Wednesday, June 18, 2025

Genealogy Education Bytes - Week of 12 to 18 June 2025

  Welcome to Genealogy Education Bytes, posted on Wednesday afternoon for the past week, where we try to highlight some of the most important genealogy and family history education items that came across my desktop since the last issue.


1) Upcoming Conferences and  Institutes 

* Conference Keeper Calendar - has many links to register for  and/or view conferences and institutes.

*  2025 Midwest African-American Genealogy Institute (MAAGI) ($$) -- 8 to 10 July 2025 -- Virtual.


*  2025 Kentucky History and Genealogy Conference (KYGS) ($$) -- 8-9 August 2025 -- In-Person (Kenton County, Kentucky)

2 ) Upcoming Seminars, Webinars and Online Classes (times are US Pacific):

* Conference Keeper Calendar - has many links to register for and/or view seminars, webinars and classes.

*  FamilySearch Library Classes and Webinars (Free)

*  Family Tree Webinars (free for a week) - Wednesday, 18 June, 11 a.m.: Bridging the Generations: Connecting the Enslaved in Your Ancestor’s Records to Their Descendants by Cheri Hudson Passey.

*  Family Tree Webinars (free for a week) - Friday, 20 June, 11 a.m.: Exploring Library and Archives Canada Online by Ken McKinlay.

*  Family Tree Webinars (free for a week) - Tuesday, 24 June, 11 a.m.:  Latest Updates to the MyHeritage Mobile App by Gilad Katz.

*  Family Tree Webinars (free for a week) - Wednesday, 25 June, 11 a.m.:   Southern Ancestors…Black and White…in the Freedmen’s Bureau by Sharon Batiste Gillins.

*  Family Tree Webinars (free for a week) - Friday, 27 June, 11 a.m.:  Hand-written Text Recognition: Harnessing the Power of Artificial Intelligence to Transcribe and Search by Yvette Hoitink.

3) Recent Podcasts:





4) Recent YouTube Videos

*  Aimee Cross - Genealogy Hints:  Tutorial on British Military Records




*  Carole McCullough Geneablogger:  7 AI Prompts Every Family Historian Should Try


*  Crista Cowan | The Barefoot Genealogist:  An Honest Witness | Stories That Live In Us | Episode 63



*  Ellen Thompson-Jennings - Family History Hound:  I'm Strong Enough (A Genealogy Affirmation)




*  FamilySearch:  Using the Family Search Catalog


*  Genealogy Bank:  GenealogyBank Tools: Image Viewer


*  How We Got Here Genealogy:  The Man For whom Time Stands Still ...

*  Int'l Institute of Genealogical Studies:  Canadian Settlers in Genealogical Records

*  Italian Roots and Genealogy:  Unlocking the Secrets of my Genoese Ancestors






*  Write Your Family History with Devon Noel Lee:  Are You Using the RIGHT Citation Style in Your Genealogy Writing?

5) Did you miss the last post in this series - Genealogy Education Bytes -  Week of 5 to 11 June 2025?   Read past Genealogy Education Bytes here.

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NOTE:  If  I missed something important in this time period, please let me know in a comment or an email. 

Copyright (c) 2025, Randall J. Seaver

Please comment on this post on the website by clicking the URL above and then the "Comments" link at the bottom of each post. Share your comment on X, Facebook, or Pinterest using the icons below. Or contact me by email at   randy.seaver@gmail.com.  Note that all comments are moderated and may not appear immediately. 

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ABC Biography of #27 Abigail A. (Vaux) Smith (1844-1931) of New York, Wisconsin, Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska and California

 The Claude (now Sonnet 4) artificial intelligence tool can be used to write family-friendly biographies of my ancestors that might interest and engage my relatives and descendants to help them learn about and understand their ancestry. Using the ABC method described in Using Artificial Intelligence In the Ancestor Biography Creation (ABC) Process, here is one ancestor biography.

1) I have written genealogical sketches for almost every known ancestor back 9 generations in blog posts based on 35 years of genealogical research in my 52 Ancestors/Relatives Biographies series. The genealogical sketch for my 2nd great-grandmother, Abigail A. (Vaux) (1844-1931), #27 on my Ahnentafel List), including record abstracts and sources, is  52 Ancestors Week 20: #27 Abigail A. (Vaux) Smith (1844-1931).

2) For the Claude AI biography, I attached the PDF of the genealogical sketch for the specific ancestor using the plus (+) sign, and then prompted the AI tool with: "You are an expert genealogist. Please create a draft biography from the attached file, including parents, siblings, spouses and children (with birth and death dates and places), summarize life events, and add historical facts as appropriate, but do not add or embellish any extra genealogical details. Use section headings. Expand the information in each section to add more details. The tone should be engaging and suitable for family members."


