The Photo Detective

Maureen Taylor
  • 4.6 (62)
  • SOCIETY & CULTURE
  • UPDATED SEMIMONTHLY

Join The Photo Detective, Maureen Taylor, each week as she discusses historical photos and how they fit into your family history. From ancestor identification to photo preservation, The Photo Detective Podcast covers it all. Featuring special experts from genealogy, fashion history, photo history, and restoration, it’s a not-to-miss for photo fans, genealogists, and lovers of history.

  1. 06/08/2025

    How Forever.com is Revolutionizing Digital Memory Preservation

    In this episode, Maureen Taylor speaks with Glen Meakem, founder and CEO of Forever.com. Glen shares his inspiration for starting the company in 2012—recognizing a gap in long-term, secure, digital storage for family memories. Forever offers users a permanent digital home to store and share photos, videos, and documents with guaranteed access for future generations. Unlike other cloud platforms, Forever emphasizes ownership, privacy, and permanence, supported by a sustainable financial model. Glen also discusses their digitization services, metadata functionality, and commitment to customer support and continuous innovation, highlighting Forever’s mission to preserve memories for lifetimes to come. Key Bullet Points: Glen Meakem founded Forever.com in 2012 to fill a gap in long-term digital memory preservation.Forever.com provides permanent cloud storage for photos, videos, and documents, guaranteed for your lifetime plus 100 years.The Forever.com Guarantee Fund ensures sustainable digital preservation through an endowment-like financial structure.Services include digitization of analog media, real-time phone backups, photo book printing, and more.Users retain full ownership and control over their data, with options to manage legacy settings and metadata.Forever offers exceptional customer support via ambassadors and dedicated service teams.Constant updates ensure the platform evolves with changing technology. Related Episodes: Episode 260 : The Photo Marketplace Shift: What It Means for Your Memories Episode 237: How Storied.com Transforms Family HIstory into Captiving Stories Links: Forever.com Sign up for my newsletter.Watch my YouTube Channel.Have a photo you need help identifying? Sign up for photo consultation. About My Guest:   Glen Meakem is the Founder, Chairman & Chief Executive Officer of FOREVER, the leading cloud platform for people and families to save, organize, and share their photos, videos, documents, audio files, and stories now and for generations into the future. Learn more at www.forever.com. Maureen Taylor: Maureen Taylor, The Photo Detective® helps clients with photo related genealogical problems. Her pioneering work in historic photo research has earned her the title “the nation’s foremost historical photo detective” by The Wall Street Journal and appearances on The View, The Today Show, Pawn Stars, and others.   Learn more at Maureentaylor.com Did you enjoy this episode? Please leave a review on Apple Podcasts I'm thrilled to be offering something new. Photo investigations. These collaborative one-on-one sessions. Look at your family photos then you and I meet to discuss your mystery images. And find out how each clue and hint might contribute to your family history. Find out more by going to maureentaylor.com and clicking on family photo investigations.  Support the show

    33 min

  2. 05/18/2025

    Military Images Magazine’s Ron Coddington Shares the Stories Behind Civil War Photos

