Dead Fred Genealogy Photo Archive

DeadFred.com is one of those rabbit hole sites for me. It's a genealogy photo archive allowing users to search for, upload, and research historical photographs. It's a FREE resource for those interested in genealogy and family history, particularly identifying and preserving old family photos. Users can browse through a vast collection of photographs, including those submitted by other users from around the world. Photographs often include detailed information such as names, dates, and locations. The hope is to reconnect individuals with their past. While I've not found any confirmed photos of my family on the site (yet), I do so enjoy poking around and browsing aimlessly through their collections. I find it fascinating...especially period clothing!

Here are some of the features of the site:

Search Functionality: Users can search the archive for specific names, locations, or keywords to find photographs potentially related to their family. Currently, the site boasts 159,354 records!

Surname Search: There's an extensive surname list for photos where a surname has been provided. 23,354 surnames to be exact! Note: It may be difficult to figure out if the person is "the person" you're looking for. Don't assume just because the name is right, it's the relative you're seeking. Try to find corroborating evidence and keep in mind, the oldest surviving photo is from 1826. Photography really didn't take off until the mid 1800's. So if you find a photo of someone who lived before those dates, it's not the person you're looking for.

Photo Submission: Users are encouraged to upload their own old family photos to the archive, along with any known information about the photographs, to assist others in their research. You can even mail them old photos you don't want any longer and they'll add them to the archive.

Vintage Yearbooks: Yearbook photos from pre-1935 vintage yearbooks submitted to the site. (I'd imagine there's a potential for overlap with collections already available on some of the big sites, but you never know!)

Mystery Photos: Photos submitted without surnames are posted in a special section. These photos may be even harder to identify. But you might be lucky enough to spot one of someone you already know from existing photos and can give the person a full name. Or maybe you recognize grandma's house in the picture and can help establish a location.

Potential to Reunite Photos with Families: If you find you're related to someone in a photo posted on the site, and the photo is owned by DeadFred.com, you can request the original photo be sent to you. So far, they've reunited 3,347 photos! However, if the photo was posted by another user, it will be up to them if they want to reunite the photo. Either way, you can easily download a copy of any photos (for your personal use).

The only major site I'm aware of where Dead Fred photos are included in their searchable collections is MyHeritage.com. As of today, they show the collection having 65,976 items, less than half the total records on the site. Even if you're familiar with the database from MyHeritage, it never hurts to go direct to the source!

Dead Fred is a totally FREE site. They do not charge users to upload photos. Nor do they charge for reuniting photos. But since there are tangible costs associated with maintaining the site, they do take donations by check or PayPal if you want to support the project. Unlike many sites who reunite photos by doing extensive research themselves and contacting potential family members directly - an act of kindness many greatly appreciate - this site emphasizes collaboration, relying on its users to contribute content and providing any known details to help others in their research. The site aims to assist in the discovery of lost family connections and the preservation of historical photographs for future generations of genealogists. If you've never visited before, head on over to DeadFred.com and check it out.

Image by congerdesign from Pixabay