Most genealogists have this in common – The excitement they feel from finding a new ancestor is so exhilarating and empowering that they want to share that feeling. Thus there are to feel that same thrill of discovery. In the next little while we will be taking an in-depth look at some of the main volunteer resources on the web and how best to navigate and use them.
So far we have discussed RAOGK.org, Rootsweb Books We Own (BWO), Obituary Lookup Volunteers and Obituary Depot and The USGenWeb Project.
Today we’ll be taking a look at DeadFred.com. The site was founded by Joe Bott, whose great-great grandfather lived during the reign of Frederick III, after whom the site is named. DeadFred.com is, simply put, “…a free, fun photo genealogy research web site devoted to helping you visualize your heritage!”
So, who submits the old photos on this site? You do. There are of course certain criteria that need to be followed when submitting a photo. These criteria are addressed on the FAQ Page. You can submit as many photos as you like.
Why would you want to submit old photos to this site? Firstly, if you know the name of the ancestor in the photo, why wouldn’t you want to share that photo with other relatives who may not have even known a photo of that ancestor existed?
Secondly, if you have an old family photo in which the ancestor is not identified, perhaps an unknown relation visiting DeadFred.com will be able to tell you who it is. Or vice versa.
Registration is required but there are no fees to submit photographs or to search the site. The photos you submit will appear after 3 to 5 days. If you are submitting photographs that you hope will be identified, it is a good idea not to withhold your contact information. Why wouldn’t you want to get in touch with the relation that identified the photo for you? Perhaps they have even more information about that ancestor for you.
DeadFred.com offers 6 easy ways to search the photos on their website. You can do a quick search by typing in a Surname, you can search for Surname alphabetically, you can use the detailed search and type in additional information about the person whose photo you are looking for, you can search through the Mystery (unidentified) photos, you can perform a Keyword search or you can search by Photographer. There is even a large list of Yearbooks (filed under Annuals) under which yearbook photos have been submitted!
This is a wonderful site that you should definitely check out. Keep in mind that the mystery photo section would not be necessary if someone had taken just a few minutes to record the information on the photograph.
Grab a pencil, dig out the family album, and do future members of your family tree a big favor. Record the facts about each photo on the back of your family’s precious photographs. It’s a simple project that will help enormously in the years to come.” – FYI: For Your Information,” New Era, Dec 1981, 42–45
