An old photo with no name on it is a mystery. A photo with a name, a place and a story is something your family can keep. These are the questions worth asking, one photo at a time.
Who
- Who is in the picture? Say each person’s name, left to right, and how they are related.
- Who took it? Who kept it?
Where and when
- Where was it taken? A city is good. A street or a building is better.
- About what year? Clothes, cars and ages help. “Late 1950s” is a fine answer.
What was happening
- Was it a holiday, a wedding, a trip, a day at work?
- What is the story behind it? What would you tell a grandchild?
When you are not sure
Say so. “I think this is my uncle, I am not sure” is useful. A relative who looks at the same photo later may know the rest. TributeMaker marks these photos as open questions so the family can fill them in.
Ask someone who knows
Show the photo to the oldest relative you can. Record them or write down what they say. One short conversation can name a whole page of faces.
Want help building a tribute site?
Bring your photos and stories to TributeMaker. We ask the simple questions and turn your answers into a website. See a real example at haroldcshore.com.
Start my tribute site
Bring your photos and stories to TributeMaker. We ask the simple questions and turn your answers into a website. See a real example at haroldcshore.com.
Start my tribute site
This guide is general information. TributeMaker is not a genealogy research service, and we do not verify family facts.