Prepare a faithful copy
Keep the physical print and an untouched scan. If you photograph it with a phone, position the camera parallel to the print and avoid direct glare. Do not use generative restoration to supply missing facial details.
Follow visual and written clues
- Search the full picture without the surrounding tabletop.
- Record any studio stamp or caption separately.
- Search legible publication or photographer names.
- Compare candidate archive records with the entire image.
A family print may never have been published online. An empty search is therefore unsurprising and says nothing about the people pictured.
Keep the scope appropriate
Use the process to trace a photograph's publication or creator where you have permission. Avoid treating a visual resemblance as a way to identify private strangers. If the source remains unknown, retain the scan's provenance—where the print came from and any known date—rather than replacing it with a speculative match.
Continue with finding an original image source.
Published by Facehunch with AI assistance. How we use sources and maintain these guides.