The Photo Detective

Weekend at the Museum: American Independence Museum

noreply@blogger.com (Maureen A. Taylor) — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 13:00:00 +0000

This week I'm featuring the American Independence Museum in Exeter, New Hampshire. Visitors can tour their Ladd-Gilman House and the Folsom Tavern, but if you visit today you can hear me lecture on The Last Muster: Images of the Revolutionary War Generation. I'll be there at 1 pm. Sign up in advance if you're interested in a photo consultation. Anyone in attendance receives a pre-publication offer from Kent State University Press. You can pre-order the book for a special price. Hope to see you there!

Queries and Answers: Photographic Value

noreply@blogger.com (Maureen A. Taylor) — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 13:00:00 +0000

A recent sale of photograph's at Christie's auction brought in 7.5 million dollars. The items sold included a set of Edward Curtis photos of American Indians. If you've ever wondered how much a photograph in your collection was worth here's a few things to keep in mind. I'm not a photographic appraiser, but I've spent enough years as a curator and as a photo collector to have a general sense of value. Was your image taken by a notable photographer?A gorgeous daguerreotype by Southworth & Hawes is worth more than a carte de visite taken by a local studio. Is it unique? What type of photo is it? Who's depicted? Is it a famous person? What's the subject of the photo? Anything seen as unusual costs more at photo shows. Is it historically significant? Before deciding to sell off part of your collection, keep in mind the sentimental value of your family photos. If you think you have an image that fits the criteria mentioned above contact a certified photographic appraiser. This article has a lot of good tips to follow and a list of what you should expect from an appraisal.

Fashionable Folks: In the Bookstore

noreply@blogger.com (Maureen A. Taylor) — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 20:24:00 +0000

While you can purchase a copy of Fashionable Folks through Lulu.com it is now available in bookstores. Here's a list for your convenience. New England Historic Genealogical Society. This is so new you need to call their toll free number for information. 1-888-296-3447 Jonathan Sheppard Books Maine Historical Society Newport Historical Society I'll lecturing and signing books there on February 18, 2010. Round Lake Bookstore in Charlevoix, Michigan 1-866-580-0607

Wordless Wednesday: 389th Regiment in World War II

noreply@blogger.com (Maureen A. Taylor) — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 14:28:00 +0000

Celebrity Hairstyles: Nothing New Except a New Lecture

noreply@blogger.com (Maureen A. Taylor) — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 20:12:00 +0000

I have a new lecture based on the Fashionable Folks book. It's a humorous look at celebrity hairstyles of today and their historical/hysterical look-a-likes. It's a hoot. Even my teenage daughter thinks it's funny. It's a perfect after lunch/dinner treat. I'll be presenting it for the first time at the Annual Dinner for the Italian Genealogical Society of America on November 15. Hope you can join us.

Queries and Answers: Caring for Fragile Books

noreply@blogger.com (Maureen A. Taylor) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 13:00:00 +0000

Joyce asked, "I have a very old genealogy book that is falling apart. How can I preserve it? Someone suggested laminating the pages." Gosh...lamination is one of the deadliest sins of preserving items. It literally destroys materials. The combination of poor quality plastic, heat and adhesive speed deterioration. As for caring for a crumbling book, library suppliers sell an acid and lignin free enclosures like these sold by Hollinger Corp. Your local library will have product catalogs that contain other types of protective enclosures. Just make sure you buy something acid and lignin free.

Missing Pictures: Rebecca Mayo, Revolutionary War Widow

noreply@blogger.com (Maureen A. Taylor) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 16:13:00 +0000

