It Runs in the Family

Why didn't my ancestors smile for the camera? Why did great-grandfather wear a beard whilst his sons were clean-shaven? Should great-grandma really have married her cousin? Was great-aunt unusual to have several children in her 40s? Drawing on evidence from social history, women's history, and the histories of photography and fashion, to name but a few, this book looks at a number of issues that have long perplexed and amused family historians. Richly illustrated with photographs and drawings from the 19th and early 20th centuries, and using examples from the famous as well the lowly, the book investigates the whys and wherefores of several aspects of personal appearance and dress, and the ins and outs of a while series of family relationships. It culminates by providing an innovative new methodology for getting more out of the standard documents of family history research - birth, marriage and death certificates. Introduction; Eyes; Hairs and Beards; Teeth; Brooches, Buttons and Cufflinks, Size; Sisters; Brothers; Twins; Cousins; Mothers and Babies; Birth, Marriage and Death Certificates - Ways to Find Out More.

Résumé
In the quest to uncover our family history, we turn to written records, the family album and even heirlooms. However, they can often be difficult to interpret and sometimes pose more questions than they answer: Why didn't my ancestors smile for the camera? Why did great-grandfather wear a beard while his sons were clean-shaven? Why is my great-grandmother holding flowers in this photograph? Drawing on evidence from social history, women's history, and the histories of photography, art and fashion, and using examples from the lowly as well as the famous, Ruth Symes explores many aspects of ordinary life in the past from the state of the nation's teeth, to the legal and economic connotations of wearing a wedding ring and even the business of keeping a dog. This fascinating volume aims to help family historians get to know their elusive ancestors by deciphering the wealth of personal and historical clues contained in photographs, documents and artefacts.