You’ve often heard it said — “a picture is worth 1,000 words”. And it sure seems true.
Wikipedia’s definition:
this is a saying which means that complex and sometimes multiple ideas can be conveyed by a single still image — one which conveys its meaning or essence more effectively than a mere verbal description.
Yeah, ok, I get that. But…there’s more.
Actually, a picture pops into my mind – one I recently put in my genealogy album in my FOREVER permanent storage – in the “Mudgett” line (my maiden name). Here it is:
This is a picture of my great-grandparents (front row on the left), Wiley & Viola Mudgett. And the 5 other men plus the woman on the front row, right side, are their children. The others are spouses.
Aww, you say! You probably have an old family photo like this (including the 1940’s car), right? So it stirs up the emotional warmth along with fun checking out the hats and clothes of that era. Many similarities with other ancestor photos.
BUT – I propose the image alone is still only “half the picture”. Maybe it replaces 1,000 of the words you would use. Yet I would still say don’t forget the enriching “words” – the stories that need to be told, or that add the extras the photo deserves.
Let me illustrate….
It was not at first that I noticed this, but I was thinking about the fact that my grandfather is the 2nd man in from the right and the man in the middle of the front row was his younger brother – they both lived in the same town and they did lots of visiting and activities together. I knew both families.
Then it began to dawn on me from their family stats that deeper stories could be added here.
- First – out of 10 children born, there were 6 boys and 1 girl who lived to adulthood
- The first 5 boys were about 2 years apart – like clockwork- and then the girl appeared
- The next 3 “2-year” spacing were the tragic ones – “died at birth”, “died at 1 ½ yrs” and “died at 6 months”
- It was then 5 more years before the last birth – the last boy – and Viola was 43 years old
My story questions start unfolding —
–as I look at Olive, the only girl (front row, right): How did you handle ALL those boys? And you were younger than 5 of them – so how much teasing did you get? Did they ever allow you to have a boyfriend without the full brigade checking him out first? Since my grandfather was 4 years older than you, and I know he was born in a one-room, half-dugout, half-sod house in Indian Territory – were you born there, too? And did you ever get a separate bedroom?
–the picture itself gave me another story to pursue – and it prompted some memories of stories I heard as a child. Look closely. The mother, Viola, has her hand stretched across to Frank, the youngest of all the children. Her hand is hanging on to his pocket. What a neat, intimate gesture. I remember the gentle teasing my grandfather and his siblings would do of Frank being the “baby”, the favored one – all in a fun and positive story-telling way. So, Viola, how “special” was Frank’s coming along after 3 losses of young ones? And after thinking your childbearing days were over?
–and then the biggest story around Wiley Mudgett, the father, enriches it all. His mother died after birthing him and a twin brother leaving 3 older children and an overwhelmed father who said he could not handle the twins. Mother’s sister (their aunt) stepped in with her husband Jerry Mudgett and took the twins. The more sickly one died in under a year but Wiley was raised in their loving home and given their last name. Schoolhouse taunts of children claimed his dad was another man (with a different last name) so when he saw this man in the post office one day, Wiley asked if he was his father. The man hemmed and hawed and didn’t answer. That wounded Wiley deeply and he shared the pain and the story with my mom in his later years – she passed it to me (plus I have found it in genealogical resources). The Mudgett family raised other children from other families and never had their own – but they were well-known for the kind, generous and loving home they provided all. Sure enough, they moved to Texas & Oklahoma Indian Territory lands homesteading right alongside Wiley and his wife Viola.
–though I did not realize it as I grew up, the “boys” and Olive all stayed close and in touch with each other through the years – I just knew they were all “family” but now I see how much they supported each other, worked together, and even went to World War I together. Wiley Mudgett had the close-knit family he so valued after his own experience – as this photo illustrates.
Getting inspired to check out your own “old photos”? Let me inspire you a bit more.
I belong to the Castle Rock Colorado Genealogical Society which puts on great monthly programs, but for their dues-paying members, they add extra monthly educational programs which are wonderful. Coming up on Thursday, October 6 is one you might really enjoy – “What is that Old Family Photo REALLY Telling You?” presented by Lisa Lisson, a genealogy researcher. The description? “Learn how to mine old family photos for family history clues and gain a unique perspective on your ancestors’ lives.”
Am I inspiring you yet? Just click HERE and join the Society for a $30 annual fee (good through December of 2023) – then register for the presentation. Can’t make it live? No worries, members can view the recordings afterwards for a limited time (a few months).
So, go ahead – rummage around in your photo boxes and pull out that interesting old photo (or 2 or 3). Or maybe you have it hanging on the wall. Add your “enriching” stories and words to the photo, which provided the first thousand words! You have just created a “treasure” for generations to come.
