As lovers of history, vintage sellers often run across old family photos. Being curious about our own family history is simply an offshoot of the pursuit of knowledge regarding anything old. While searching for clues of my history, I found a photo that intrigued me. Knowing there are tons of genealogical research sites available, it can be daunting to know where to start.
I started by digging through huge piles of genealogy research originally begun by my mother. Since her passing several years ago, the various bits of scrap paper, photos, photocopies, and a myriad of other information have been languishing in an oversized basket at the top of a closet. On the anniversary of her death this year, I vowed to go through it all, learn what I can, and organize the various bits for the next generations to learn from and hopefully add to. Much of the work done was prior to Ancestry.com’s founding in 1983. And to be honest, I have yet to start down that road for fear of being overwhelmed. So as I ponder the information I am finding, I’m looking for ways to verify what I do have. 
The photo that caught my attention is this picture of three young women dressed in what looks to be beautifully handmade clothing. For many years I recalled seeing this photo and having no idea who the women were. After looking through a plethora of old photos I’ve determined that the photo is of my maternal grandmother, her mother, and her older sister. Now that I know who the women are, I set out to find out when the photo was taken. A few of the clues I found were these. The two younger women, my grandmother, and her sister are clearly teens in the photo. With the help of this website, I was able to begin to date the photo. Postcard photos were popular beginning in the late 1800s and continuing into the 1930s. Based on the back I know it was printed on a postcard, second through the markings on the card, I was able to determine that it was printed between 1904 and 1918 due to the markings on the stamp box.
Further information tells me my grandmother emigrated to the U.S. in 1912 based on the ship’s manifest. However, based on the manifest, she was 18 at the time. Digging deeper though I found her naturalization papers which show her year of birth as 1896, which would make her 16 in 1912. There is also some evidence calling out her birthdate in both 1906 and approximately 1900. My grandmother always told me she didn’t know her actual birthdate as there was no birth certificate that she knew of. As a side note, she would never tell anyone her age. Looking back I wonder if it was because she was truly unsure or simply vain.
Going back to the photo, and the 1912 manifest, 1906 is clearly incorrect as she would have been six; 1900 is a closer match. On her marriage certificate dated 1917, she states her age as 20. Which would mean in 1912 she was 15. However, she stated as far as she knew her birthday was the same as Abraham Lincoln’s which was February 12. Which is the date she used on all documents I found as well as the date she celebrated as her birthday. So being as the ship’s manifest was dated March 1912, she would have just turned 16.
With this information, I can now more easily date the photo. Based on everything I have found this photo was most likely taken either just prior to crossing the Atlantic or just afterward. Dating it to around 1912. Meaning in the photo my grandmother would have been 15 or 16. Mystery Solved!
If you are searching for clues to your family history there are a myriad of websites beyond Ancestry to search.
Family Search, an arm of the Mormon Church has one of the largest genealogical archives in the world.
The National Archives has loads of information including from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Statue of Liberty & Ellis Island includes family history records for millions of people who immigrated through its doors.
There are also community groups researching the history of families from different regions, religions, ethnic groups, and more. While the process can be overwhelming, starting by homing in on a specific person or family will help narrow your search.
To see another photo of my grandma and learn a bit more about her, check out this post featuring some of her beauty products.
2 comments
Pam what a great post about doing the math of someone’s birth year without a birth certificate. In my family research, I have found ship manifests that show children younger than reality because of fares and then later census records showing older than birth records because these young people were trying to get work. I would also add that from a genealogy conference I learned that earlier census records could have almost anyone in the household responding to the question of age and the birth year. I have 5 sisters and cannot recall all of their birth years.
Thanks Mary Ellen, I’m so glad I figured that out. I still have so much more to learn about my family history.