Sometimes the hunt for a photograph is so frustrating! One of the more than 6,000 Revolutionary War widows collecting a pension was Rebecca Mayo of Newbern, Pulaski County, Virginia. She married Stephen Mayo in 1834 when she was just a young woman and Mayo was 77. The Boston Daily Globe ran a story about her on July 6, 1904 (page 6), "Mrs. Mayo of Virginia is a Revolutionary Widow." There were only two widows left at that point, Rebecca Mayo and Esther Damon. Damon's photo and story appear in my book, The Last Muster (Kent State University Press, June 2010). In the Globe article were two pictures. On of Rebecca and the other of her house. Both of these pictures have proved elusive. I can't find them. I'm hoping that someone will see this story and send me a lead. Here's the search so far: The Boston Globe archive at the Boston Public Library doesn't own the pictures. It's likely that this story and the images were picked up from another news source. The Pulaski County Public Library searched their collections, but didn't own them either. The Wilderness Road Regional Museum in Newbern, Virginia couldn't help me. I also tried the Virginia Room at the Roanake Public Library and the Library of Virginia in Richmond. With more than 6,000 widows that could have posed for a photograph, I was trying major sources first before diving into a search for living family members. If you know of another source for these images email me at mtaylor@taylorandstrong.com. It's really annoying to be able to see her face in a newspaper article, but not be able to find the original photograph. Unfortunately, the newsprint isn't good enough quality for book publication.

1835 Photograph on Display

noreply@blogger.com (Maureen A. Taylor) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 17:51:00 +0000

I've repeatedly written that photography begins in 1839 with Louis Mande Daguerre's shiny metal photograph called the daguerreotype and William Fox Talbot's paper images. However, that isn't one hundred percent true. These two men produced commercially successful processes, but before that there were men who experimented with chemicals, light and materials to produce images. The Hans P. Kraus Jr. Fine Photographs Gallery at 962 Park Ave., in New York has a new show. Silver Anniversary: 25 Photographs, 1835-1914 features one of the earliest paper photographs, "Tripod in the Cloisters of Lacock Abbey" by Talbot. It's a very delicate image and usually is in storage. If you'd like to see it visit the Kraus Gallery before November 20th. Along with the news I usually feature in this space, I'll introduce some of the earliest photographic inventions and inventors. Stay tuned!

Weekend at the Museum: Halloween Fun

noreply@blogger.com (Maureen A. Taylor) — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 12:00:00 +0000

Here's a double-treat for Halloween weekend. First have you viewed the Halloween Costume Clues in my new video on Vimeo. It'll make you relive your own trick or treat memories. One year I went as a Crayola crayon in a handmade costume. It was a big hit at the neighborhood party, but it had one small problem. I couldn't sit down in it! For our museum visit this week, check out the Castle Halloween Museum. It's run by none other than the Halloween Queen. Located in Benwood, West Virginia this museum features 250 years of Halloween history and more than 35,000 artifacts. Take the online tour. It's spooky fun. If you really love Halloween you might want to subscribe to the Trick or Treat Trader, their newsletter.

Queries and Answers: Ambrotypes

noreply@blogger.com (Maureen A. Taylor) — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 12:00:00 +0000

Here's another question from an attendee at one of my workshops. "If a daguerreotype is named for Louis Daguerre, then what's the origin of the term ambrotype?" Good question. I have to admit it caught me off-guard. An ambrotype is an image on glass backed with a dark material or varnish. It's named for J. Ambrose Cutting who promoted the process.

Lost Pictures: Conservation Adoption

noreply@blogger.com (Maureen A. Taylor) — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 12:00:00 +0000

There is a lot to like about this idea. A Dulwich Picture Gallery exhibit that focuses on the paintings in their collection in need of conservation. They want you to adopt a painting and help preserve it. The program is called Adopt an Old Master and the exhibit is in honor of the 100th adoption. I'm not aware of programs like this in the United States, but what a great idea.

Association of Personal Historians: 2009 Conference

noreply@blogger.com (Maureen A. Taylor) — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 14:58:00 +0000

Good company. Good food. Lots of networking. What's not to like about the members of the Association of Personal Historians. This was a fantastic group of folks. As soon as the conference chair asked me to speak about a year ago, I started receiving emails from their members. I felt an immediate affinity with the group. Their members are involved with saving personal and family stories. They do it through audio, video and print. I do the same thing only with a picture focus. I record stories about images, create videos and publish books. There was a lot of common ground. I gave the keynote address. Since this year's event took place in Valley Forge, I was able to talk about my multi-year search for photographs relating to the Revolutionary War generation. I started with a simple question, "How do you tell the story of a generation?" I didn't have to add, "when everyone is dead." The group had a lot of questions! You'll start seeing them in the Queries and Answers column that runs in this space on Fridays. Thank you to APH! After my presentation two folks told me about more images to include in The Last Muster. I'm not sure if it's too late to add them in, but if it is....I've got a good start to a second volume.

