photo reunions Archives - Maureen Taylor The Photo Detective Fri, 16 Feb 2024 14:40:39 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 https://maureentaylor.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/cropped-site-icon-32x32.png photo reunions Archives - Maureen Taylor 32 32 99869351 Episode 227:Rediscovered Memories: The Unexpected Return of Family Movies https://maureentaylor.com/episode-227rediscovered-memories-the-unexpected-return-of-family-movies/ Sun, 18 Feb 2024 05:01:27 +0000 https://maureentaylor.com/?p=78024     Welcome to another captivating episode of our podcast! In today’s show, we’re joined by the remarkable Howlin Davis, a genealogy enthusiast with an extraordinary story to share. After tuning into one of our newsletters, Howlin revealed his unique tale of rediscovery. His journey began with an unexpected phone call that led him to […]

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Welcome to another captivating episode of our podcast! In today’s show, we’re joined by the remarkable Howlin Davis, a genealogy enthusiast with an extraordinary story to share. After tuning into one of our newsletters, Howlin revealed his unique tale of rediscovery. His journey began with an unexpected phone call that led him to a treasure trove of lost family memories captured in old film reels.

Approximately 11 months ago, Howlin received a mysterious call asking if he was related to someone involved with the New York Stock Exchange. This call was the key to unlocking a series of family films dating back to the 1940s. These films, mistakenly believed to be related to the Stock Exchange, were actually personal family movies, showcasing scenes of New York City, Boston, and upstate New York.

In this episode, Howlin takes us through the emotional journey of discovering these films. He explains his meticulous process of documenting each frame, revealing not just images but stories of his ancestors – his young parents, grandparents, and even family friends. This collection offers a rare glimpse into their lives, capturing their personalities and their era.

Bonus Episode: Lost History Discovered (in the Recycling) 

Episode 65: Lost Films Need Your Help!  With Elil Savada

About My Guest:

In 1973, Howland’s mother-in-law wanted to update her father’s descendency information (Neher/Near) which she published by hand (printing press & type).  He had the book scanned so that they could work on it together. The updated book was republished in 1997. His mother then asked him to update her father’s family history (Fabyan), which was dated 1925 and was on a sheet of paper 40 inches wide by 30 inches high. He used that to make a book with that information in October 2002.  He is now working on the fifth edition. 

About Maureen Taylor:

Maureen Taylor, The Photo DetectiveÒhelps clients with photo-related genealogical problems. Her pioneering work in historic photo research has earned her the title “the nation’s foremost historical photo detective” by The Wall Street Journal and appearances on The View, The Today Show, Pawn Stars, and others.   Learn more at Maureentaylor.com

Did you enjoy this episode? Please leave a review on Apple Podcasts.

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]]> 78024 Episode 226: Past Preserved: Julian Rebello’s Mission to Reunite Lost Heirlooms https://maureentaylor.com/episode-226-past-preserved-julian-rebellos-mission-to-reunite-lost-heirlooms/ Sun, 04 Feb 2024 05:01:31 +0000 https://maureentaylor.com/?p=78022   In this episode, we delve into the heartwarming and intriguing world of Julian Rebello, the founder of the Chosen Families Project. Julian, a recent graduate with a unique blend of chemistry and graphic design expertise, has embarked on a poignant mission to reunite lost photographs, documents, and letters with their rightful families. His journey, […]

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In this episode, we delve into the heartwarming and intriguing world of Julian Rebello, the founder of the Chosen Families Project. Julian, a recent graduate with a unique blend of chemistry and graphic design expertise, has embarked on a poignant mission to reunite lost photographs, documents, and letters with their rightful families. His journey, which began with a chance discovery in an antique store, has evolved into a passionate project blending genealogy, history, and storytelling. Julian shares his experiences, challenges, and the satisfying moments of reuniting people with a piece of their history. His story is not just about preserving the past but also about connecting generations and honoring memories.

  • Introduction to Julian Rebello and the Chosen Families Project.
  • Origin and evolution of the Chosen Families Project: Returning photographs, documents, and letters to families.
  • The project’s uniqueness: Not just photographs, but also documents and letters.
  • The first project: Wedding photographs from Mount Carmel, Pennsylvania.
  • The future goals and visions for the Chosen Families Project.
  • Realistic perspectives on photo and document reunions.
  • Closing thoughts and appreciation for Julian’s work.

Episode 174:  A Case of Mistaken Identity: Sue’s Wedding Photo Reunion 

Episode 145: Orphan Photos Reunited 

About My Guest:

Julian Rebelo is a New Jersey-based genealogist who, several years ago, created The Chosen Family Project out of his passion for collecting orphaned family photographs and documents whilst trying to reunite them with their respective families. Julian graduated from Monmouth University in 2023 with his Bachelor’s in Chemistry and recently graduated from the Boston University Genealogical Certificate Program. For over eight years, he has conducted genealogical research for clients through his business, JRebeloGenealogy. He is also the podcast host and primary researcher of The Chosen Families Project, an active volunteer for the Keyport Historical Society, and a member of the Matawan Genealogy Club. 

