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old, unidentified, photos

5 replies

MaMaLa321 · 13/07/2021 12:05

I have 2 albums full of Victorian and Edwardian photos, but no names. I have absolutely no idea who they are. Has anyone any ideas of what to do with them, apart from throw them away?

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MenaiMna · 13/07/2021 12:33

I would start by looking at unique or interesting architecture in the background. If you think they are of relatives then a bit of UK genealogy work (census records for 1841,61,81,91,1901 and 1911 are free to find online) might give you towns & villages to guess around, then look at FB local history pages, local history museums, local archives?

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MaMaLa321 · 14/07/2021 09:25

Thank you, but unfortunately they are all standard studio photos, in Birmingham and Coventry. Some have reference numbers. Wouldn't it be wonderful if the records of photographic studios had survived, but I can't find any that have.
The other album I have has had all the names painstakingly utterly erased, and 2 big pictures cut out with a knife. It belonged to my great grandmother's 2nd husband, and she was his 2nd wife, and I can only think that she wanted to erase all trace of his past.

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mrsjoyfulprizeforraffiawork · 17/07/2021 17:45

Contact local newspapers or facebook groups in those areas and see if they would publish then to see if anyone can identify the subjects? Maybe other descendants (through his first wife).

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theblackradiator · 19/01/2023 18:40

@MaMaLa321 Came across this old thread on the history section did you ever find out who the people in the old photos were op? I also have a few old photos that have been in the family for years and no one has a clue who they are and we'd love to know. it's such a shame they didn't think to write on the back of photos back then.

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upinaballoon · 19/01/2023 21:22

theblackradiator · 19/01/2023 18:40

I was once asked about a load of photos, late 19th century, which didn't have any names written on the backs. I couldn't help but I was possibly related to some of the people in them. They were the sort which were produced on quite thick card. I read once that one of the reasons people didn't write on the backs was that they were so much more expensive compared to our photos today. Saving up to go to the studio and paying quite a lot of money meant that the photo was quite precious, physically, as well as from the recording point of view. It makes sense but it's so frustrating when there isn't a name.