Knapp Research Services

When was the last time you saw a cigarette machine next to a payphone? I'm guessing it's been a while.

Fashions change over time...which can be a good thing.

Where did that sheep come from?

Disneyland postcard, 1960

Just doing a bit of gardening.

My father taking the day off to go play by the creek. Unfortunately, there are no markings on the photo to indicate where or when it was taken; however, it was most likely taken somewhere in NE Wyoming during the mid 1920s.

I Do Love Baby Books

This photograph of my maternal grandmother offers very little information as to where or when it was taken. There are no names or dates written anywhere. However, by comparing her appearance with other photographs where such information exists, I estimate it was taken at Dallas, Texas between 1910 and 1915; which, would place her age at somewhere between 15 and 20 years old when this was taken.

Unfortunately another mystery photo, without any context. This photographer was not quite as successful at adding color as the last one.

Sadly, there are no markings whatsoever in regards to the identity of the child, where and when it was taken or the name of the photographer. I am sharing this simply because it was done so well done.

Another faded photograph containing little to no information. However, if you look closely, you can see that this is the same individual in the photo I posted yesterday (27 Apr 2021): her mouth slants downward from the right side of her face to the left, and her right shoulder is lower than her left. She does appear slightly younger in this photo, but that could be due to the fading.

We all have them, those frustrating old photos that seem to contain no clues as to who the people were or when and where they were taken. This particular item has tormented me for many years.
The photograph is printed on an RPPC (Real Photo Post Card) dating from between 1918 and 1930 (the stamp box contains the letters AZO, with upward pointing triangles in the upper two corners and downward pointing triangles in the lower two corners. However, the faded condition has always made me suspect this may be a reprint of an earlier picture.
Recently I decided to break out the magnifying glass and give it another try, and noticed that the young female on the right may be wearing sabots on her feet. These were basically wooden shoes, similar to those found in the Netherlands, which were commonly worn by Cajuns during the 19th and early 20th century.
While this does not provide direct evidence as to the identity or relationship of the subjects, it does help to narrow down the focus of my research. As my maternal Grandmother was born in Assumption Parish, along the Bayou Lafourche near Napoleonville, these two women are most likely relatives from that area.
Still much to be done with this one, but at least now I have been able to find a possible direction. Stay tuned.

In my previous post of two boys wearing matching outfits, you really have no way of knowing where or when the photo was taken; however, when we turn the picture over, two very important clues present themselves. The first thing we notice that this is a real Photo Post Card, which became a very popular means of sharing family photos in the early 20th century.
By looking at the stamp box, it is possible to get an approximate time frame for when the photo was taken (it is critical to understand that this applies only to when the photographic paper itself was manufactured, not necessarily when the photo was taken). In this case, the stamp box contains the letters AZO and an upward pointing triangle in each corner, which indicate the paper was manufactured by Kodak between 1904 and 1918.
The other factor we see is that the photographer stamped his company name and address on the card, in the event someone might want duplicates made. By reviewing the city directory for Dallas Texas, we learn that the photographer did not have a studio at this address until after 1915, which narrows down the time frame for when the picture was taken to sometime between 1916 and 1918.
So, now that we know where the family was at a particular time, we can more effectively search other sources such as city directories, vital records, etc for information.

Family history is not a race, take the time to learn about your ancestors. The better we understand one generation, the more accurate our conclusions about the next will be.

Sound conclusions require original sources, if possible. An index is no substitute.

Probably not the best effort when it comes to colorizing photographs; but, it is good to be able to compare them with the originals.