I have four shoe-boxes full of old photos, but the unique faces they capture are not part of my own story
There's something about old photos that absolutely captivates me. These images capture the briefest moment in time; they offer a fleeting glimpse into the soul of a person who has already made his or her mark upon the world. Photos add a whole new dimension to genealogical research, as they literally "flesh out" our ancestors in a way that written records cannot do. Photos of my ancestors are some of my most treasured possessions.
For the past decade or so, I have been combing thrift shops and antique markets and scooping up as many identified photos as I can find. With a few exceptions, my rules for acquiring a photo are simple: the image must be identified with a name and a location, and the location should be in my home province of Ontario.
My goal is to research and link biographies to each of the people below, and eventually to reunite these photographs with the descendants of the sitters. For the moment, I am simply posting all the photos here, just as I found them.
EDIT MARCH 2021 - I had SO MANY photos that loading one page was becoming impossible. I have sorted my collection into categories. Please click one of the categories below to continue.
EDIT MARCH 2022 - I have decided to call my collection "complete" at 585 images. While I will no longer be acquiring photographs, I will still be doing my best to get the ones I still have back to their rightful families. Thank you for coming on this adventure with me!
For the past decade or so, I have been combing thrift shops and antique markets and scooping up as many identified photos as I can find. With a few exceptions, my rules for acquiring a photo are simple: the image must be identified with a name and a location, and the location should be in my home province of Ontario.
My goal is to research and link biographies to each of the people below, and eventually to reunite these photographs with the descendants of the sitters. For the moment, I am simply posting all the photos here, just as I found them.
EDIT MARCH 2021 - I had SO MANY photos that loading one page was becoming impossible. I have sorted my collection into categories. Please click one of the categories below to continue.
EDIT MARCH 2022 - I have decided to call my collection "complete" at 585 images. While I will no longer be acquiring photographs, I will still be doing my best to get the ones I still have back to their rightful families. Thank you for coming on this adventure with me!
Ladies
|
Children
|
Miscellaneous
|
Gents
|
Couples
|
Families
|