Weekend at the Museum: Hiking from Home

noreply@blogger.com (Maureen A. Taylor) — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 12:17:00 +0000

I can say with almost complete certainty that I'll probably never hike a trail in South America. Thankfully, I can take visual tour without leaving the country. Whew! A new exhibit at the American Museum of Natural History in New York, Highway of An Empire: The Great Inca Road features more than 50 photos taken over the 25,000 roads and trails built by this empire. It opened on October 17th. Count me in on this trip!

Queries and Answers:What's the Worst Photo Album?

noreply@blogger.com (Maureen A. Taylor) — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 12:00:00 +0000

Whenever I present my lecture on Preserving Family Photographs I'm asked the same question, "What the worst type of photo album?" The answer is magnetic photo albums. They aren't really magnetic, but the glue strips or dots on the acid paper pages acts like one. Your photos STICK to the page and you have trouble removing them. Over time the glue will stain your images. While I don't advise taking apart family photo albums, when confronted with a magnetic one it's a different story. Purchase a new album with acid and lignin free pages and non-pvc polyester overlay then carefully remove all your images from that nasty magnetic one and recreate the order of the images on new pages. I know..the next question is "How do I remove them?" You can gently slide a piece of dental floss between the image and the page or you can purchase a microspatuala from a library supplier and try using that to remove the images. Just be careful. It is possible to tear a photo with the floss or the spatula. Make me a promise. No more magnetic photo albums, no matter how cheap they are on sale. Stick with the good stuff. Look for acid and lignin free models with polyester overlays. They will last.

Lost Pictures: Another DaVinci?

noreply@blogger.com (Maureen A. Taylor) — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 12:00:00 +0000

Imagine searching for three decades for a lost image. That's what Dr. Maurizio Seracini has done. He's looking for a lost Leonardo DaVinci mural possibly hidden inside a wall at the Florence (Italy) city hall. In 1975 a researcher spotted a clue, now Seracini is using some really cool scientific gadgetry to find the painting. He's firing neurons through the wall to see if he can find the mural. Saracini and his team are looking for a DaVinci mural, "The Battle of Anghiari" that's triple the size of the "Last Supper." Is it behind a painting by Varsari? Did Vasari construct a brick wall in front of the DaVinci masterpiece? There is a fascinating article by John Tierney in the New York Times about the scientific hunt for this lost piece of art.

What Children's Book Influenced Your Life?

noreply@blogger.com (Maureen A. Taylor) — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 18:02:00 +0000

That's the question editor Anita Silvey asked me one day. I was able to answer very quickly--A Wrinkle in Time. I read that book so many times I wore out my copy. Meg, Charles Wallace and the crew kept me entertained again and again. Meg was my role model--tall, smart and awkward. She also knew how to ask questions. Now Anita's new book, Everything I Need to Know I Learned from a Children's Book is out. She asked more than 100 leaders from the arts, sciences, politics, business and ME to talk about a children's book they loved. My response is on page 97! Life is sometimes a big circle. Anita was my editor on Through the Eyes of Your Ancestors, my guide to family history for kids. It was my first real book and that title launched me on this career. One of the things Anita believes is that if a child reads (or is read too) 1,000 books, it'll make them a life-long reader. So, I want to know. What children's book influenced your life? Join the discussion on my Facebook page or add your comment to this posting. Spread the word. This is a question worth discussing in book groups.

