Somerset and Dorset photography project

Somerset and Dorset Family History Society (www.sdfhs.org) is establishing a searchable database of photographs from the region, and is seeking public contributions. From the society:

Although you would be welcome to bring your photographs in to the Family History Centre at any time (just give us a phone call, to let us know you are coming), we intend to hold a series of Photograph Open Days, to be run by our inputting team, when we shall also have our experts available to advise on dating and caring for your photographs. Have a look at the ‘Events’ page on this website to check for dates arranged.

Once the project is up and running, we may be able to extend it beyond Sherborne, by seeking the aid of the Society’s Groups to run similar Photograph Open Days.

We do have some criteria we need to observe to keep the database relevant to Somerset and Dorset.

• The photographs must be of people born in, or who have lived in, one or both of the two counties.
• Ideally no more than 3 images of one individual, for instance taken in youth, aged 20- 50, and 50 +.
• At least one of the subjects needs to be identified by name.
• A location and date, if only approximate, is desirable.

We would also like to have your permission to supply copies of photos to other researchers (we would make a nominal charge for this service, to cover costs).

We would also be interested in any old photographs of places and buildings in the two counties with known family associations; for example houses, churches, halls, pubs and hotels, farms, factories, railway stations, and anything of this sort.

To keep things manageable, we may, regrettably, have to decline offers which fall outside of the guidelines above.

For further details visit http://www.sdfhs.org/sdfhs-projects/introduction-to-sdfhs-projects/a-hidden-resource/.

Chris

For details on my genealogy guide books, including A Decade of Irish Centenaries: Researching Ireland 1912-1923, Discover Scottish Church Records (2nd edition), Discover Irish Land Records and Down and Out in Scotland: Researching Ancestral Crisis, please visit http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html. My Pinterest account is at https://www.pinterest.com/chrismpaton/.