    Ron Coddington, editor and publisher of Military Images magazine, joins The Photo Detective podcast to share his journey from teenage Civil War photo collector to leading a respected history publication. He discusses the legacy of Civil War portraiture, the vast archive of surviving images, and the magazine’s mission to reconnect forgotten faces with their stories.  The magazine, founded in 1979, showcases rare Civil War portraits and stories behind them.Civil War photography is vast—estimated at 40 million images taken, with millions surviving.A database of 10,000+ identified soldiers is now available online and via JSTOR.Traveling exhibits like Faces of Freedom bring Civil War stories to new audiences.Related Episodes: Episode 265: Spared and Shared: How One Man Made Civil War History Accessible to All Episode 259: Digging Into Civil War Pension Files with Brian Rhinehart Links: Military Images MagazineSign up for my newsletter.Watch my YouTube Channel.Need help identifying family photos? Check out The Family Photo Detective ebookHave a photo you need help identifying? Sign up for photo consultation. About My Guest: Ronald S. Coddington began collecting Civil War-era photography as a teenager, and he has never stopped. A journalist by profession, he is the Editor and Publisher of Military Images, a quarterly magazine showcasing, interpreting, and preserving Civil War portrait photography. He is the author of the five-volume series, Faces of the Civil War (Johns Hopkins University Press), and Gettysburg Faces: Portraits and Personal Accounts (Gettysburg Publishing). His writings have appeared in The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Civil War Monitor, Civil War Times, Civil War News, and elsewhere. You can follow his trips down the research rabbit hole on Life in the Civil War Research Trail weekdays on YouTube. About Maureen Taylor: Maureen Taylor, The Photo Detective® helps clients with photo related genealogical problems. Her pioneering work in historic photo research has earned her the title “the nation’s foremost historical photo detective” by The Wall Street Journal and appearances on The View, The Today Show, Pawn Stars, and others.   Learn more at Maureentaylor.com Did you enjoy this episode? Please leave a review on Apple Podcasts. I'm thrilled to be offering something new. Photo investigations. These collaborative one-on-one sessions. Look at your family photos then you and I meet to discuss your mystery images. And find out how each clue and hint might contribute to your family history. Find out more by going to maureentaylor.com and clicking on family photo investigations.  Support the show

    32 min

  3. 05/04/2025

    Spared and Shared: How One Man Made Civil War History Accessible to All

    In this episode, Griff (Bill Griffing), the mind behind the Spared and Shared websites, shares how he turned his post-retirement passion for Civil War history into a monumental historical preservation project. Transcribing over 15,000 letters—mostly from eBay—Griff provides context, authorship, and insight for Civil War correspondence, making them publicly accessible. His meticulous work bridges genealogical research and historical scholarship. His efforts have supported publications, academic research, and even led to a book on Abraham Lincoln. Griff’s dedication ensures these firsthand historical voices are preserved and searchable for generations. Griff has transcribed over 15,000 historical letters, primarily from the Civil War era.His Spared and Shared project spans over 23 public websites and more than 160 collection-specific sites.His work is freely available and indexed via the Billy Yank & Johnny Reb Letters site.A book he co-edited, A Great and Good Man, compiles rare Lincoln accounts from these letters. Related Episodes: Episode 259: Digging Into Civil War Pension Files with Brian Rhinehart   Episode 245: The Enduring Legacy of Tintypes From Civil War Soldiers to Contemporary Artists Links: Spared and Shared Facebook Billy Yank & Johnny Reb LettersSign up for my newsletter.Watch my YouTube Channel.Need help preserving your photos? Check out Maureen’s Preserving Family Photographs ebook Need help identifying family photos? Check out The Family Photo Detective ebookHave a photo you need help identifying? Sign up for photo consultation. About My Guest: For the past fifteen years following his retirement, William Griffing dedicated himself to the transcription of letters—encompassing thousands of Civil War era correspondence and diaries that have remained unpublished until now, with most residing in private collections for decades. A significant portion of this work has been presented on various Spared & Shared Webpages or in independent, stand-alone websites. About Maureen Taylor: Maureen Taylor, The Photo Detective® helps clients with photo related genealogical problems. Her pioneering work in historic photo research has earned her the title “the nation’s foremost historical photo detective” by The Wall Street I'm thrilled to be offering something new. Photo investigations. These collaborative one-on-one sessions. Look at your family photos then you and I meet to discuss your mystery images. And find out how each clue and hint might contribute to your family history. Find out more by going to maureentaylor.com and clicking on family photo investigations.  Support the show