(Abigail (Vaux) Smith (center front), Austin Carringer (left), Della Carringer (right), Edgar Carringer (canter), Lyle Carringer (right front) - San Diego CA - 1895; colorized by AI ChatGPT4 from family photograph)

3) The expanded biography of Abigail A. (Vaux) (1844-1931) created by the free AI tool Claude Sonnet 4, lightly edited, is:

Abigail A. (Vaux) Smith: A Pioneer Woman's Journey (1844-1931)

Early Life and Family Origins

Abigail A. Vaux was born on October 28, 1844, in Aurora, Erie County, New York, to Samuel and Mary Ann (Underhill) Vaux. She entered the world as the third daughter and third child in what would become a family of six children. Her father Samuel, an immigrant from England, had established himself as a farmer in western New York, accumulating real property worth $1,166 by 1850—a substantial sum for the time.

The Vaux household was a bustling one, filled with the energy of growing children. Abigail's siblings were Mary Almeda Vaux (1839-1880), Celia Ann Vaux (1842-1919), James P. Vaux (1847-1902), Elizabeth B. Vaux (1849-1931), and the youngest, Amos Vaux (1854-1876). The 1850 census reveals a family committed to education, with young Abigail, then just five years old, already attending school alongside her older sisters.

The Great Migration West

The Vaux family exemplified the westward movement that characterized mid-19th century America. In 1855, when Abigail was eleven, Samuel Vaux made the momentous decision to sell the family's land in Aurora, New York, and relocate to Burnett Township, Dodge County, Wisconsin. This move represented the hopes and dreams of countless American families seeking better opportunities on the frontier.

The transition from established New York farmland to the Wisconsin frontier would have been both exciting and challenging for young Abigail. Wisconsin in the 1850s was still very much a developing territory, offering vast opportunities but requiring tremendous resilience and adaptability from its settlers.

Marriage and Early Family Life

At the age of sixteen, Abigail's life took a significant turn when she married Devier J. Smith on April 4, 1861, in Rolling Prairie, Dodge County, Wisconsin. This union occurred during one of the most tumultuous periods in American history—just as the Civil War was beginning. The young couple would begin their married life against the backdrop of a nation at war.

Devier J. Smith proved to be an enterprising husband, and together they would welcome five children into their family:

  • Abbey Ardelle "Della" Smith (April 11, 1862 - January 1, 1944) was born in Rolling Prairie, Wisconsin. She would later marry Henry Austin Carringer on September 11, 1887, in Wano, Cheyenne County, Kansas, and eventually settle in San Diego, California, where she would provide a loving home for her mother in later years. 

  • Devier David "Davie" Smith (October 15, 1863 - February 2, 1920) was also born in Rolling Prairie. He would marry twice—first to Leava A. Smith in 1889 in McCook, Nebraska, and later to Amy A. Ashdown in 1908 in San Diego, California. 

  • Mary Ann "Matie" Smith (May 7, 1866 - July 14, 1922) was born in Rolling Prairie as well. Her life would be marked by multiple marriages—to George Miles Chenery in 1889, Joseph Cyrus Cramer in 1919, and John Frank Morrill in 1921.

Tragically, the family also experienced the profound sorrow that was common in the 19th century. 

  • Agnes Bell "Aggie" Smith was born on February 26, 1868, but died at just two years of age on April 23, 1870, in Bedford, Taylor County, Iowa. 

  • Lucian H. "Lutie" Smith, born June 16, 1875, in Lincoln, Cloud County, Kansas, lived only until March 19, 1878, dying at age two in Concordia, Kansas.

The Pioneering Years: Iowa, Missouri, and Kansas

The Smith family embodied the restless spirit of 19th-century America, moving frequently in search of better opportunities. In 1867, they joined other Dodge County families in relocating to Bedford, Taylor County, Iowa. By 1870, the family had established themselves in Benton Township, where Devier worked as a farmer and had accumulated substantial wealth—$10,000 in real property and $800 in personal property.

The family's journey continued with moves to Andrew County, Missouri, and then to Cloud County, Kansas by 1875. In Kansas, the family's entrepreneurial spirit flourished. The 1875 Kansas State Census shows Devier operating a "livery and sale stable" while Abigail worked as a milliner—a skilled trade involving the design and creation of women's hats. This occupation demonstrated both her practical skills and her ability to contribute to the family's income.

Life on the Kansas Frontier

Kansas in the 1870s and 1880s was a land of opportunity and hardship. The Smith family moved between several Kansas counties, including Cloud, Marshall, and Pottawatomie, as they sought the best opportunities. In 1885, they made another significant move, purchasing a farm from John Dunbar in McCook, Red Willow County, Nebraska.

