Clues the camera left behind

Historical family photos can often trigger more questions than answers. Bill Oates, from the University of New England talks us through an innovative new process of using shadows to date a photo. ... Having recently looked through the collections of the city of Aosta in northern Italy, I was struck by the volume of superb archaeology, the documented history and the lithographs of the images of the city and its monuments. Later with reflection, I realised that their collection really lacked early photographs. With this in mind, I started looking at any photos on display depicting local history. There were very few in either the tourist literature or displayed in exhibitions; most were sourced from other collections held outside the region. The very wealth of images available in regional Australia made me think again about just how well we have captured the images of our past. Mobile, wealthy and technologically innovative Australians created many photographs and were able to avoid all the domestic destruction of the world wars that robbed Europe of much of its material. What we often don't have, though, is the context in which the photo was taken - who, where and when - which is enough to drive any genealogist to distraction!