‘Dead Fred’s Genealogy Photo Archive’ is a free and fun research website devoted to helping people visualize their heritage. It currently has data on 22,927 surnames but the content is interesting to scroll through even if you’re not related to any of them.
Whether it’s a portrait of a Swedish mail carrier from 1900 or a French woman with a baguette in Paris half a century later, these shots provide vivid insights into how people looked and lived in the past.
More info: deadfred.com | Facebook
#1 Graduation Day 1939
#2 Stoney First Nation Member, Guide Samson Beaver With His Wife Leah And Their Daughter Frances Louise, 1907
The founder of this archive, Joe Bott, is of German descent. Interestingly, the origins for the name of the project can be traced to his great-great-grandfather who lived during the reign of Frederick III, a German Emperor and King of Prussia for 99 days between March and June 1888
By paying homage to Fredrick, the author aims to honor his own lineage and provide a venue by which people can tie the living present with the quiet past.
#3 Protesting The High School Dress Code That Banned Slacks For Girls, Brooklyn C.1940
#4 Loti-Kee-Yah-Tede-The Chief’s Daughter Laguna Pueblo, New Mexico. 1905 Photo By Carl E. Moon
#5 Beautiful Bride C1930s
Raised in the Fairview section of Camden in Southern New Jersey, Joe Bott is married to Laurie Bott and has four children named Nathan, Jeremy, Matthew, and Andrew.
A husband, father, grandfather, and Manager of Research and Development at Tyson Foods, Inc., the avid photograph collector and mastermind behind ‘Dead Fred’s Genealogy Photo Archive’ began developing the idea for the archive after accumulating thousands of old photos over the past 30 years.
Eventually, Joe decided to transform his hobby into a full-time activity for his retirement and eventually got a few helping hands, too.
#6 Ladies Having Tea In The Scottish Highlands, Circa 1910
#7 5 Year Old Anne Frank .photographer Her Father Otto
#8 Settler Family, 1880s
#9 Portrait Of Inuit Girl, Nancy Columbia – By Gerhard Sisters – 1904
One of the team members is Amanda Shertzer who develops the countless codes that govern ‘Dead Fred’s Genealogy Photo Archive’ and ensures accurate and convenient searches for their visitors every time.
The other is copywriter Jeannette Balleza. She writes and edits promotional materials for the website and its related projects. With public relations as her primary focus, she assists in marketing and advertising efforts to both attract support and generate awareness for the site.
#10 Portrait Of A Woman 1932 By James Van Der Zee
#11 1880 Fijian Man (Republic Of The Fiji Islands)
#12 This Photograph Was Taken In November 1909. It Shows Three Members Of The Payro Family Being “Photographed” By Their Cat: Edmund, Age 12, Ernest, Age 8, And Cecilia, Age 5
#13 Rural Mail Carrier In A Winter Uniform, 1900, Sweden
Learning about your family history can strengthen your sense of identity. Discovering more about your ancestors, celebrating family traditions, embracing your culture, and understanding where you came from can open your eyes to how beautiful and unique you are, boosting your sense of self-worth and belonging.
#14 1862 Us Union Soldier Cathy Williams. She Had To Pose As A Male To Be Enlisted..she Was Part Of The 38 Regiment,infantry Division And Was Called A Buffalo Soldier
#15 “Sits Down Spotted”- Crow Nation, Fort Keogh, Montana, 1881
#16 Cutting A Sunbeam, England, 1886 By Adam Diston
#17 Walking Her Dogs In The Hyde Park Dog’s Cemetery: The Final Resting Place To 1000+ Victorian-Era Pets Hides Inside The City Park
Plus, there’s another practical benefit of digging in the archives. Remember when you were filling out a patient history form for your healthcare provider and your mind went blank when it asked if cancer, high blood pressure, or diabetes ran in your family? Well, learning about your ancestors can help you avoid leaving those blank spaces in the future.
#18 “Daughter Of A Cornwall Copper Miner, 5x Bride, Free Australian Immigrant, Resident Of Far North Queensland, Mother Of 3, Laundress Worker, And Short-Term Resident Of New Zealand’s North Island. All This In 55 Years Of Life
#19 Navajo Woman Weaving Blanket, Santa Fe, New Mexico Photographer: Christian G. Kaad 1900
#20 Learning To Ride A Bicycle, Circa 1895. (Photo By William Gordon Davis)
#21 Kentucky Pack-Horse Librarians: Appalachian Mountain Riders Deliver Books Through The Works Progress Administration (Wpa) Of The 1930s
However, getting to know the people who came before us isn’t just an essential introduction to our own country, ethnic heritage, and ancestry.
It’s also a valuable tool when it comes to understanding the cultural identity of those who are different from us. Just look at these pictures, don’t they make you want to learn about other regions, nations and their customs?
#22 Swimmer On The Beach Of Deauville
#23 Mother And Her Sisters: 1912 The Gaudreau Sisters Of Stanbridge East, Quebec, 1912
#24 John Merrick And His Three Daughters, Geneva ,marel, And Martha .1909
#25 Hop Pickers On Stilts In Faversham England 1920
#26 Portrait Of Wasco Indian With Decorated Face, Feather And Bead Ornaments. – Wilder – 1903
#27 Chimney Sweep Boys In Victorian England.c1880s A Horrible Tale
#28 Another Fashionable Day At Longchamp, France 1911
#29 A French Woman With Her Baguette And Six Bottles Of Wine, Paris, France, 1945
#30 The Pearl Necklace, The 1900s -Frank Eugene,
#31 Washington, D.c., In 1919. Street Lunch Vendor
#32 December 1936: “Christmas Dinner In Home Of Earl Pauley Near Smithfield, Iowa. Dinner Consisted Of Potatoes, Cabbage And Pie.” Photograph By Russell Lee For The Farm Security Administration
#33 Civil War Veteran Isador Banor, Who Lived To The Age Of 102 In Port Clinton, Ohio. He Was Born In 1811 When Napoleon Ruled Most Of Europe. He Died In 1913 — Ten Years After The Wright Brothers Flew The First Airplane, And A Year Before The First World War Began
#34 Another Fun Teen Slumber Party C1915
#35 A “Pigeon Bus” From Wwi, Served As Collecting Point For Messenger Pigeons From The Front Lines
#36 1917 In Miles City, Montana, Here Are Three Cowgirls At The Miles City Round-Up. They Are Clyde Lindsay, Mildred Douglas And Ruby Dickey
#37 Peasant Girls Carry Water From A Sleigh To A Hut,russian Empire (1910s)
#38 C1900 Victorian Woman Jumping Rope ( Or Levitating )
#39 1923 Flappers , Lighting Up
#40 Preping For A Meal C1915
