The US National Parks Service www.nps.gov/yose/blogs/curious-matters-the-hocus-pocus-history-of-glass-lantern-photography.htmDating Photos by Content* Dating vintage photos by clothing & hairstyles: links to online resource by date * www.sheknows.com/living/articles/814584/genealogy-research-datingvintage-photographs-by-clothing-and-hairstyles-1* www.legacytree.com/blog/womens-fashion-date-old-photos* blog.nationalarchives.gov.uk/how-to-date-family-photographs* How to Identify Old Cars in Photographs* lisalouisecooke.com/2017/12/27/how-to-identify-old-cars-in-photographs* Canadian Military Uniforms* www.canadiansoldiers.com/index.htm* US Military Uniforms* www.defense.gov/Multimedia/Experience/Common-Threads/Common-Threads-ArmyUseful Reference Books* Maureen Taylor, The Photo Detective* MaureenTaylor.com* Maureen Taylor’s book collection:* MaureenTaylor.com/product-category/books* Kathy’s favorites among Maureen’s books* Family Photo Detective: Learn to Find Genealogy Clues in Old Photos and Solve Family Photo Mysteries (also available as an ebook)* Hairstyles 1840-1900* Fashionable Folks: Bonnets and Hats, 1840-1900* Adam Pratt’s book* Memories: A Visual Guide to Your Photos and Videos by Adam PrattProjectkin is about our members, a community of family historians hooked on stories. We’re on a mission to help families tell their stories in any way that works for them. Preserve your family archive and share the stories that make it so important. Tap below to join us for our April program at Kathy’s Corner. We’d love to have you join our events and our community. It’s free. Learn more: Projectkin.org/about Get full access to Projectkin at projectkin.substack.com/subscribe