Using AI to date a photo of the Alamo

Using AI to Date Old Photographs: A Hands-On Experiment

Hello, friends!

If, like me, you love wandering through antique shops in search of vintage photographs, you might have noticed these treasures are becoming increasingly rare. Recently, I came across a striking black-and-white snapshot taken in San Antonio, Texas, with the Alamo in the background. The border of the print read “January 1957,” but I thought it would be fun to see how modern AI tools would date the photo without that obvious clue.

Step 1: ChatGPT’s Analysis

First, I scanned the photo using Photomyne, a great app for digitizing vintage pictures and creating high-quality files. Then, omitting the dated border, I uploaded the image to ChatGPT. Impressively, ChatGPT dated the photo as 1958—just one year off the original. It considered details such as the clothing and accessories, the hairstyles, the look of the print, photo dimensions, and even the type of photo technology likely used at the time. The AI also “recognized” the Alamo’s features, identifying architectural changes from the 1930s Work Projects Administration (WPA) renovations, which were still evident in the photo. ChatGPT even suggested that a closer look at the subjects’ shoes might make the dating even more precise!

Step 2: MyHeritage.com’s Tools

Next, I uploaded the same borderless image to MyHeritage.com, a popular genealogy site with impressive photo tools. Their AI instantly estimated the photo’s date as 1958 (plus or minus six years for good measure). While MyHeritage doesn’t provide the same detailed reasoning as ChatGPT, I enjoyed seeing both platforms land on a similar answer.

What really stood out about MyHeritage was its colorization tool. The colorized version brought out beautiful details, not just in the couple but also in the background—especially a man walking behind them.

Step 3: Comparing Colorization Results

While both Photomyne and MyHeritage offer colorization features, I found MyHeritage handled this particular photograph better. Photomyne did a great job, but somehow missed colorizing the man in the background, leaving him in black and white. MyHeritage’s tool, however, captured everyone in glorious color.

Reflections on AI and Old Photos

Exploring these tools has made researching and restoring old photos more enjoyable than ever. Even when the original date is missing, AI can help piece together history from subtle clues within the image itself.

If you have old photos, I highly encourage you to try these tools—ChatGPT, MyHeritage, and Photomyne. You might be surprised by what you (and AI) can discover!

Thanks for reading, and happy photo hunting!