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 whole 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.
