photos of unknown people - Genealogists' Forum

Kit · #1 20-02-18, 11:30

When he died I inherited a suitcase full of photos and certificates from my Grandad. The certificates were fabulous, some over a hundred years old.

The photos were a mixed bag that were unlabeled or marked Mum, x and I at y's house with no clue as to who Mum or anyone else was.

My thread on research trying to find a mysterious first wife led me to trying to find someone related to my family on ancestry of Genes. I knew I had found someone in the past but had no memory of any details. That was soon sorted as she has never replied to me.

More searching lead me to find new records on FMP and I now know who Mum, X and I are!!!

I am still trying to find out who y is though.

If I'm lucky 'Mum' may still have some elderly grandchildren still alive, assuming I can find out their names and where they live.

I just wanted to share as I'm so happy to work out who the ladies in the photo are after nearly 10 years of trying.

Margaret in Burton · #2 20-02-18, 12:49

I inherited a wedding group photo and only knew which side of the family it was. I had made a number of contacts on that side over the years and sent a scan of it to all of them. Managed to work out whose wedding it was, my great grandfathers sister, and a number of their siblings plus my great great grandparents as parents of the bride.

Kit · #3 20-02-18, 19:07

Wonderful Margaret.

I have a group wedding photo too. I recognise my father and his parents but no one else. I'll check with him if he knows which side of the family it is, assuming it isn't a friends wedding, and send it off if it is his Mum's side. I have a couple of wonderful contacts on his father's side but they are probably too far back on the tree to be at the wedding.

Anstey Nomad · #4 26-02-18, 12:32

I have a 1930s wedding photograph that we found in my uncle's house after he died. None of us had any idea who the people are and we still don't. It's a great photo though.

Nell · #5 26-02-18, 15:29

Well done.

I have some old photos on card. Some of them have a family resemblance. Some of them not. The thing is, my grandfather ran a picture framer's shop and often framed photo, so some might be left-overs or samples and not anyone in our family at all.

Olde Crone · #6 26-02-18, 17:03

I inherited a large studio photo of an un named, moody looking man who I assumed must be my maternal grandfather, as it was with my mum's small collection of family photos in a chocolate box. When I eventually met up with my maternal uncles I asked them to confirm the identity of the man and they all looked blank. Eventually they offered the opinion that it was my father's Best Man, who was in the army with him when my parents married. No one could remember his name!

I was able to identify everyone on a wedding photo which I had never seen before much to my third cousin's delight and mine too, lol.

OC

Kit · #7 26-02-18, 19:40

Nell that must be rather frustrating, never knowing for sure if unknown photos are unidentified family or are strangers.

Well done OC on working out a group wedding photo.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kit

Wonderful Margaret.

I have a group wedding photo too. I recognise my father and his parents but no one else. I'll check with him if he knows which side of the family it is, assuming it isn't a friends wedding, and send it off if it is his Mum's side. I have a couple of wonderful contacts on his father's side but they are probably too far back on the tree to be at the wedding.

So after a lot of emails back and forth with Dad I worked out the group wedding photo was on Dad's paternal side of the family, not his Mum's.

I've emailed the photo to 2 people who might recognise some people in the photo but I've not heard anything so I suspect the photo is of his paternal grandfather's side, not the paternal Grandmother's side which, of course, both my contacts belong.

HarrysMum · #8 01-03-18, 21:07

I just recently found a photo of my mother as bridesmaid. It is in the paper on Trove. However, I've never heard of the anyone else in the photo. Mum had loads of friends from school and playing in the orchestra, and I knew those, but not anyone in this photo.

Even my uncle, her brother, has no knowledge of them.