I have a new hobby. This is a confession of sorts because I don’t need a new hobby. I don’t have time for a new hobby. I don’t even have time for the hobbies that are old! But, I have to admit it. I’ve gotten sucked into a fascinating world. There is mystery, intrigue, history (of course) and a lot of guess work. 

I am fascinated by old photographs. I’ve always loved the old family photos my folks have. My sister and I made a photo album for our Dad with photos in it, some of them over 100 years old, all family. So, I cherish the few I have. Then, this started out with some photos and tin types Pauline gave me to scan. Then I found an old photo of the day website. Then I found my muse: Forgotten Old Photos. The blog readers try to find the ancestors of the person in the photo, whenever there’s a name. I am an addict. I check the site early every morning to see if there is a new name to hunt down. When there is, I could spend hours sifting through the information on Ancestry.com and Google searches. When one of us finds a living family member, we turn it over to the site owner, and she gets in contact with them, trying to reunite the photos with family.

Well…..I caught myself before it was too late, but in the few months since I discovered that site, I’ve been, um, acquiring old photos. Here and there, ebay, antique shops, friends, the like. This past weekend, my friend Cat gifted me with an antique photo album with 28 cabinet cards! She’d had it for years in a box. I caught myself wondering if any of them had names I could start hunting.

Some do. I am practically salivating over the possibilities.

I’ve decided I need to start a spreadsheet to keep track of everything. There are recurring photographer names, locations, dress styles, eras, men, women and babies, accessories and interesting settings. 

If you are trying to find me, just look in my office. I’m probably in front of the computer or scanning photos.