The Storyline
Real families. Real discoveries. Real stories.
The Mystery Man: Photo Analysis
In a 1947 photograph, two men sit together at the US Capitol—one is Thomas Eugene Hamall, age 42. The other remained unidentified for 75 years. Through forensic photo analysis, family tree reconstruction, and a 1968 high school yearbook, we found the man the evidence points to—and uncovered a poignant story about family connections maintained across three fractured generations.
Part of the Storyline Genealogy series: From Research to Story
They Were Never Photographed Together
Three sets of photographs, three claims to test, and three different answers. Two men in formal dress at the same Riverside bridge in the year one of them married there. A dog on a lawn chair at a cottage, in two frames taken the same season. A father and a son at the same Capitol balustrade in 1947. One case holds, one fails at the last step, and one is settled as to the event but open as to the journey — and saying which is which is the whole method. A shared element can put two photographs in one place. It cannot put a person there.
Part of the Storyline Genealogy Series: From Research to Story
The Mystery of the Formal Portraits
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 Tintype in the Box: Photo 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