The family's business acumen was evident in their establishment of the Blue Front livery stable in downtown McCook, near the railway station. This enterprise, run by their son David Devier Smith, positioned them well in the growing railroad economy of the Great Plains.

During these Kansas years, the family experienced both success and separation. The 1880 census reveals an interesting situation where Abigail was living in Blue Rapids Township, Marshall County, with daughter Della, while Devier was listed separately in Shannon Township, Pottawatomie County. This may have been a temporary arrangement related to their business interests or family needs.

A New Chapter in California

The 1880s brought significant changes to Abigail's life. When her daughter Della's first child was born in 1889, Abigail traveled to California to help with the new baby. This journey would prove to be life-changing, as she may never have returned to her husband in Nebraska. After Devier's death in 1894, Abigail made the permanent decision to remain in California.

California offered Abigail a chance to be close to her family while enjoying a more temperate climate. She divided her time between San Diego, where she lived with Della's family, and Long Beach, where she visited her sister Elizabeth (Vaux) Crouch. This arrangement provided both family support and independence for the widowed Abigail.

The San Diego Years

Abigail's life in San Diego represented a period of stability and family closeness after decades of frontier movement. The 1900 census shows her living comfortably with her daughter Della, son-in-law Henry Carringer (a carpenter), and grandson Lyle. The Carringer family owned their home on Watkins Avenue (now Hawthorn Street), reflecting their economic success.

In 1908, Abigail acquired property in the City Heights area of San Diego—Lots 15 and 16 in Block 97, located at what is now 3537 41st Street. This investment demonstrated her continued independence and financial acumen even in her sixties.  She lived there off and on the rest of her life.

The subsequent decades in San Diego were marked by the warmth of multi-generational family life. The 1910, 1920, and 1930 censuses all show Abigail living with the Carringer family, watching her grandson Lyle grow to adulthood. Henry Carringer's work as a carpenter and later as an aviation mechanician with the Army Air Services reflected the changing times and San Diego's growing importance as a military center.

Final Years and Legacy

Abigail's final years were spent surrounded by the love of her California family. In 1922, she transferred her City Heights property to her daughter Della, ensuring her daughter's financial security. The 1930 census, taken just a year before her death, shows an 85-year-old woman still living independently within her family's household.

On September 11, 1931, at 10:10 a.m., Abigail A. Smith passed away at 2115 30th Street in San Diego, California. She was 86 years, 10 months, and 14 days old. Her death certificate indicates she had battled breast cancer for four years, with her heart finally giving out in her final days. She had been under the care of Dr. Charles R. Langsworth, who had attended her from January 1928 until September 1931.

Following her wishes, Abigail was cremated at Clover Lawn Crematory on September 15, 1931, and her remains were inurned at Cypress View Mausoleum in San Diego, where they rest today next to Austin and Della (Smith) Carringer.

Historical Context

Abigail's life spanned one of the most transformative periods in American history. Born during the presidency of James K. Polk, she witnessed the California Gold Rush, the Civil War, westward expansion, the Industrial Revolution, and the dawn of the modern age. Her journey from a New York farm to the California coast exemplified the American dream of her generation.

Her story reflects the experiences of countless pioneer women who helped build the American West—women who raised families, contributed to household income through skilled trades, and maintained family connections across vast distances. Through her 87 years, Abigail A. (Vaux) Smith lived through the transformation of America from a primarily agricultural nation to an industrial power, leaving behind a legacy of resilience, adaptability, and family devotion that continues to inspire her descendants today.

4)  A poem and song lyrics to commemorate the life of Abigail A. (Vaux) (1844-1931) can be found in "Abbey's Journey" --- A Family History Poem and Song Created by Artificial Intelligence. The song created from the song lyrics can be heard in that blog post, and on Suno.com in https://suno.com/song/6cd8ab03-3e24-4148-8d34-6582d18debab.

An audio overview (essentially a podcast created by the Google ContentLM AI tool) discussing the life of Abigail A. (Vaux) (1844-1931) can be heard at   https://notebooklm.google.com/notebook/dd4733ae-d156-4875-bb8c-149f6ee9054c/audio.

5)  I wrote a historical fiction AI-assisted dialogue between Devier and Abbey about the hair tonic advertisement in Ask AI: "Please Create a Dialogue Between Devier Smith and His Wife About the Hair Tonic Ad'."

6)  Information about Devier J. Smith's life can be found in ABC Biography of #26 Devier James Lamphier Smith (1839-1894) of New York, Wisconsin, Iowa, Missouri, Kansas and Nebraska.

