To identify which places fall under the commission’s jurisdictions, many towns have commissioned surveys. And these surveys usually contain photographs… These commissions are usually charged with protecting and preserving the town’s cultural character and assets, be they archaeological sites, historic buildings, open spaces, landscapes, or historic districts. While the local historical society is a non-profit, volunteer run organization, most towns also have a local historical commission created through the town’s bylaws. Or even simply from a family who discovers a cache of old photographs and memoirs while cleaning out a deceased member’s attic.Īnd those photographs could include your house or its previous owners, like this photo from this active historical society in Downers Grove, a southwestern suburb of Chicago.Ĭourtesy of Downers Grove Historical Society, dated 1953 2. These items may either be purchased or donated through commercial and public agencies. These organizations collect, organize and store historic documents, artwork, and items that are relevant to local history. Local historical societies are a treasure trove of old photographs. Good luck! And let me know if you find other sources…. There’s no guarantee these resources include photos of your home, BUT it’s worth a shot. Good news – All of them are free, but some aspects may require a small cost (for example, a printed photo). Some of these sources are online, while some require you to put on some shoes and hit this sidewalk. And quite frankly, as a self-proclaimed nerd, learning about my town’s history was fun! Where Can You Find Old Photos of Your Home For Free?īelow are the 12 best places I discovered to find old photos of your home. I will admit right up front that I haven’t actually found any photos of my old house (at least not yet….).īUT going through old photos of my neighborhood brought me a greater connection and appreciation with my community. One of my favorite parts of researching the history of my old house was looking through old photographs. It started with learning about the architecture of my house ( American Foursquare), evolved into researching online databases to learn about when it was constructed and who used to live there. But I have a greater-than-average curiosity about my house and its history. I’m an average homeowner with an old house. Be sure to check out my Beginner’s Guide to Tracing Your Home’s History as well as 15+ other posts categorized under Home History Research. This post is part of a tutorial on how to research the history of your house. Guide on How to Research Your Home’s History As such, I earn from qualifying purchases. Photographs that were taken ten minutes ago, photographs taken a century ago, or even pictures of portraits that were painted of our ancestors before the introduction of photography are all within reach through online collections.This post contains affiliate links, including but not limited to Amazon Associates. To borrow the oft-used cliché, "A picture is worth a thousand words." Photographic images capture the essence of people, places, and things and are among the most desirable of family history treasures. Civil War Photos, images of Professional Baseball Players, historical post cards from several countries and the ever popular Library of Congress Photo Collection, 1840-2000. headstones, African American Photos, U.S. ![]() ![]() Other exciting collections in this category include school yearbooks, images of passenger ships, selected U.S. ![]() Additionally, millions of contributors have shared documents such as naturalization papers, marriage certificates, drawings, maps and other documents that may not be found elsewhere. In the "Public Member Photos and Scanned Documents" section at Ancestry, you can find photographs of individuals, families, homes, cemetery tombstones, and more. Millions of photographs have been added to Ancestry family trees by users who have indicated that their tree can be viewed by Ancestry members. Technological advances have enabled us to retrieve images with digital cameras and scanners and to easily add them to our family trees.
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