Friday flip through the archives: Faces from an unexplored past

/ Su Leslie
eft: Jessie Susan Harris, born 21 March 1868 Christchurch, died 13 June 1923, Hororata aged 55 right: Alice Margaret Wright, born 12 October 1872 Kaiapoi, died 10 August 1930 Washdyke photo by Eden George, Christchurch. From This photograph album was owned by Jack Thomas Frederick Baker until his death in 2003. It was previously owned by his mother Clara Elizabeth Harris (1873-1945).

Jessie Susan Harris (left), and her sister-in-law (?) Alice Margaret Wright. Photo by Eden George, Christchurch. From photograph album owned by Jack Thomas Frederick Baker, son of Clara Elizabeth Harris (1873-1945). With grateful thanks to Belinda Lansley for sending me the link to Clara’s album.

After hitting a bunch of brick walls in my own family history research, I’ve returned to looking at the Big T’s, and particularly his paternal grandmother’s family. Oh how I love New Zealand information sources. Now I just have to start writing this up …

 

Shaking the tree

eft: Jessie Susan Harris, born 21 March 1868 Christchurch, died 13 June 1923, Hororata aged 55 right: Alice Margaret Wright, born 12 October 1872 Kaiapoi, died 10 August 1930 Washdyke photo by Eden George, Christchurch. From This photograph album was owned by Jack Thomas Frederick Baker until his death in 2003. It was previously owned by his mother Clara Elizabeth Harris (1873-1945). Great grandmother, Jessie Susan Harris (left), and sister in law (?) Alice Margaret Wright. Photo by Eden George, Christchurch. From photograph album owned by Jack Thomas Frederick Baker, son of Clara Elizabeth Harris (1873-1945). With grateful thanks to Belinda Lansley for sending me the link to Clara’s album (canterburyphotography.blogspot.co.nz), and others.

We can’t help ourselves. We look at family photos and can’t help trying to find some resemblance between those we know and love, and the the faces in pictures.

The hallway in my house has become a rogues gallery of family photos and there is much pleasure to be had watching visitors scrutinize them, trying to establish who’s who. My son is regularly mistaken for his father in one photo, and an older cousin in another; while I increasingly see myself in the faces of my maternal aunts.

For family historians, photographs are the ultimate treasure. We…

View original post 641 more words

15 thoughts on “Friday flip through the archives: Faces from an unexplored past”

    • Me too. I occasionally buy old stray photos in second-hand shops when they fascinate me too much to resist. I have a couple on my office pin board that I’ve tried to research and failed, so now I just invent stories about them 😀

      Liked by 2 people

      Reply

  4. We have several boxes of old family photos from both sides of the family as well as all the shots from when our girls were little. So much to see when we start going back. My parents had all their slides (the good shots) from when we were little, put on DVD’s. Can’t wait to see them!!!

    janet

    Like

    Reply

Leave a comment