Using photos

Using old photos to profile an ancestor

Start with something easy

Grandma Lalla is an easy choice because of her style. We happen to have many photos of her, but her fashion sense and flare come through and I must admit, I never tire of looking at her photos.

Choose a theme

Spread out your collections or groups and see what you have. What stands out? What do you have a lot of, or which do you want to profile first? A theme can be just about anything: work, vacation, a period of time, locations, specific families, a home site, grandpa’s cameras, and the list goes on.

For the full article showing two themes I used to “showcase” grandma, click HERE.

To see how I used photos along with research to identify an unidentified woman, see THIS ARTICLE.

Using new photos to profile an ancestor (and an heirloom)

Getting creative

What happens when you don’t have a lot of information about a certain ancestor, you do have a unique heirloom that once belonged to that person, but you’d like to record the history of the person and the heirloom for your children?

I’ve written about the unique high chair that once belonged to my husband’s grandma Lucy Fox Beachler. We inherited several pieces of furniture that once belonged to Lucy, and while my children may know her by name, it would be fabulous if they thought of her when they see her furniture. That it’s sprinkled throughout our house may not register to them now; I’m hoping that later, it will.

To see how I used old and new photos to profile Lucy and the chair, the full article can be found HERE.

For another example using current and old photos for profiling, read about great grandma’s LAVALIER.

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Whether new or old, photos can be used in a number of ways. The idea is to use them, hopefully creatively or in ways that have meaning to your children.

Happy Profiling! ❤