Today as I was researching an orphan photograph I bought at an antique store I was thinking about how people get "lost." Photographs are ephemeral. They get passed down, lost, or misplaced. They sometimes end up in antique stores.
Photography has a relatively short history. The technology was invented in 1822 but it was not until later that the everyday person was able to have their photo taken.
If we think of photography as commonplace in the United States starting in the mid to late 19th century and later as technology evolved to individuals taking photos. That means for many of us, we could have access to photos of our grandmothers, great-grandmothers, great-great grandmothers (or more). Or maybe not.
Don't forget to search for photographs in newspapers and digital collections like Dead Fred, Ancient Faces, and DPLA. Don't forget that just because you don't have a photograph of her, that doesn't mean one doesn't exist somewhere.
If you do have a photograph, take time to write about it. Describe it. What is it depicting? What is the story behind the photograph?
Finally make sure to scan it and make it available to others through emails to family, social media family groups, and genealogy websites. That way her story isn't lost.
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