About Maureen Taylor:

Maureen Taylor, The Photo DetectiveÒhelps clients with photo-related genealogical problems. Her pioneering work in historic photo research has earned her the title “the nation’s foremost historical photo detective” by The Wall Street Journal and appearances on The View, The Today Show, Pawn Stars, and others.   Learn more at Maureentaylor.com

Did you enjoy this episode? Please leave a review on Apple Podcasts.

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]]> 78022 Episode 206: Found in an Attic, Returned to Family https://maureentaylor.com/episode-206-found-in-an-attic-returned-to-family/ Sun, 16 Apr 2023 16:01:53 +0000 https://maureentaylor.com/?p=73658       This week on The Photo Detective podcast, Maureen Taylor, the Photo Detective, is joined by Trevor Mattea. Trevor shares how finding a photo in his home’s attic helped inspire him to find who that photo belonged to – meaning the descendants of the people in the photo.  This episode looks at the […]

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This week on The Photo Detective podcast, Maureen Taylor, the Photo Detective, is joined by Trevor Mattea.


Trevor shares how finding a photo in his home’s attic helped inspire him to find who that photo belonged to – meaning the descendants of the people in the photo. 

This episode looks at the intimate journey that can come from these so-called “orphan photos” and what a reunion looks like. In fact, Trevor actually reached out to Maureen for advice on what to do with the photo and the two recount those steps and how to approach one of these ownerless photos to help find a descendant. 

With so many orphan photos, this podcast episode offers advice on how to go about trying to reunite a photo with its owners. 

 

Bonus Episode: Lost History Discovered (in the Recycling) 

Episode 137: The Walls Can Talk: Finding History in a Hidden Room with David Whitcomb 

About My Guest:

Trevor Mattea has a range of professional experiences and interests grounded in conversation, knowledge-building, and creative expression. As an at-home parent to a young son, he focuses on genealogy, family traditions, homeschooling, and home renovation. He creates personalized gifts and party games through his Etsy store, BingoMe.

Previously, Trevor taught elementary school and consulted throughout the country in the areas of deeper learning, digital portfolios, project-based learning, parent engagement, and technology integration. He also hosted the New Books in Education podcast.

He holds an M.A. in Education from Stanford University and an A.B. in Political Science from Washington University.

About Maureen Taylor:

Maureen Taylor, The Photo DetectiveÒhelps clients with photo-related genealogical problems. Her pioneering work in historic photo research has earned her the title “the nation’s foremost historical photo detective” by The Wall Street Journal and appearances on The View, The Today Show, Pawn Stars, and others.   Learn more at Maureentaylor.com

Did you enjoy this episode? Please leave a review on Apple Podcasts.

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]]> 73658 Episode 145: Orphan Photos Reunited https://maureentaylor.com/episode-145-orphan-photos-reunited/ Sun, 12 Sep 2021 04:01:00 +0000 https://maureentaylor.com/?p=69233 I know that my guest’s feelings about abandoned orphan photos will resonate with you.  He hates seeing a photo abandoned and unfortunately he sees a lot of them.  It’s a personal mission for Kody Beltz of the Good Finch Company of Witcha, Kansas. He’s an estate and antique dealer.  His eventually successful adventure using Facebook […]

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I know that my guest’s feelings about abandoned orphan photos will resonate with you.  He hates seeing a photo abandoned and unfortunately he sees a lot of them.  It’s a personal mission for Kody Beltz of the Good Finch Company of Witcha, Kansas. He’s an estate and antique dealer.  His eventually successful adventure using Facebook to reunite some identified images with family resulted in national attention.  Here’s the amazing part–Kody isn’t a family historian.  He just loves photos and prefers they remain in family hands even if they end up in a shoebox. His mission is to reunite orphan photos with relatives.

Episode 32: The Man Behind DeadFred.com

Bonus Episode: Lost History Discovered (in the Recycling)

About My Guest:

Kody Beltz is the Co-Owner of The Good Finch Co. Selling vintage and antiques along with Estate Sale services.

About Maureen Taylor:

Maureen is a frequent keynote speaker on photo identification, photograph preservation, and family history at historical and genealogical societies, museums, conferences, libraries, and other organizations across the U.S., London, and Canada.  She’s the author of several books and hundreds of articles and her television appearances include The View and The Today Show (where she researched and presented a complete family tree for host Meredith Vieira).  She’s been featured in The Wall Street Journal, Better Homes and Gardens, The Boston Globe, Martha Stewart Living, Germany’s top newspaper Der Spiegel, American Spirit, and The New York Times. Maureen was recently a spokesperson and photograph expert for MyHeritage.com, an internationally known family history website, and also writes guidebooks, scholarly articles and online columns for such media as Smithsonian.com. Learn more at Maureentaylor.com

Did you enjoy this episode? Please leave a review on Apple Podcasts.

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