Weekend at the Museum: Sacramento History Online

noreply@blogger.com (Maureen A. Taylor) — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 16:05:00 +0000

I've always loved museums and libraries. That's why on every research or lecture trip I try to squeeze in a visit to those in the area. The web makes it possible to preview these places before I even leave home. Now I find that their websites contain material unique to the web, not always on display when you're there in person. The best ones are collaborative. Take for instance, The Sacramento History Online project. The California State Library's California History Room, The California State Railroad Museum Library, the Center for Sacramento History and the Sacramento Public Library's Sacramento Room have joined together to offer an online resource that explores agriculture and transportation in the Sacramento area in the 19th and early 20th centuries. They are digitizing over 2,000 items and putting them on the website. There is a nice search engine so you can look for images, but before jumping to that feature explore the tabs. The film one actually takes you to two online movies. How fun! I enjoyed the three short features on Victory Gardens. Enjoy!

Queries and Answers: Ambrotype Marks

noreply@blogger.com (Maureen A. Taylor) — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 14:37:00 +0000

Merry wrote in with a question about marks on an ambrotype: I'm doing some photo detective work of my own--if I have a cased, sealed ambrotype with a stamped mat (E.R. Perkins), can I assume that the photographer was probably the person stamped on the mat? That might help me narrow down where the picture was taken, right? Congratulations on researching your photos! If you have a cased image such as an ambrotype with a stamped mat you're right to assume that identifies the photographer. An excellent resource on photographers in the daguerreotype era is John Craig's Daguerreian Register. There is an Elijah R. Perkins listed who worked as an ambrotypist from 1856 to 1860 in Newburyport, Massachusetts. He was in Salem, Massachusetts in 1859. Hope this is a match!

Retouched Photos in the Family Album

noreply@blogger.com (Maureen A. Taylor) — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 12:14:00 +0000

This week Time Magazine ran an article on the top ten doctored pictures including the famous Matthew Brady image of the Civil War generals. Matthew Brady may have been the most proficient but he certainly wasn't the only nineteenth century photographer changing the appearance of an image. Take this family group from the late 1890s. I posted a short video online on Vimeo a few months ago. The woman in the back stands out. She's been added in. Can you spot a retouched picture in your family album? Look for obvious signs like the border surrounding this woman. Watch for individuals that are the wrong proportion. Notice how she's larger than the rest of the group. Photographer's trained studio assistants to remove blemishes, beard stubble and in general make their clients look better than reality.

Lost Pictures: Looking for 1887 Wedding Picture

noreply@blogger.com (Maureen A. Taylor) — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 12:07:00 +0000

I love this column. Brian Nichols wrote for help. He's looking for an 1887 wedding picture. Here's his story: My great-grandfather was a traveling cigar salesman from St. Louis. On December 7, 1887 my great-grandmother, Adelia, left her family's farm in Wisconsin and eloped to Canton, South Dakota Territories with great-grandpa Frank A. Nichols. Two years later, Frank left Adelia and their son, then disapeared from family history. Adelia kept Frank's last name and the wedding certificate but removed their pictures, which presumably have been destroyed. We're hoping to find the plates or copies of those pictures. The family knows of no other existing photos and dear great-grandma never spoke about her husband again..other than to tell their son that Frank died in St. Louis a few years after he left them. (we managed to find Frank's death certificate and discovered that he died from injuries received during what was later named "the Great Cylone of St Louis and East St. Louis"). When looking for missing photos I start by Googling the name, just in case. You never know what's going to turn up. Then I go to DeadFred.com and AncientFaces.com. A more time intensive search involves contacting historical societies in the area in which the person lived and if all else fails try reverse genealogy. That's when you research the family forward in time rather than backwards. You're looking for living descendants. In this case, Brian would look for living collateral descendants of Frank A. Nichols, i.e. his siblings. Do you have a "lost photo?" I'd love to share your story and help you find it.

Revolutionary Perspectives: Association of Personal Historians

noreply@blogger.com (Maureen A. Taylor) — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 14:26:00 +0000

I'm off to Valley Forge Pennsylvania on October 21 and 22 to be the keynote speaker at the Association of Personal Historians Conference. It's so exciting to be able to present "The Last Muster: Images of the Revolutionary War Generation" at the event. Eight years of research and writing and the book is almost finished! Kent State University Press is the publisher. It's due out in June of 2010. At APH I'll discuss how this project developed. I'll also be talking with the group about family history and kids in my interactive lecture, "Is my pet frog part of the family?" Hope to see you there!

