If you’re like me, you have at least a handful of old family photos on which there are no notes identifying the people, the location and/or the year.

There are clues that can help narrow down the time frame of very old – 19th century – photos.

For example, the photo might be a daguerrotype, which is a very early type of photo process used in the 1840s and 1850s. Those are easy to spot, based on their physical attributes.

There are also tintype photos, also easily identified because the images are printed on pieces of metal. Narrowing down a year for tintype photos isn’t that easy, though, because they were popular and inexpensive and appeared from the 1850s into the early 1900s.

Then, photographers moved onto photos mounted on various paper backings. Small images – about 2×3 inches – were popular in the 1860s and 1870s are are often called CDVs or carte de visite or “calling cards.” These small photos were often dropped in bowls at a friend’s house during social gatherings.

By the 1880s, larger cabinet cards, measuring about 4×6 inches, became the in thing. Cabinet cards were inexpensive and readily available from local photographers.

Note that my dates for these various types of photographs represent their peak periods of popularity; the dates don’t represent the first or last time they appeared in the market.

As we entered the 20th century, photography became ever more popular as not only could the masses afford to have their picture taken, but cameras were inexpensive enough that they could own one and take their own photos.

Knowing these different types of early photos helps narrow down a time frame for when the picture was taken and also narrows the possibilities of identifying unknown persons in those photos.

There are a number of resources available, and easily located in an online search, to help with clues found in a photo.

However, thanks to MyHeritage, my first stop is always their Photo Dater program. I’ll admit upfront, though, that Photo Dater seems to work best with photos from the very late 1800s into the 20th century.

Here is one of my unknown photos from my paternal grandmother’s collection:

I have no idea who these young ladies are, but given the style of the photo and the background used by the photographer, plus knowing they would have been friends of my grandmother, I figured the photo was probably between 1910 and 1915, which is when my grandmother married my grandfather. Photo Dater estimates – Note: estimates – it to be c1915, right on target.

Here is another of my grandmother when she was a bridesmaid:

Photo Dater again said 1915, which is in the ballpark, but it’s more likely c1910-1912, not long after my grandmother came back to New jersey from Slovakia to live in 1910. However, Photo Dater is close enough that I would have a good idea where to begin looking if I didn’t know who these young folks were.

There are lots of clues to be found within the photo itself to help identify who, where and when!

1. Hair styles of both men and women
2. Clothing styles
3. Ages of the people in the picture
4. Indoor background and props in the photograph
5. Foliage/buildings in outdoor pictures
6. Photographer’s name and location if printed on the photo

Technology is our friend when it comes to identifying unknown photo subjects. Try Google Lens, DeadFred and Ancient Faces to seek out ancestral photos.

There are two other great resources to find photos of people you’ve identified in your family tree. Find-a-Grave has new photos and obituaries/memorials added every day.

Another more extensive resource is the FamilySearch family tree. Log in to yourFamilySearch account and search for an ancestor. then look to see if any items have been uploaded into Memories.

Here is my 2X great grandfather, Calvin Segee Adams (1843-1921):

Notice that there are five items in Memories. Three of them are photos of Calvin Adams. Although I own the original images, I have shared with them many other family members, and on this blog, and I am not the person who uploaded any of the five images found.

Earlier, I mentioned that there are online resources pertaining to identification and care of old photographs. The best known is The Photo Detective – Maureen Taylor. She has published several books and does a podcast.

Other Resources:

• Researching Old Photo Studios to Identify 19th Century Photographs
• Photographers of Great Britain & Ireland 1840-1940
• Identifying Old Photographs: How to Do It and How It Can Help Your Research
• Preserving Photographs

These are just a handful of what can be found online to help you locate old photos or to learn more about those already in your family collection.