Old photographs tell stories, but if you don't know who's in the picture, the story will remain a mystery. My husband and I "inherited" boxes of old family photographs, most with no labels or names. I've literally spent hours staring at pictures in an attempt to find a hint about who or where or when. While going through some old family history records recently, I again ran across the picture I've posted here. I don't have any idea who this family is although I'm guessing a mother and father are posing with their three nearly-grown children and a younger son.

This lonely photograph - I don't remember why I removed it from the larger collection of unidentified pictures - prompted me to look again at various online guides. Here are five tips for identifying people in old family photos, thanks to Genealogy Expert Kimberly Powell:

1) Identify the type of photograph, which may help you establish the timeframe. I found a website that could be very helpful if you're dealing with 19th century photos, e.g., daguerreotypes, ambrotypes, tintypes, cartes des visites or cabinet cards: http://phototree.com/identify.htm

2) Was it taken by a professional photographer? Look for the name of a photographer/studio or imprint which may be on the front or back of the photo. Often the name of the city is included. If not, a local historical society may have directories showing when/where the photographer was in business. If you're very lucky, this may lead to an archive for that photographer (which would be like winning the lottery). Here's a link to a directory held by the Minnesota Historical Society: www.mnhs.org/people/photographers/D.php

3) Study the background. Families often had their pictures taken in front of their home or car. Look for a house number or street sign or some other identifiable object. Even the time of year might give you a clue about the occasion. To me this photo looks like early spring and definitely a special occasion, perhaps Easter? The photo I've posted here was among others that belonged to my paternal grandmother, who grew up in Iowa but married and raised a family in rural South Dakota. The brick home pictured here was likely in Iowa, and the buildings in the background suggest a small town. Based on my experience, the setting is too nice for a typical farm in the Dakotas. With a little more research, one could identify the exact year and model of the vehicle. I'm guessing this is an early-1940s automobile, but here's a website that could narrow it down: www.boldride.com/tags/1940-1949

4) Look at clothing and hairstyles. Women's fashions change more frequently than men's so they provide better hints for dating photographs. Again, a number of websites picture clothing and hairstyles. Here's one helpful source for dating women's fashions: www.uvm.edu/landscape/dating/clothing_and_hair/index.php My mystery photo - maybe late 1930s or very early 1940s?

5) Compare your clues to the data in your family tree. Even knowing that the photo came from my grandmother - as opposed to my husband's family in Minneapolis - provides a major clue. (Now that I've tended to intermingle our family photos, future generations won't have this advantage... ) Do you find the people pictured in other photos, with family members you do recognize? In my photo example, can I find any Iowa families with four children born circa 1915-1930?

If your photo remains a mystery (like mine does), try books such as Family Photo Detective: Learn How to Find Genealogy Clues in Old Photos and Solve Family Photo Mysteries by Maureen A. Taylor. In the meantime, be sure to label your own current photos so you don't perplex your descendants.