Returned to Mason County Michigan:
Genealogy, Genealogical Databases, Forensics
&
Social Media Walk Hand in Hand.
I love old photos and old documents. I've been collecting these items for over twenty-five years, and my house is full of genealogical family records. Each document and each photo has its own story to tell. Some old photos, particularly cabinet cards and Carte de Visite photos, in many cases (not all) automatically tell part of their story about which city they came from and who took the photograph. This is because many of the photo galleries of the day, used their photos for advertising and calling cards. These types of photos were printed on albumen paper and carried the name of the photographer and location printed somewhere on the card. Adding to this, many of these cards that found their way onto auction websites like eBay, and/or landing in antique malls, carry the names the families who owned these cards. We know this because they wrote information on them, in the way of the identities (or suspected identities) of former family members / ancestors. As I was shopping in an antique mall one day, I saw a small wooden crate of old photos with a sign on the side of the box that read: "Instant Ancestors." I think that particular dealer (who probably did that as a pun) said more that he or she knew. But its foregone conclusion that the photos in that box (or on eBay) were and are in fact someone's relative or ancestor. And with all due respect, in 95% of the photos that I've seen or possessed, the images on each card, ambrotype, cart etc. display images of people who were well dressed and well groomed. I think it's good assumption that theses well rounded people of this time period, intended to preserve their family history through the photographic medium. That being said, photography wasn't free, though it became cheaper as each new technology came along. Then the computer and the internet came along and changed the whole game.
THE MICHIGAN PHOTO
“Technology has been deployed to help speed processes that used to take years. Sophisticated online databases, facial recognition applications, and link analysis tools have allowed us to become interconnected across continents, bridging gaps between long lost families, spurred commerce, and have enriched the lives of countless people. As long as people use technology responsibly, the possibilities for the continued enrichment of our lives is an interesting prospect indeed.”
-Michael Streed
Retired Polce Sergeant and Forensic Facial Imaging Consultant
The name was written on the back of this photo in blue pen.
I obviously realized this inscription was modern
Every single day, auction houses, and online auction websites are alive with people selling and purchasing these old-time images, I know this because I am one of them and I have found that it's not an obscure thing to find a photo of place or person that can be identified. The identification of the Fred Reader photo is one example of many such cases where identification was made possible, not just because someone made a notation on photo. And the fact is, there are many photos with these notations and newer technologies have evened the playing field. The tech that has emerged over the last twenty years, such as intuitive websites like Ancestry.com, facial forensic technologies, artificial intelligence and traditional genealogical state by state, county by county searches which have become easier in recent years due computer technology being readily available to all archivists all over the world. And it these types of technologies that made it possible to quickly and efficiently track down the origin of the Fred Reader photo.
THE INVESTIGATION
The Fred Reader photo was purchased on Ebay from a dealer in Marietta Georgia. The photo was part of a large lot of twenty photos, there was no initial provenance connected to this photo. I did not question the dealer about them, because as a general rule, most dealers purchase these photos in groups and rarely have any background on them. When I received the lot, I was pleasantly surprised to find out that many of the photos, which was a mix of cabinets cards and tintypes, were well annotated. The Fred Reader photo also had a notation on it, but it was different because it was written in what appeared to be blue ballpoint pen. I almost disregarded this note because, I was immediately guarded, and blue ball point pens did not become popular until the 1960's in the United States. But I decided to check the name and photo gallery location anyway. The photos next clue was that the photographers name: "Carson and Graham" and the location "Hillsdale Michigan" was printed on the back of the card. I knew that my next move was simple, and that was to query Ancestry.com. That query yielded immediate results. As it turns out the Reader family, particularly Fred Reader had a significant connection to Mason County Michigan, and more importantly to Scottville Michigan, a town which legend says was founded by Georger Reader in a legendary coin toss:
"The story of how Scottville got its name is part of local lore, the result of a coin toss between two businessmen due to a scandal. The story is told on an official State of Michigan historical marker in downtown Scottville and has been told in many historical accounts over the years. In the late 1870s, scandal struck the little town of Sweetland, located in the center of Mason County. The town’s namesake, James Sweetland, had apparently left his wife, Annett, while she was pregnant with twin daughters. He supposedly left town with a Native American woman. The townsfolk were so distraught about this they called a meeting and determined the name of the town should be changed. This task fell on business owner Hiram Scott and his colleague, George Reader, who flipped a coin resulting in Scott winning and naming the town after himself: Scottville.
At least, that’s how the story goes."
-Rob Alway, Editor-in-Chief
Mason County Press
I then posted the photo on the Scottville History Facebook page, and members of the Reader family confirmed that the photo was connected to their line. I then reached out to the Mason County Historic Society and emailed Rebecca Berringer Executive Director and Amber Valentine Collections Manager and they advised that they were indeed interested in the photo.
Definition of Forensic Genealogy
Forensic genealogy is the application of genealogical research, analysis, and reporting in legal or investigative contexts, often involving living individuals or unresolved legal matters International Society of Genetic Genealogy. It is a professional discipline that combines traditional genealogical methods with legal standards and, increasingly, with DNA analysis to produce evidence that can be used in court or other formal proceedings.
Core Legal and Investigative Uses
Forensic genealogists may be engaged in: Probate and estate cases to identify unknown or missing heirs, beneficiaries, or remainders men International Society of Genetic Genealogy.
Military repatriation to reunite service members’ remains with families using DNA profiling International Society of Genetic Genealogy.
Kinship determination in adoption, foster care, guardianship, and citizenship cases International Society of Genetic Genealogy. Land and real estate disputes involving title, adverse possession, mineral rights, and unclaimed property International Society of Genetic Genealogy. Coroner’s cases to identify relatives of unclaimed remains International Society of Genetic Genealogy. Cold case investigations to generate leads in unsolved crimes, including homicides and sexual assaults biologyinsights.com. Provenance and intellectual property claims International Society of Genetic Genealogy.
G.C. Stevens
Editor
