Flickr- Photos & Ephemera



flickr-fountain-1890sThe online site of Flickr is a photo sharing site. It has many current images but also many vintage photos, some you may have never seen before. When you know an ancestor’s hometown, you can use Flickr to see what images of that ancestral hometown might be available. There could be postcards, photos, advertisements, maps, brochures, letters, etc.

When you start searching, use key words when looking for family related material. Use the surname (s), hometowns, businesses name, along with the keywords of diary or narrative to see if something comes up.

Photos on Flickr are all not free to use. There maybe a copyright. Items from states or the Federal government archives are available to use, no copyright problem. On Flickr, they do post what is copyrighted and what is available to use.

Flicker-ManchesterThere are Flickr groups who specialize in specific places, such as vintage photos of a town, region, state or historical event. At the top right of the homepage for Flickr is where you can place a surname or keyword. You will get a whole range of images and even videos.

There will be many more current photos but even those will give you an idea of what an ancestral hometown looks like today.

Photos: 1890s fountain in Frederick, MD and Main St in Manchester, MD.

Related FamilyTree.com genealogy blogs:

Public Domain Photos

Organize Photos with Flickr

Using Social Media for Family History

 

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