October 15, 2014
Here’s a tip for your family history research: Use old photos of your ancestors to generate family stories.
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This past weekend I took this old family photo off the wall to scan it and add it to my family history collection online.
It shows my great-grandparents John and Mary (Brown) Kemp and was taken in the late 1930s. I asked my Dad what he could tell me about this old photo of my ancestors.
He described his grandparents and the old black and white photo—even where the bench was in the backyard in Stamford, Connecticut. He said that the gate on the left side of the photo opened up to Frank Street and added:
Behind the low bushes in the background is a driveway leading to their garage. I don’t know why they had a garage—my grandfather never owned a car. He rode a bicycle to work.
Wow—my great-grandparents never owned a car!
That seems odd in modern society.
My Dad went on:
On the right is one of the several cherry trees that were along the tall back fence that separated their property from the playground field of the Rogers Junior High School. When I walked over to visit my grandparents I would climb that fence and play with the kids in the playground.
Still looking for your old family photos? Be sure to check GenealogyBank’s “Search Photos” search page to find photos of your family.
Show those old photos of your ancestors to your relatives and see what additional family details and stories you discover.
Please write in and tell us what surprises you find out in your genealogy research.
Related Articles about Genealogy & Family Photos:
- Treasured Discovery: Only-Known Photos of Ancestors Found in Old Newspapers
- Find Old Photos & Illustrations in GenealogyBank
- How to Scan, Save & Share Your Family Photographs Online
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