The Photo Detective

Over the years, clients have asked, “Where can I purchase a replacement case for my daguerreotype (or other cased images)? I finally have an answer for that.  My guest takes molds of historic cases and creates reproductions. Not only can you purchase a variety of designs for old photos. Some of his clients use them for modern-day pictures creating a place where the past meets the present. Museum s...

In this monthly podcast, Maureen shares questions received via email and through social media. Can you tell us about changing exposure times for photographic portraits and why people didn’t smile for pictures? Do you have a good resource for looking up photographer names by location and years they were active? Is there a good resource for dating children’s clothing styles? How can I preserve a rus...

How did you and your ancestors learn how to take “Good Pictures?”  It’s likely they read Kodak’s guide for amateur photographers, How to Make Good Pictures published from 1912 to 1995. New cameras and new technology influenced how we took photographs and what they photographed.  My guest studied those popular guides to photography to compile a new type of history…one that focuses on average folks...

In amateur snapshots and selfies we don’t take care with our fashion. We pose in what we decided to wear that day. Now think about when you go to a photo studio. That’s entirely different. We dress up and our ancestors did too. They wore their best dress and perhaps a new hat to look their finest, the epitome of the fashion they could afford. Women’s magazines told them how to capture a good image...

If you thought that you knew Eliza Hamilton because you watched the Broadway musical, well…you need to read Susan Holloway Scott’s book, I Eliza .  What makes good theater isn’t necessarily accurate. There is a whole lot more to the Alexander/ Eliza story.  Susan is a master storyteller weaving fact with fiction to weave a tale that’s compelling.  In this beautifully written novel of historical fi...

In this episode, I answer your photo questions submitted through my social media accounts and via email. I have dozens of large photo albums that were put together by my grandfather and father from the 1980s to the present. Do I take all the photos out of the pages (4/page) or scan the whole page? I am trying to identify people in a large group photo. What is a good procedure for “blowing up” indi...

I think that 19th-century tintype photographers would be amazed to see that their medium is still thriving in the age of digital photography. Their spirit exists in my guest for this bonus episode. Rob Gibson travels around the country with a motorcycle and a portable studio, similar to his itinerant predecessors who used wagons. He calls his set up the World’s Fastest Darkroom. From being a machi...

Collecting images is something that I’m familiar with. There are thousands of images in my research collection. It’s hard to stop purchasing interesting pictures because each one is a little different. My own collection features a variety of image formats including  tintypes of men fishing off a prop boat with lines and fake fish. Women standing in front of fences and painted backdrops. Children p...

When I saw coverage in The New York Times of a cache of slides and the attempts to identify the who, what, where, and when of them, I had to talk with the man who made this serendipitous discovery.  Not all slides belong to be discarded some as my guest called it are “gold dust.” They document past local history and are cherished for that reason. Paul Moar is still stunned by the worldwide public...

Those inexpensive metal images of our ancestors appear in antique shops and online auctions in cases, paper sleeves, and without any protective covering.  Durable enough to be mailed during the Civil War they were common throughout the latter half of the nineteenth century and persisted into the twentieth. Anyone could afford to pose for one. They came in a variety of sizes and shapes. Tiny thumbn...

If you thought tintypes were only from the olden days, you may be surprised to learn that the tintypes are still being produced today. Those dark tin images in your family collection don’t begin to show off the beauty of a tintype.  Modern tintypes are amazing.  The subtle colors let us imagine what those varnished ones of our ancestors must have looked like once. Suddenly the allure of a tin phot...

In this new series, you ask the questions and Maureen answers. You can email her questions at photodetective@maureentaylor.com In this edition she talks about an interesting Spanish-American War image, a type of skirt worn by women in the 1920s, and how to resize images. It’s a potpourri of photo related inquires. Related Episodes: Episode 80: Photo Fun While Stuck in the House Links: View the Spa...

