Unlocking the Secrets in Old Photographs

by Karen Frisch-Ripley

After years of photographic research, the author explains methods of analyzing photographs historically. She outlines how you can recognize architecture, clothing, monuments, and other objects in photos; and where you can find additional help.

Genres: History, Photography

190 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 1991

Reviews

[Ray · Rating 3 out of 5]

The usefulness of this book to anyone who has spent any time at all with family photos is pretty limited. It covers the most basic apsects of the topic: dates for evolution of the various types of photographs, a little (very litttle) on dress styles, a decent (if dated) bibliography, ideas for gathering photos from relatives, furniture clues, etc. I read it through cover to cover in a day. The 190pp. could have been condensed to about a quarter that length.

I found chapter 5 on the technical details of photograph evolution was handy and the (single!) chapter on dating photographs (chap. 3) was decent. Then again a quick google search would have yielded most of this information online.

For a basic book on the topic, I prefer Maureen Taylor's more recent Uncovering Your Ancestry through Family Photographs (Betterway, 2000).

Far more helpful are the various books on costuming and details of clothing.

[Brianna · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think this book would have been more useful if there were more pictures. It is a book on examining photographs afterall.

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great resource. I took lots of notes as I read as we received a pile of photos from the 19th century to identify from 2 lines in our family.

[Lisa Keipp · Rating 2 out of 5]

May be good for beginners, but most historians will find it nothing new, and a touch condescending.