TSLA's Next Workshop: Using Low Tech Photos for High Quality Research

Smart phones and selfie sticks were more than 100 years away from being invented, but photography was nevertheless an important part of people's lives during the 19th Century. And those ancient photos can provide important clues even today to people who are trying to learn more about their ancestors.

In the latest in the Tennessee State Library and Archives' (TSLA) free workshop series, Nashville native Lynda Massey will coach participants in how to use those photos to assist in genealogical research.

Photos from the Victorian era can help identify long-lost ancestors through images of period clothing, hair styles, facial hair, and even through details left behind by the photographers themselves. In this workshop, Massey will explain how one can identify images by their case makers, the names of photographers and photo studio addresses. Using city directories (available at TSLA and online) to establish when photographers worked at particular addresses, researchers can even pinpoint the dates when photos were made.

Massey has been interested in photography her whole life and began collecting about 20 years ago. She repairs and cleans daguerreotypes, ambrotypes and images of all types. She is also an avid collector and authority on antique jewelry.

The workshop, which is free and open to the public, will be held in TSLA's auditorium from 9:30 a.m. until 11 a.m. Aug. 1.

Those wishing to attend must register online because seating in the auditorium is limited. Parking is available in the front, on the side, and in back of TSLA's building, which is located at 403 Seventh Avenue North, directly west of the State Capitol building in downtown Nashville. To register, visit:

http://tslaphotoworkshop.eventbrite.com

For more information on the event, call: (615) 741-2764 or e-mail: workshop.tsla@tn.gov

The State Library and Archives is a division of the Tennessee Department of State and Tre Hargett, Secretary of State.