Mysterious old photos

By Nancy Battick

Have you inherited old photos of people you don’t recognize? 

I recently came across an old formal photo of a young child. The little one was standing, wearing a short baby garment, but there was no name on the back, not even a photographer’s. It was an absolute blank. 

With no clues it became a puzzle without a starting point to solve.

I’d seen this photo before and kept it for years hoping someday, somehow, I’d be able to resolve the issue of who the little one was. It never happened, so reluctantly I’ve discarded the photo. I’m assuming the parents of the unknown child kept copies of this portrait and passed them down in their line, but I’ll never know for sure.

I also found a photo of a baby, again taken by a photographer with just “Portland, Maine” on the mat. I do know of relatives in that area, so I assume the baby pictured was one of the children, but I’ll never know. It could even be the child of a friend. Images of a baby are difficult if not impossible to identify.

This all begs the question of what to do about any unknown photos in your collection of items you inherited. You must weigh several factors in dealing with these. Is there anything to identify the people involved such as a building, car with a license plate, a family heirloom in the background, a landmark or just a single name or date? 

Knowing a photographer’s identity and location can also be a valuable clue. If you know your great-aunt married and lived in San Francisco and the photo was taken in California, that gives you a real clue.

However, if there’s nothing to help you identify the subjects in a photo, do you have to keep it? It’s up to you. If there’s nothing to go by and you have no hope of identifying the subjects, then you may feel justified in letting the photo go. 

But if it’s a significant photo such as a wedding party, an anniversary, a family gathering or the like, you may want to keep that photo. The odds are that the wedding photo is of a family member’s, though I found one where my late husband’s mother had been a bridesmaid. I passed that photo on to my stepson because it’s a great photo of his grandmother as a young woman.

If there are familiar buildings that identify a town or area, you might consider donating that photo to a local historical society. Check with other family members to see if they want the photos, but ultimately, it’s your choice what you do with inherited photos. 

Just remember not to throw out the baby with the bath water. If there’s a strong family resemblance, you may opt to keep the photo in hope of someday finding the sitter’s identity. There’s no right or wrong here — just do what you think is best.

Columnist Nancy Battick of Dover-Foxcroft has researched genealogy for over 30 years. She is past president of the Maine Genealogical Society, author of several genealogical articles and co-transcribed the Vital Records of Dover-Foxcroft. Nancy holds an MA in History from UM. Reader emails are welcome at nbattick@roadrunner.com.