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You Look
Familiar, But...
Contributed by Donna Brock |
| I often wander into antique stores and find
myself instantly drawn to the box that typically says something like
"Instant Ancestors - $2.00 each". And while the chances of finding a
relative of mine is practically non-existent, I rifle through anyway,
wondering who these people were and how they came to be in this box.
Family and other photos are valuable resources for
family historians and others interested in genealogy. 
They provide historians and researchers with a visual window to the
past, and few things transcend time as well as old photographs do.
Tips for Family Historians
Enlist your immediate and extended family in the
search for pictures. Make it a family project.
Contact relatives and ask for copies of old
family photos with the promise that each family member will get copies
of photographs they did not have previously.
When visiting relatives, ask them to help you
identify the people in the pictures, as well as when and where they
were taken. It's important to tell the story behind the photograph.
Talk to older family members. Bring a pad and
pen, or better, a tape recorder. You'll find that they'll be thrilled
to tell you their stories, and expect to learn a surprise or two.
Preserve your photos. Use archival quality,
acid-free boxes, folders or photo pages.
Scan your photos and keep backup copies on CD or
disks.
Researchers and genealogists know historical
societies, local and county libraries can be good sources for photos of
where ancestors lived and worked, perhaps even your ancestors
themselves! The Hackettstown Historical Society has hundreds of photos
of the people and places that shaped the history of our town. Photos
capture clothing, architecture, furniture, time-setting clothing and
hairstyles, and other priceless details of the past that may be useful
to researchers.
Unfortunately, we don't always take the time to
properly identify and preserve family photos.
While many of the pictures donated to the
Historical Society's collections include names and dates, far too many
do not. That's why we need your help. We'll be posting some of those
'orphaned' pictures on our site. If you recognize someone, please send
an email to us at information@hackettstownhistory.com.
A picture may be worth a thousand words, but the
story behind it is priceless! Don't let your ancestors become some
else's instant relative.
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| Read news articles
that have been published in previous months. |
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| The Hackettstown
Historical Society will meet on September 15, 2011. |
| Join us as we
welcome Raymond Millhime and Martin Fleisher, two decorated American
veterans, who will share their experiences in World War II. |
| The Society meets
on the first Thursday of the month and are held in the Front Parlor of
historic Seay Hall at Centenary College, unless otherwise posted.
Meetings begin at 7:30 pm. Check this website or call the Museum at
908.852.8797 for additional information. |
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