Who Are These Beautiful People in the Photographs

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Courtesy of Monteral Harrell

My maternal first cousin Monteral Harrell and I was looking through the photograph collection of her deceased father Raymond Harrell, Sr., and saw so many beautiful pictures that tell a story. We have no idea who these well dress people could be. Some of them could be people we are related to and just don't know it. My cousin whom I call Moni and I just looked at the beautiful pictures. 

They took taking a picture seriously. On most of the photographs, you will see people looking very serious. Unlike today, digital technology has taken us to new levels in photography. Making silly faces, taking selfies, and taking multi photographs without worrying about the loss of films and the cost of developing the films is the new way of taking pictures in today's time.  So that takes the edge off taking pictures today.

According to an article in Time Magazine,  November 28, 2016, issue, the first photographs were taken in the late 1820s. Our family had to have some means of money because they took a lot of photographs. Some were taken in the studio and some were taken at different homes.  The bottom line is someone had access to a camera and money to have them develop unless they had their own darkroom for processing the images. I just wish I knew who it was. I found more pictures on my Harrell side of the family then the Richardson and Vining side of the family. I wish I could find more image in every branch of my family tree.

I can take my grandfathers' Jasper's sister Aunt Bertha Harrell for example, she appeared to be a lady that enjoyed fashions and taking photographs.  But the question is; who are these beautiful distinguished people in the photographs?

Unknown
Courtesy of Montreal Harrell

Every family has a keeper of the oral history, family photographs, and some are the keepers of the family heirlooms. Monteral like her father is the keeper of the family photographs. We are hoping that someone who may read this blog can identify someone in the images.  Many families had albums of unknown photographs and don't know what to do with them. Sometimes if you are lucky‒you can find an inscription on the back of the photograph and some may not have inscriptions or labels. 

We can interpret a lot from a photograph when we look at it closely.  The way they dress and the time period of the photograph. How they wore their hair and the location of the photograph! Looking at the images backgrounds. Did they take the photograph in a studio are did they take the photograph at home? Are there people that you recognize? 

One thing for sure, we should never throw away photographs. Especially pictures from the l800s and 20th century. Sometimes those pictures can be one of a kind and the only image there is that can connect us to a previous generation. Who wouldn't be happy to find a picture of an ancestor? I know I would be delighted and overly joyed.

I was browsing around on eBay and found an entire collection of African-American Photo Family Lot Talbot Ga Family Al 20s South Tintype selling for $99.00.  Vintage photographs can be pricey as well.  If you ever stop at a museum or antique shop, you can find that African-American images can be very expensive. 

Genealogist conferences, workshops, and family reunions are excellent places to start educating the family on the importance of keeping the old photo collection. Would you want your photo collection sitting outside in the trash? Have you thought about making plans for the collection? Do you know how to professionally archive your collection safely? 

I was happy to see that Monteral and her dad didn't laminate them. It best to use acid-free sleeves. And by all means please, avoid adhesives and please store your albums in a dry place free of all chemicals.  You do not want to use staples and paper clips that could stain and damages the photographs.  I strongly suggest wearing cloth gloves and avoiding latex gloves when looking at old photos. 

Please make sure you're in a clean area without in liquids or food when looking at the images. Some lights can be very harmful to the images, so do be careful when you are handling old and rare photos. I'm happy that Monteral and her father are two of the keepers of the Harrell family tree.

On the Vining side of the family, our cousin Ann Lee Vining Hurst inherit her mother Hilda" Zemora" Vining collection. Some of the photographs Ann was able to identify the people and others images she had no idea who the people were.