Photographs immediately take us into the past, to the world of our ancestors. Start in your own home and find as many photos as you can. They may already be labeled with the names of the people pictured, the date and place the photo was taken. Or, you may have a mystery to solve. You can make copies of these photographs to share with relatives or to use in making crafts and gifts.

Check the public libraries where your ancestors lived to look for newspapers, yearbooks, and histories that might have pictures of your family members. Sharing photographs can spark conversations about family history and raise new questions for research.