Abby Schmelling, the Genealogy Photo Detective
Looking for Original Photos for Your Family Tree?
Need On-Site Photos for Historical Research?
Don’t Want to Travel to Get Original Photos?
While the internet has made it possible to do a tremendous amount of research, getting photos of original source materials may require long distance travel. Many of us cannot afford the time or cost to go to all the sites where our research takes us. That is where the Genealogy Photo Detective comes in.
Genealogy Photo Detective provides a variety of photography services for your genealogy or history project. While I am based in the Midwest, I have connections across the country to get the information and photos you need at a reasonable cost.
I have more than thirty years of research experience. My first genealogy research connected my husband to his Danish family. At the same time, I was doing research in western Pennsylvania on an early 20th century labor organizer for the United Mine Workers. Years later, I began learning about my own family’s roots in Eastern Europe, traveled to Lithuania and Russia and added more branches to my tree. All along, I have been taking photos. I am the program chair for the Jewish Genealogy Society of Illinois and a member of the Association of Professional Genealogists.
I will discuss the images and photocopies needed for your project with you. Each project will also include documentation and any other information you are interested in obtaining, including genealogy research, references used and interviews. I can also talk to you about the format and layout of your pictures for an album or family history.