    40 min

  4. 04/20/2025

    The Art of French Wallpaper: RISD Museum's Stunning Historical Showcase

    In this episode of The Photo Detective, host Maureen Taylor welcomes Emily Banas, Associate Curator of Decorative Arts and Design at the RISD Museum, to explore the captivating world of French wallpaper. Their discussion centers on The Art of French Wallpaper Design exhibition, diving into the artistry, craftsmanship, and cultural legacy behind these historical wall coverings. The RISD Museum’s collection of 18th and 19th-century French wallpaper—originally acquired in 1934—is showcased for the first time in decades, highlighting woodblock-printed designs from 1770–1840.The collection was assembled by French artist Charles Ard and American author Francis Wilson Ard, who sourced wallpapers for famed interior decorator Nancy McClelland.Visitors learn about the intricate woodblock printing method, with some designs requiring up to 20 blocks. A reproduction project by Delphi Paper Hangings brings these methods to life. Related Episodes: Episode 255: The Power of Knitting: History, Healing, and Resilience in Loretta Napoleoni’s Book Episode 241: The Threads of Life: Unraveling the Rich Tapestry of Sewing with Author Clare Hunter Links: The Art of French Wallpaper DesignSign up for my newsletter.Watch my YouTube Channel.Need help identifying family photos? Check out The Family Photo Detective ebookHave a photo you need help identifying? Sign up for photo consultation. About My Guest: Emily Banas is the Associate Curator of Decorative Arts and Design at the RISD Museum in Providence, Rhode Island where she has been working since 2015. Her recent exhibitions span from design works on paper and contemporary enamelwork to historic wallpaper, reflecting a broad, interdisciplinary approach examining form, style, material, and use across 18th to 21st century decorative arts, craft, and design. She earned an MA in decorative arts, design history and material culture from the Bard Graduate Center in 2015, and an MA in art history and museum studies, with a concentration in decorative arts and design, from Georgetown University in 2012. About Maureen Taylor: Maureen Taylor, The Photo Detective® helps clients with photo related genealogical problems. Her pioneering work in historic photo research has earned her the title “the nation’s foremost historical photo detective” by The Wall Street Journal and appearances on The View, The Today Show, Pawn Stars, and others.   Learn more at Maureentaylor.com I'm thrilled to be offering something new. Photo investigations. These collaborative one-on-one sessions. Look at your family photos then you and I meet to discuss your mystery images. And find out how each clue and hint might contribute to your family history. Find out more by going to maureentaylor.com and clicking on family photo investigations.  Support the show

    23 min

  5. 04/06/2025

    A History of the American Bookstore with Author Evan Friss

    In this episode of The Photo Detective, Maureen Taylor welcomes historian Evan Friss, author of The Bookshop: A History of the American Bookstore. Friss dives deep into the evolution of bookstores in America—from colonial times to the digital age. He shares fascinating insights into their cultural, political, and communal roles throughout history.  Early American bookstores were cultural and political hubs, vital for disseminating revolutionary ideas and classic literature, despite also selling sundry items. Bookstores evolved from general goods shops to genre-specific havens—feminist, radical, and neighborhood staples—such as NYC’s famous “Book Row.” Bookstores act as “third spaces,” offering connection, events, and literary engagement beyond just book sales. Independent bookstores face small profit margins, rising ebook popularity, and competition from Amazon, yet persist through innovation and community support. Related Episodes: Episode 198: A Sewing Girl’s Tale with Author John Wood Sweet Episode 189: Historical Fiction Revealed with Carrie Deming of The Dog Eared Book  Links: Evan FrissSign up for my newsletter.Watch my YouTube Channel.Need help preserving your photos? Check out Maureen’s Preserving Family Photographs ebook Need help identifying family photos? Check out The Family Photo Detective ebookHave a photo you need help identifying? Sign up for photo consultation. About My Guest: Evan Friss is a professor of history at James Madison University and the author of two other books: The Cycling City: Bicycles and Urban America in the 1890s and On Bicycles: A 200-Year History of Cycling in New York City. He lives with his wife (a bookseller) and two children (occasional booksellers) in Harrisonburg, Virginia. About Maureen Taylor: Maureen Taylor, The Photo Detective® helps clients with photo related genealogical problems. Her pioneering work in historic photo research has earned her the title “the nation’s foremost historical photo detective” by The Wall Street Journal and appearances on The View, The Today Show, Pawn Stars, and others.   Learn more at Maureentaylor.com Did you enjoy this episode? Please leave a review on Apple Podcast I'm thrilled to be offering something new. Photo investigations. These collaborative one-on-one sessions. Look at your family photos then you and I meet to discuss your mystery images. And find out how each clue and hint might contribute to your family history. Find out more by going to maureentaylor.com and clicking on family photo investigations.  Support the show

