Don't Give Up!

As a genealogist, one of the things that makes me sad is to see old family pictures sitting in antique shops.  As I pass through, I have to search through the piles in case I find a familiar name or face.  Occasionally if they are cheap enough, I will buy them and try to find a family member who would appreciate them.  This week I saw the fruits of that hobby.
   Late last year,  I was browsing an auction when I saw a marriage certificate from 1880 that had Carte de Viste photographs with it.  What a treasure!  I was convinced that if it was affordable enough, I would buy it and track down these people's family.  When I actually did purchase it.  I created a separate family tree (using census records and the info provided on the certificate) for these people on www.ancestry.com and posted their pictures on there. 
   This week, a descendant of those two contacted me, totally thrilled to find pictures of her ancestors.  I no longer had the certificate, but kept scans just in case and was able to send them on to her. 

   On a separate track, every family has pictures that are unmarked in it.  With enough research, and patience you can make a dent in identifying those pictures!  On one unmarked picture that my family had (ca. 1860s) I was able to find a cousin that had the exact same picture.  Hers was unmarked as well, but we narrowed down the branch that the man belonged to.
  One site that I absolutely love for old pictures is www.deadfred.com.  On this site you can upload old family pictures, even ones that are unmarked, and then search by surname, town, or photographer.  It is a wonderful resource!
  Don't ever give up on those unmarked photos, or give up hope of finding a picture of those elusive ancestors.  Someone out there may be able to help you put together the missing pieces of your puzzle.