Going through some photos from my ancestor’s time in China, I find it fascinating to scrutinize the contents of those photos that – at a first glance – don’t seem very interesting.
Have you done that? Really looked at the details in a photograph and discovered something that reveals a new dimension?
I had that kind of moment with this photograph:
At first, it’s just a photo of a room at the missionary station. Nothing out of the ordinary. Ok, the daybed is spectacular 🙂
If this photo raises any question, it’s why they put it in an album.
To me it’s a photo you might take to remember what your house looked like, but it’s not one for the album.
But then I saw the people looking at me from within the photo.
They’re on the table, facing outward, towards the person holding the camera (I believe this was Olga, as she took most of the photos).
I believe the two people in this photo are the parents of my great-grandfather Nils. They were farmers in the south of Sweden, and I have never seen them on a photo before.
This photo might actually have been saved for the album for that exact reason – because there were no other photos of my great grandfather’s family…
It’s hard to make out their exact features from enlarging on screen, but it gives me an idea of what they looked like and it represents yet another historical thread that can be woven into the big patchwork that is geneaology.
Now, I hope to find more details like this, and will start working with a magnifying glass – because a very frustrating fact about old photos, is, that they are so small 😊
#Geneaology #China #Missionaries
Thérèse Amnéus 
That’s a wonderful snapshot! Interior images without people are relatively rare. And then to make such a discovery is really exciting. You must have been thrilled. Have you also looked closely at the photo on the wall?
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Thank you! I can’t make much out of the photo on the wall, unfortunatly. It’s too blurry. But it seems to be two, younger persons on it. How I wish those photos were to be found, but I am happy there are so many left inspite of all the drama and all the moves they have been through.
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Yes, it’s really fortunate that any photos survived. They can be lost or damaged so easily.
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That’s for sure! I suppose they were well taken care of, as they were the only link between these family members – seeing how they didn’t get together more than every 7-8 years. And it seems my great-grandmother understood that she was part of someting out of the ordinary. She documented so much – and not only in order to show the mission how they worked. I think she had the eye of a photographer, knowing that these photos would be an important part of a future puzzle – or at least I hope she meant for people to see them…😉
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Considering how important her work was to her, and how much she sacrificed, I think she’d be happy you’re telling her story and sharing her photos. 🙂
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😊I hope so, and thank you for saying that!
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I enjoyed reading this post and the subsequent conversation. When I looked closely at the photo prior to reading the post, my eye went to the photograph on the desk.
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Thank you, Liz! I just feel like I would like to go into that room and grab the photos 🙂 It’s kind of frustrating that they’re almost within reach, but when enlarged they go all blurry…😀
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I’ll bet there exists some kind of technology to enlarge the image and retain the resolution–but darned if I know what it is!
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Yes, probably… Could be worth checking out actually😊
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It’s a really intriguing photograph in itself – I’m certain your great-grandmother was recording her life for us to marvel at. She clearly was a remarkable woman. You must be very proud of her
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Thank you! Yes, I am very proud of her 😊 Her strength inspires me and broadens my perspective on life. I like the fact that she believed in something and went for it – she made her own destiny. I like to think that’s still possible 🙂
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It is; belief makes anything possible
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True 🙂
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