Introduction...what is this blog about?

About the time I really began to research my only genealogy--a highly addicting but rewarding hobby--I was visiting my parents out in the Phoenix area. I had just spent a delightful morning carefully thumbing through old family photographs, many of which we didn't even know we possessed. Putting faces to names made all of the research and family stories really come to life. Who knew that in the 1930s, the men of my family had a striking resemblence to the Mafia? And strikingly similar to one another too: as one distant cousin said, "Seen one Cornish man, seen 'em all."

That very afternoon we went to a funky antique store downtown. The store was packed with neat pieces, and a fabulous chair with zebra print that I would have gladly lugged home--were home not 2,000 miles away in Orlando, Florida. As I continued to poke around, I came across what I can only describe as a treasure: an entire photo album following the courtship of a couple, Talmage and Hazel. The photos were being sold for 25 cents each. God knows how long the album was in the shop, being cannibalized (ok, that's a strong word, but you know what I mean) photo by photo. Having just seen pictures of my own ancestors, I felt immediately drawn to this photo album, and felt not just a desire, but a need to rescue it from its poach-ified fate. So I counted up the 149 remaining images and bought the courtship of Talmage and Hazel, lump sum.

But what then? Though I'm a big fan of anything old and authentic, I couldn't really see keeping this photo album of strangers around. In some people's eyes, it could even be a little creepy. I thought about the grandchildren of Talmadge of Hazel--and then thought about how I would freak out if somehow a photo album like this existed for my own family, somewhere, on a dusty shelf next to some depression glass. Was Great Grandpa Frank now someone else's "instant ancestor" somewhere? Maybe. And I'm sure I'll never know. But it became my mission--and the start of the Ancestor Rescue Mission--to reunite Talmage and Hazel with their rightful family.

Now I troll around estate sales, antique stores, and eBay, searching for wayward antique portraits and snapshots that contain some clues to the images' contents, be it names or places. It is my hope that by posting these images and researching the people in them, that I can help reconnect families to their visual histories.

- Boomlet Genealogist

FAQ

Question: Is this some sort of commercial site? What's the deal?

Answer: No! I am doing this as a hobby. If I have posted an image of your family member that you would like, please get in touch. The intent of this site is to get photos back into the hands of their families--not to make a profit.

Question: Hey, that's me/my uncle/my grandmother on there! Can you take me off?

Answer: Of course. If you or your family member is in the image, and you do not feel comfortable wit it being posted on the internet, please get in touch and I will take it doown. Please also keep in mind that all research I do on the images is from public records...there is no private information being unveiled on this site.

Question: I have some old photos of people I don't know. Can I post them here too?

Answer: No, at least not right now. The website isn't set up for multiple users. However, if there is any sort of name or location indicated on your image, and you can send me a scan of it, I am happy to do a bit of research and post it.