    33 min

  6. 03/23/2025

    Family Photos and Preserving Your Memories

    In the March 2025 episode of her solo podcast, Maureen Taylor, the Photo Detective, discusses a variety of personal and professional experiences related to photo management and genealogy. She begins by addressing the shutdown of MemoryWeb, a platform she used extensively, detailing her efforts to safeguard her photos by enhancing metadata and descriptions before downloading them. Maureen also shares insights from a productive meeting with Forever.com executives about potential metadata improvements. She reflects on the emotional power of photographs, recounting how revisiting family photos led to discoveries and a deeper connection to her past. Additionally, Maureen talks about being the sole memory keeper of her family’s history, emphasizing the importance of documenting and sharing personal stories to preserve them for future generations. She concludes with announcements about her upcoming digital photo organizing course and ongoing engagements with new genealogy and photo management tools. Related Episodes: Episode 254: Solving Family Photo Mysteries: A Journey with The Photo Detective  Episode 242: Uncovering the Past Through Postcards with Maureen Taylor    Links: Sign up for my newsletter.Watch my YouTube Channel.Like the Photo Detective Facebook Page so you get notified of my Facebook Live videos.Need help preserving your photos? Check out Maureen’s Preserving Family Photographs ebook Need help identifying family photos? Check out The Family Photo Detective ebookHave a photo you need help identifying? Sign up for photo consultation. About Maureen Taylor: Maureen Taylor, The Photo Detective® helps clients with photo related genealogical problems. Her pioneering work in historic photo research has earned her the title “the nation’s foremost historical photo detective” by The Wall Street Journal and appearances on The View, The Today Show, Pawn Stars, and others.   Learn more at Maureentaylor.com Did you enjoy this episode? Please leave a review on Apple Podcasts. I'm thrilled to be offering something new. Photo investigations. These collaborative one-on-one sessions. Look at your family photos then you and I meet to discuss your mystery images. And find out how each clue and hint might contribute to your family history. Find out more by going to maureentaylor.com and clicking on family photo investigations.  Support the show

    23 min

  7. 03/16/2025

    Diahan Southard’s ‘Monday Minutes’: Transforming Personal Reflections into Genealogical Gold

    In this episode of the podcast, host Maureen Taylor is joined by Diahan Southard, known for her expertise as “Your DNA Guide.” Diahan discusses her new book, “Monday Minutes,” which is inspired by her popular newsletter. The book is a collection of reflections on everyday moments and thoughts, aimed at connecting deeply with her audience beyond the realm of genealogy. Key Highlights: Origin and Impact: “Monday Minutes” started as a simple, fun email experiment to connect with Diahan’s customers on a personal level.Content and Themes: Each Monday, Diahan shares thoughts on varied life experiences, ranging from parenting to everyday observations, which resonate deeply with her audience. These reflections encourage readers to find meaning and connection in their own lives.Journal and Reflection: Diahan’s initiative evolved into a book and a journal where readers can write their reflections. This not only serves as personal documentation but also as a genealogical record, adding a personal touch to family histories. Related Episodes: Episode 250: Telling Her Story: How to Research and Write Women’s Histories Episode 190: Writing Genealogical Crime Mysteries with Nathan Dylan Goodwin  Links: Get Monday Minutes by Diahan SouthardSign up for my newsletter.Watch my YouTube Channel.Like the Photo Detective Facebook Page so you get notified of my Facebook Live videos. About My Guest: Diahan Southard, Founder and CEO, Genetic Genealogy Expert and Educator Diahan Southard knows firsthand what a difference it can make to know where you came from. What started off as an educational and career interest in genetic genealogy became deeply personal when she used DNA to discover her mom’s birth parents and connect with new relatives. Now she has 25+ years of genetic genealogy experience. She built her company, Your DNA Guide, to show that learning DNA doesn’t have to be intimidating, frustrating, or require a college degree in biology. Her goal is to teach you to “Do the DNA”–and feel confident and have fun in the process! Diahan teaches internationally, writes for popular magazines, authored Your DNA Guide–The Book, and produces Your DNA Guide–the Academy, an online learning experience. About Maureen Taylor: Maureen Taylor, The Photo Detective® helps clients with photo related genealogical problems. Her pioneering work in historic photo research has earned her the title “the nation’s foremost historical photo detective” by The Wall Street Journal and appearances on The View, The Today Show, Pawn Stars, a I'm thrilled to be offering something new. Photo investigations. These collaborative one-on-one sessions. Look at your family photos then you and I meet to discuss your mystery images. And find out how each clue and hint might contribute to your family history. Find out more by going to maureentaylor.com and clicking on family photo investigations.  Support the show

