Orphan Photos

Who among us doesn't have a few mystery photos stashed away in a closet or old scrapbook somewhere? And how many of us have winced to find some family's treasured photos for sale in an antiques store or flea market? I call these unidentified and wandering pictures "orphan photos."

I'd love it if we could start an epidemic of genealogical kindness geared toward getting family treasures - photos, Bibles, documents and other heirlooms - back into the hands of someone from the family of origin who will properly care for the items and pass them on to future generations. And while we're at it, let's solve a few of our own personal history mysteries!

After a lot of surfing, here are what I believe to be the best sites for tackling the challenge of orphan photos and memorabilia:

Photobases

Ancient Faces - A site for easy uploading of family, military and mystery photos - not to mention family stories, websites and recipes. Thousands already searchable by name or place. Dead Fred's Genealogy Photo Archive - This site offers thousands of identified photos for people searching for long-lost relatives. You can also upload your own mystery photos for others to possibly identify. GeneaNet - An international portrait and post card database. Particularly strong in post cards, and in France and Belgium.

Other Photo Collection Sites

Ford and Nagle - Larry L. Ford and Eric C. Nagle are incurable collectors of antique family photos, Bibles, and documents. At this site, they alphabetically list hundreds of items they have found over the years. If you find something from your family, you contact them and they respond with pricing and shipping details. Lots of testimonials demonstrate lots of happy customers. Particularly worth a look if you have Ohio or Kentucky ancestors. Mrs. Brye's Found Heirlooms & Ephemera - On this site, users can search alphabetized lists of keepsakes that have been found in antique stores, at auctions, through classifieds and other resources. While images are not shown, places, dates and descriptions are. Ancestor Photo Genealogy Archive - Donna Trewitt's free genealogy collection of family photos containing online vintage photographs. Many of these photos have been submitted by site visitors while others were found in antique stores and flea markets. They are posted here in hopes of reuniting them with family members. Family Old Photos - Originally focused on Western Pennsylvania, this site now contains almost 7,000 photos representing 16,640 surnames from a variety of places. Go to the bottom of the main page to search (by surname, location, etc.) and to learn how to submit photos to the site. Photographs from the Past - Mary Ann Allen's website is dedicated to mystery photographs from the past -- both her own and visitors'. This searchable site devotes full pages to each photo or related collection of photos. Vanished Photo Archive - Now housed at Genealogy Today, you can search this archive of 1875-1940 image descriptions by surname to see if it contains any photos of your family. If so, you can order a 640 dpi digitized version for $7.95 to $9.95 per image. They also provide a photo location service. Lost and Found Old Photographs - A site for mystery photographs. You can leave a message about any photos you're looking for or have a look through her extensive personal collection. Visitors who can prove a direct relationship to anyone in a photo can request the original for $5. Family Fotos On-Line - Robert D. King has collected hundreds of family photos from antiques stores and posted descriptions here for all the peruse. If you find one pertaining to your family, you can purchase it from him for $20-45, plus shipping. Adopt a Photo - Webmaster Anne White has created this site to provide a temporary space for homeless photos. The collection is searchable by state.

Other Searchable Memorabilia Sites

Somebody's Links Newsletter: Genealogical Treasures Found - Search back issues of Julia Case's wonderful newsletter to see if anyone has listed an item from your family's past. Be sure to try searching by location as well as name. Your Past Connections - Ed Elliott's site dedicated to helping people find original items and memorabilia from their family's past. A free service with a searchable database of items. No images. HeirloomsLost - The goal of this site is to reunite family mementos of the past with the present generation. Letters, post cards, photos and other items may be searched by family name or state. You can also register your wish list for others to see. Past Voices: Letters Home - Letters are invaluable in family history research, but often they stray or get tucked away unnoticed in an attic. Lorine McGinnis Schulze has crafted a remarkable website to address this problem by helping users find or share their ancestors' words. You are invited to share your ancestors' letters or to search among those already on the site. She also provided resources for learning how to find and preserve old documents, family treasures and heirlooms. eBay - Commercial auction site. Try searching on family names and the cities and towns where they lived for memorabilia such as old maps, Bibles, post cards, books, photos, and the like. Ancestors Lost and Found - Ginger Cisewski's site containing descriptions of lost and found photos, Bibles, and other memorabilia. Viewers can scroll through the listings or post their own finds or wish lists. I Dream of Genealogy Lost (and Found) Family Treasures - A site that invites you to submit a description of the lost item you're seeking or the treasure you've found and want to return to the family of origin. While you're there, scan through the lost and found listings and have a look at the success stories for inspiration!

Photo-Related Advice

Identifying Photos: Book It - A great article by photograph guru, Maureen Taylor, about the best resources for solving your photo mysteries. Although she features others' books, be sure to consider hers listed in the bio at the end. Dating Old Photographs - Family Chronicle has assembled over 700 pictures covering the period from the 1840s to the 1920s, clustered by decade, to help you date all those pictures tucked away in your attic. The UnWritten: Saving Your Photo Stories for the Future - This excellent website produced by three teenage cousins will help you uncover and share the stories behind your photos so they can be captured for posterity. 19th Century Photographs - Andrew J. Morris has provided an easy to understand primer to explain the various types of 19th Century photographs, as well as clues they might contain to help you date your mystery photos. His site also includes many examples and an entertaining gallery.

Pet Projects

Korean War Project - A terrific site that supports the U.S. military's repatriation efforts to locate family members and identify remains of soldiers still unaccounted for from the Korean War. Has a searchable database of all these soldiers and allows visitors to leave a remembrance for anyone they might have known. Family History Month - Everything you need to know about the Senate Resolution to declare October Family History Month! If you have a success story about finding a family item or getting one back into the right hands (or information about another site I should add to this collection), please e-mail me about it!