This guide explains how to study a real photograph and its catalogue record. This page’s illustrative image is fictional and is not genealogical evidence.
The method, step by step
- For a real photograph, start with its record: title, stated creator, date range, collection and identifier. Retain catalogue uncertainties; a holding institution is not automatically the photographer.
- Describe visible details separately from catalogue identifications and your hypotheses. Clothing, surroundings or a resemblance do not suffice to name a person or establish kinship.
- Check dates and context against independent sources. A modern view locates a place; a historical image supports only what its provenance establishes. A fictional scene documents no real event.
- Before reusing a real photograph, consult its record and reuse conditions. Preserve credits and document changes. Keep a copy of the record with the image reference.
Record in your research log
- Image
- creator
- source
- licence or AI status
- verifiable caption.
Frequently asked questions
Does an Ellis Island photo prove an arrival?
A place photograph supplies context. For an ancestor, seek a named record matching identity and timeline; unidentified people are not assigned to your family here.
View the illustration catalogue and provenance ↗