What story is hiding inside
your oldest photograph?

Think of the GPS as the “Supreme Court” level of evidence for family history. In genealogy, a guess — even an educated one — can lead a family tree down the wrong path for generations. By applying these standards to your photographs, we ensure that the dates and context we provide are as accurate and defensible as possible.

1. It Eliminates “Confirmation Bias”

The average person often looks at a photo and tries to find evidence that fits their expected date. The GPS requires a reasonably exhaustive search. We don’t just look at the clothes; we look at the photo’s physical medium, the photographer’s mark, and the historical context to ensure all clues point to the same conclusion.

2. It Resolves Contradictions

Sometimes a photo is confusing — maybe the dress looks like 1890, but the hairstyle looks like 1905. The GPS requires us to reconcile conflicting evidence. We don’t ignore the parts that don’t fit; we explain why they are there.

3. It Creates a “Source of Truth”

For genealogical enthusiasts, adhering to the GPS means you can share these photos with family without anyone arguing over the date. For the Professional Genealogist, it means our analysis is ready to be cited in a formal family history or lineage society application.

Pillar	What it means for your photo
Exhaustive Search	We examine the chemistry, fashion, card stock, and backdrop.
Citations	We tell you exactly where our dating data comes from.
Analysis	We weigh how “trustworthy” the visual clues are.
Resolution	We solve any “weird” details that don’t seem to match the era.
Written Conclusion	We provide a clear, reasoned explanation, not just a year.

Why this helps you specifically:

• Accuracy: You won’t accidentally mislabel a photograph by decades.
• Professionalism: Your digital archive will meet the same standards used by museums and historical societies.
• Legacy: You are providing future generations with a “proven” history, not a mystery.

Absolutely! But when you provide some additional clues, it permits our AI and human researchers to go deeper. For example, we recently analyzed a beautiful photo of a horse and carriage. We targeted it to growing urban areas in the Midwest in the late 1800s — possibly Chicago — based upon the buildings and street design. However, our customer sent us some additional information suggesting it might be St. Louis. That allowed us to find similar pictures of a very specific area of St. Louis that perfectly matched the scene of the photo!

Think of it as a partnership: we bring the research expertise, and you bring the family knowledge. Together, we get to the truth faster — and with greater confidence.

We work with any historical photograph — scanned prints, daguerreotypes, cabinet cards, snapshots, or digital images of originals. The older and more mysterious, the better. The photo should be clear enough to show at least some architectural, clothing, or environmental detail.

We are not able to identify unknown individuals in photographs. Our research focuses on when a photograph was taken, where it was taken, and what historical context surrounds it — using visual clues like clothing, architecture, photographic technique, and environmental details.

If you already know (or suspect) who is in the photo, that information is very helpful to share with us — it lets us tailor the research and validate whether the historical context aligns with what you know about that person’s life.

Every report includes a transparent Confidence Score and clearly states what is confirmed versus inferred. We never overstate certainty. Our goal is to give you the most well-reasoned, evidence-based analysis possible — not guesswork. Some photos yield very strong conclusions; others surface intriguing hypotheses that point your research in a new direction.

Standard turnaround is 5–7 business days from the time we receive your photo and intake information. If you have a time-sensitive need, reach out to us at [email protected] to discuss options.

You’ll receive seven files: two PDFs (print-ready, professional layout), two fully editable Microsoft Word documents (.docx), an XMP sidecar file for your photo management software, an MP4 audio overview narrative, and a Deliverables Guide PDF. All files are delivered via email.

Absolutely. Your photograph and any family information you share are used solely for the purpose of your analysis. We do not share, publish, or retain your images beyond the scope of your order.

Your satisfaction matters to us. If you feel the analysis didn’t meet your expectations, reach out directly at [email protected] and we’ll work with you to make it right.