Weekend at the Museum: Armchair Travel into the Past

noreply@blogger.com (Maureen A. Taylor) — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 12:12:00 +0000

I'm one of those tourists that isn't content to just view the scenery, I want to see what the area looked like years ago too. This means I have a small collection of nineteenth century travel guides for my favorite places. I'm always on the look-out for historic travel guides or a museum exhibit that let me glimpse into the past. Rome is on my list of must visit places, but I haven't been yet. I'll be prepared for that historical road trip though. A new exhibitArtdaily.org - The First Art Newspaper on the Net at the Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute in Williamstown, Massachusetts displays 100 nineteenth century photographs of Rome. How fun!

Queries and Answers: Postcard Help

noreply@blogger.com (Maureen A. Taylor) — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 13:52:00 +0000

Bridget wrote with following question: I have a photo of my grandfather when he was between the ages of 5 and 11 in Dublin, Ireland. It is a postcard type, however, I was more curious about his clothing. How do I narrow down the time frame using his clothing? Apparently I have been doing this all wrong and I hit road block after road block. Dear Bridget, Before focusing on your grandfather's clothing, turn over your postcard and look at the stamp box. Photographic postcards were first introduced in 1900. That little stamp box is full of clues. The design changes over time and can help you date the image. There is a handy little reference tool on the Playle's Online Auction website. You can compare the design on the back of your postcard to the one's in this database. As for your doing it wrong, dating clothing is full of little details. Dating those outfits worn by kids is even harder. There are very few changes in boy's clothing between the ages of 5 and 11. Boys wore full length trousers beginning around age 12 but before that age, it's usually short pants. Instead of focusing on the clothes think about how old your grandfather looks in the picture. 5 year old's can still look very toddler-like with round faces, while by age 11 they look older. Good luck with your image and keep trying!

Lost Pictures: New York Gathering of Last Men of the Revolution

noreply@blogger.com (Maureen A. Taylor) — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 12:07:00 +0000

Searching GenealogyBank's database of newspaper, I came across a notice for a reunion of Revolutionary War veterans in the New-Hampshire Patriot and State Gazette for August 28, 1845. In that month, George Washington Park Custis, adopted son (and grandson) of President George Washington visited New York City. There was a reception at the house of Alderman Peters attended by "the friends and companions in arms of the great Washington." At that time, photography was still a relatively novel invention, but it's quite possible that some of the attendees sat for a daguerreotype portrait before their death. The following individuals were at the reunion. Their ages at the time (if known) are in parentheses. Not all were veterans. Some were well-known in New York while others were children of veterans. Major Popham (93) John Battin (93) of New York City Major General Van Buren of Staten Island Judge Miller Judge Lynch Thomas Lyell, Rector of Christ Church William Mandeville George B. Thorp Elisha Whittlesey of Ohio James M. Crane of Virginia Samuel L. Waldo Dr. John W. Francis Isaac T. Hopper Homer Curtis of Mount Vernon, Ohio Jacob Hays Dr. James E. Maney Thomas Morris (born in 1771) Teunis Quick (born in 1767) A.S. Norwood (born 1770) Philip Schuyler Gilbert Smith (born 1772) Sylvanus Miller James Black of Newark, New Jersey W. Vermilye Joseph Weeks Cornelius Bogert R. Cheseborough John W. Mulligan Daniel B. Tallmadge J.M. Matthews A.L. Underhill J.D. Beers Judge Ogden Edwards Geroge F. Hopkins George Coggill These are the only individuals named in the article, but according to the report about two hundred men who had served in the American Revolution came to pay respects to Custis. I've already checked online databases and historical societies collections. If you know of any images of these men, please contact me at photodetective@gmail.com. Thank you for your help!

Ten apps for taking photos and editing images on the iPhone

noreply@blogger.com (Maureen A. Taylor) — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 12:51:00 +0000

If you're like me you tote around a lot of stuff when you go on a trip including a cell phone and a camera. An iPhone is high on my want list of new technology because it combines those two items and has tools to edit images. I love the apps especially these Ten apps for taking photos and editing images on the iPhone