The Storyline
"Real families.Real discoveries.Real stories."
Photo Mysteries: The Art of Identifying Old Family Photographs
Nothing brings genealogy to life quite like staring into the face of an ancestor who's been gone for a hundred years. If you're lucky enough to have old vintage photographs—tintypes, cabinet cards, formal portraits—each unlabeled image is a puzzle waiting to be solved. Here's how photo detective work brings our ancestors back.
From Research to Story—transforming fragmented memories into complete family narratives
Guilbault-Soulier Family Photo Mystery
Among the treasured photographs passed down through generations, one image puzzled researchers for years. A little girl with ringlet curls clutches a teddy bear on wooden steps—but she isn't who we thought she was. Through careful photo analysis and census records, we uncover Frances Hamel, a daughter deliberately erased from family memory.
Part of the Storyline Genealogy Series: Tranchemontagne: Seven Generations of French-Canadian Women
The Mystery Man :
In a 1947 photograph, two men sit together at the US Capitol—one is Thomas Eugene Hamall, age 43. The other remained unidentified for 75 years. Through forensic photo analysis, family tree reconstruction, and a 1968 high school yearbook, we finally discovered who he was—and uncovered a poignant story about family connections maintained across three fractured generations.
They Were Never Photographed Together
They were never photographed together—but forensic analysis proved they were there. When three men named Thomas Hamall were separated by divorce, distance, and death, photographs in separate frames became the evidence that proved their connection across 87 years.
Part of the Storyline Genealogy Series: proving that the stories worth telling are the ones that can be proven true.
The Mystery of the Formal Portraits: Identifying Miles Murtha Lawrence O’Brien
When three generations share the same name, how do you know which Miles you're looking at? I had three unlabeled formal portraits from the early 1900s and two men named "Miles M. O'Brien" living in Brooklyn during the same era—a grandfather and his son. The only clue was a severely degraded photo with faint handwriting: "Dad's Father - Died 1930."
This is the story of how I identified Miles Murtha Lawrence O'Brien through fashion dating, WWI draft card records, and the convergence of nine independent lines of evidence. It's also the story of a Brooklyn Irish-American family that rose from immigrant roots to prominence—one man a US Congressman, another a skilled scale maker working for his half-brother's business.
When photographs outlive memory, detective work brings our ancestors back. Join me as I solve a 95-year-old mystery, one clue at a time.
Part of the Storyline Genealogy Series-Uncovering Your Family Story and Preserving Your Legacy
The Damaged Graduation Portrait: Solving a WWII Family Mystery
A cracked, creased graduation portrait. A family fleeing Japanese soldiers. A six-year-old boy who saved his father's last photograph. This case study demonstrates how to identify damaged wartime photos using photographic technology, age analysis, historical context, and damage patterns. When Mamerto Morales stood for this 1939 graduation portrait, he had no idea he had three years to live. The photograph survived because love survived—and the damage itself became evidence. Learn the detective work behind solving 85-year-old photo mysteries.
At Storyline Genealogy, we believe damaged photographs tell the most powerful stories. From research to story—transforming cracked images and fragmented memories into complete family narratives.
The Tintype in the Box: Solving a 150-Year-Old Family Mystery
How I identified a nameless 1870s tintype using photo dating, fashion analysis, and family records—and discovered the tragic story of Margaret Mary McKenny.
When photographs outlive memory, detective work brings our ancestors back.
Part of the Storyline Genealogy Series- Uncovering the Stories Behind the Names and Images
The Woman in the Portrait: Aunt Maime’s Story
For 90 years, her portrait was preserved but unlabeled. Through death certificates, census records, and a 7-year search, we finally discovered Aunt Maime's extraordinary story of sacrifice and survival.
Part of the Storyline Genealogy Series- Uncovering the Stories Behind the Names