    21 min

  8. 03/02/2025

    The Photo Marketplace Shift: What It Means for Your Memories

    In this episode, Rick Voigt, co-founder and CEO of Vivid-Pix.com, joins Maureen Taylor to discuss the evolving photo marketplace and its impact on genealogists and everyday users. They explore the recent shutdown of FileShadow, the risks of relying on digital storage providers, and the importance of backing up precious memories. Rick shares insights from his 40-year experience in the photo industry, including lessons from Kodak and Polaroid’s shifts. They emphasize best practices for preserving digital and physical photographs, ensuring long-term access to family history. Plus, they highlight tools like Vivid-Pix for enhancing and organizing images effectively. FileShadow Shutdown: Why its closure is a wake-up call for photo storage users.Backup Strategies: The importance of maintaining at least three backups (local, external, cloud).Industry Lessons: How Kodak, Polaroid, and digital platforms shape the photo marketplace.Preserving Memories: Best practices for safeguarding digital and printed photos.Vivid-Pix Tools: How software can enhance and annotate historical images. Related Episodes: Episode 192: Photo Reminiscence Therapy and Family Photos with Rick Voight of Vivid-Pix.com  Links: Vivid-Pix RestoreSign up for my newsletter.Watch my YouTube Channel.Like the Photo Detective Facebook Page so you get notified of my Facebook Live videos.Need help preserving your photos? Check out Maureen’s Preserving Family Photographs ebook Need help identifying family photos? Check out The Family Photo Detective ebookHave a photo you need help identifying? Sign up for photo consultation. About My Guest: With a few decades of doer and executive experience with Kodak and HP, Rick Voight and Randy Fredlund co-founded Vivid-Pix.  Vivid-Pix designs, creates, and delivers fast, easy and affordable photo and document improvement software. Since launching in 2012, Vivid-Pix has advanced its product to earn the support of family historians, genealogists, photographers, and business leaders in over 100 countries. About Maureen Taylor: Maureen Taylor, The Photo Detective® helps clients with photo related genealogical problems. Her pioneering work in historic photo research has earned her the title “the nation’s foremost historical photo detective” by The Wall Street Journal and appearances on The View, The Today Show, Pawn Stars, and others.   Learn more at Maureentaylor.com Did you enjoy this episode? Please I'm thrilled to be offering something new. Photo investigations. These collaborative one-on-one sessions. Look at your family photos then you and I meet to discuss your mystery images. And find out how each clue and hint might contribute to your family history. Find out more by going to maureentaylor.com and clicking on family photo investigations.  Support the show

    24 min
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4.6
out of 5
62 Ratings

About

Join The Photo Detective, Maureen Taylor, each week as she discusses historical photos and how they fit into your family history. From ancestor identification to photo preservation, The Photo Detective Podcast covers it all. Featuring special experts from genealogy, fashion history, photo history, and restoration, it’s a not-to-miss for photo fans, genealogists, and lovers of history.

Information

  • Creator
    Maureen Taylor
  • Years Active
    2017 - 2025
  • Episodes
    274
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2025 The Photo Detective
  • Show Website
    The Photo Detective

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