Help from Unexpected Places

At the beginning of every project, the project manager identifies stakeholders and how they’re involved in the project (and how much time they need to be involved, and hence how much each resource will cost). In addition to the stakeholders, applicable standards, statutes, and reference material is also identified.  It’s all part of the planning process.  And applies to genealogy projects, too.

But no matter how complete the resource list, every now and then a nugget from an unexpected source drops out of the sky.  In my case, my latest little nugget came from a query about a potential Christmas gift.

Early photos came with a frame

There are, evidently, a number of books on the photobooth – those little booths in malls that give you 4 pictures for (the 2010 equivalent of) $1.  The most recently published book (August 2010) examines photobooth pictures of dogs.  



Mom's picture -
no frame on this one though
(The frame's on Grandpa's pic)



So how is this a nugget, you ask?  In having a look at the first few pages online, I found information about the photobooth – it was first introduced in 1927 and called the “Photomaton”.  The connection – in going through family documents I found a couple of these pictures from the early 1930’s.  While these types of pictures aren’t rare, I didn’t realize how new the technology was at the time.  A little more insight into life in the 1930s.

Hmm, maybe I should take Landy out for a photobooth portrait…

OK, so the PM connection might be a little tenuous, but this is still pretty cool!
(And yes, the book is a good choice for Christmas - I'll add it to my Gimme List.)