Why let kids have all the fun at camp?   For folks that love history see if there is a History Camp in your area and join in by presenting or participating. As they advertise:  At History Camp, everyone is welcome. Anyone can attend. And anyone can present. Topics may range from local history to ancient times  While Covid has shut down in-person events, this group has done a great job of pivoting...

I’ve mentioned before how the history of photography needs dedicated individuals to compile and collect bits of the story.  There are so many details not covered in traditional history of photography publications. My guest this week uses digital collections and images in his own collection to study and date cased images like daguerrotypes and ambrotypes from the case styles to the mats. It’s an am...

It’s the beginning of the year. A good time to review the ways we approach our photos.  Best practices vary based on what you are trying to accomplish. There is no setlist of what should be done in which order. For instance,  Identifying photo best practices are not the same as the tasks relating to planning a virtual reunion.  The same is true for photo organizing. The approach varies based on wh...

Family history doesn’t always come in a size and shape made for scanning. Pictures can be oversize. Albums don’t lie flat. Artifacts come with the mix.  What’s a family historian to do?  Invest in a Shotbox, a portable studio that’s simple to use. Debuted at Rootstech a few years ago and now is available at Michael’s, the craft megastore.   My guest is Aaron Johnson. He combined a passion for pres...

Ships passenger lists contain the name of the vessel that transported our ancestors from their homelands to the United States or travelers crossing the ocean. But do you know how to research those vessels to find information and images?  This week’s guest can help. She’s with the Steamship Historical Society of America. Their mission is to record, preserve, and share the history of engine-powered...

Every Fall I start mumbling about the “highway to the holidays,” that hectic time of year that consumes any leftover moments of the day with preparations. The rituals, cooking, and cleaning are part of the holiday season regardless of what event you celebrate and how many people are in attendance.   This year is a different kind of year for all of us. A once in a century event. It doesn’t mean I’m...

A number of years ago I attended a conference in Kansas City Missouri. With a free afternoon, I decided to visit the National World War I museum. The National World WWI Museum and Memorial is America’s leading institution dedicated to remembering, interpreting, and understanding the Great War and its enduring impact on the global community. The Museum and Memorial holds the most comprehensive coll...

Every so often I’ll turn over an image and I’ll see a woman’s name as the photographer. Now I know that there were many female photographers from the daguerreotype era onward, but rarely are they featured in histories of photography or their work on display in an exhibit. My guest today is on a mission to change that her new book women in the dark focuses on female photographers from 1850 to 1900,...

 I’ve been delving into my family history a little more than usual and perhaps you are too. I’m also taking another look at my pictures.  Examining them more closely and trying to tell the story of them. Even I have a photo mystery, one that’s bothered me for years.  I’ve managed to tease out a few new identifications but the problem persists.  It could be a group of friends mixed with some of my...

Your family history data, images, and movies might be on the web in a variety of places from genealogy sites to movie hosting platforms. Now imagine that you can create an online collection that gives you all those links in one place.  Then write a family narrative within that site and be able to share as well as collaborate with other family.  In one place you’ll have links to Uncle Jim’s picture...

I’m pretty lucky to live walking distance from a National Historic Landmark. The Lippitt House is a property of Preserve Rhode Island and it is  Providence Rhode Island’s premiere Victorian house museum. Once inside this 1865 house you’ll understand it’s landmark status. It has one of the best preserved interiors in America, allowing visitors to experience exceptional Victorian design and American...

Most photo collectors dream about stumbling upon a significant collection that changes our understanding of photo history. For Frank Morrill, it was a series of connections that led to his purchasing a huge collection of glass negatives. Years later his granddaughter held one up and asked him about them.  That second look led to a collaboration with a historian at Clark University in Worcester, Ma...

It’s the 100th episode of The Photo Detective podcast and we’re celebrating in a big way. From a scary first Facebook Live episode to the current audio only format, this show all about pictures. Guests from around the world shared their picture projects and photo stories. It’s the Photo Detective so topics are mostly photo related but watch out I’m a fan of historical fiction so authors talk about...