Family historians, professional or amateur, understand the value of vintage pictures found in attics, antique shops or flea markets. They know that family ancestry records are more complete when they include photographs.
Photographs in second-hand stores
Boxes of old and forgotten photographs frequently come to light only when a family home is sold. Very often they are for sale in second-hand stores because they were not claimed after a death. It may be that there was no one to sort through the owner’s possessions and the pictures became part of an estate sale.
Many times people who are working at their family genealogy have little or no photographic evidence of their ancestors’ lives. Often, the few pictures they do have show no identification of the subjects.
Victorian and Edwardian Photographs
Prue McKay is a qualified paper conservator with specialist training in the conservation of photographic materials. A regular contributor to the RootsChat forum, she shares her knowledge and makes recommendations pertaining to her field of expertise.
Prue McKay Website
Ms. McKay has developed a website where old photographs are displayed and waiting to be identified and claimed. The website is set up to exhibit a collection of old photographs that were generously donated to the community of RootsChat. For easier viewing, some badly faded photos were digitally enhanced.
The portrait photographs are arranged by the categories of United Kingdom, Non-United Kingdom, and two family albums. Wherever possible, the sitters’ names are provided and the photographers’ names are listed in alphabetical order.
Photograph Collections
- United Kingdom - Listed with photographers' names.
- Non-United Kingdom - Most of the photographs from around the world are without identification
- The 'Harris' Album - Ms McKay purchased this little carte-de-viste album in 2004 at an antiques fair in Surrey, England. Any available written information is given in the file name.
- Jerome/West Album - These photographs of the West and Jerome families were presented by F. E. Jerome to G. A. West in 1883. Within the album are photos from England, New York, and Canada. Each picture shows the photographer's name.
RootsChat Search
As part of the on-going effort to find the family of an album owner, a RootsChat member voluntarily searched England censuses with some success.
Ms McKay invites and responds to queries about the photographs. She provides contact information on The RootsChat Collection website for those who think that they recognize a family member. The purpose is to reunite family photographs of the past with members of the present generation who will take care of them and pass them along to future generations.
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