7)  I lightly edited the Claude biography text to add more family detail and correct minor errors.  Every large language model (LLM) AI tool writes descriptive text much better than I can write.  I was an aerospace engineer in my former life, and my research reports and genealogical sketches reflect "just the facts gleaned from my research."  The AI tools are very perceptive, insightful and create readable text in seconds, including local and national historical events and social history detail.   

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Links to my blog posts about using Artificial Intelligence are on my Randy's AI and Genealogy page. Links to AI information and articles about Artificial Intelligence in Genealogy by other genealogists are on my AI and Genealogy Compendium page.

Copyright (c) 2025, Randall J. Seaver


Please comment on this post on the website by clicking the URL above and then the "Comments" link at the bottom of each post.  Share it on Twitter, Facebook, or Pinterest using the icons below.  Or contact me by email at randy.seaver@gmail.com.  Please note that all comments are moderated, and may not appear immediately.

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Tuesday, June 17, 2025

Genealogy News Bytes - Week of 11 to 17 June 2025

   Welcome to Genealogy News Bytes, posted on Tuesday afternoon for the past week, where we try to highlight the most important genealogy and family history news  items that came across our desktop since the last issue.    


1)  Genealogy and Family History News Articles:









2)  DNA/IGG-Related News Articles


4)  Family Trees 


5)  New or Updated Genealogy Digital Record Collections:











6)  Did you miss the last post in this series?  See Genealogy News Bytes - Week of 4 to 10 June 2025.   Read all recent Genealogy News Bytes here.  

                          =========================================


Copyright (c) 2025, Randall J. Seaver

Please comment on this post on the website by clicking the URL above and then the "Comments" link at the bottom of each post.  Share it on Twitter, Facebook, or Pinterest using the icons below.  Or contact me by email at randy.seaver@gmail.com.  Note that all comments are moderated, and may not appear immediately.

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"Austin and Della Life Stories - Part 3: Joy and Sorrow" - AI Historical Fiction

 My great-grandparents Henry Austin Carringer (1853-1946) and Abbey Ardelle "Della" Smith (1862-1944) married on 11 September 1887 in Wano, Cheyenne County, Kansas.  I told their life stories in ABC Biography of #12 Henry Austin Carringer (1853-1946) of Pennsylvania, Iowa, Colorado and California and ABC Biography of #13 Abbey Ardelle "Della" (Smith) Carringer (1862-1944) of Wisconsin, Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, and California based on my genealogical and family history research over 38 years.

I don't have any "family stories" about their early life except what is in the records I have from family sources, books and periodicals, and online record collections.  Fortunately, I have Della's scrapbook and a number of records about their life in San Diego.  

This is a series of short stories.  The earlier stories are:

This is Part 3, courtesy of Anthropic Claude Sonnet 4:  

Joy and Sorrow

The Story of Devier David Carringer - 1889-1890

The Blessed Arrival

The August heat shimmered off the railroad tracks beyond their small National City home when Della's labor pains began. It was barely dawn on the 19th of August, 1889, and the Pacific breeze carried the scent of salt and the distant whistle of the morning freight train.

"Austin," Della whispered, gripping his hand as another wave of pain washed over her. "I think... I think it's time."

Austin had been pacing the small front room since midnight, his carpenter's hands useless for once. "Thank God your mother arrived last week," he said, rushing to the bedroom where Abbie Smith was already preparing hot water and clean linens.

"Everything's going to be just fine, dear," Abbie said calmly, her experienced hands gentle as she helped Della through each contraction. She had made the long journey from Kansas when Della's letter arrived announcing the pregnancy, arriving just in time with a carpetbag full of baby clothes she'd been knitting through the winter and spring months.

When the sun was high overhead, their son entered the world with a lusty cry that seemed to fill their small house with joy. Austin stood at the foot of the bed, tears streaming down his face as Abbie placed the tiny, perfect baby in Della's arms.

"Hello, little one," Della whispered, her voice hoarse with exhaustion and wonder. "You're finally here."

"What shall we call him?" Austin asked softly, reaching out to touch his son's tiny fist.

"Devier David," Della said without hesitation. "Devier for strength, David for the beloved. Our little prince."

Austin nodded, overwhelmed. "Devier David Carringer. Welcome to the world, my son."

 (Devier David Carringer - about 1889, from family sources)

Golden Months

The months that followed were filled with a happiness neither Austin nor Della had ever imagined. Little Devier was a content baby with his mother's dark eyes and his father's strong chin. Austin would hurry home each evening from the railroad yards, his pockets often containing small wooden toys he'd carved during his lunch break.

"Look how he watches you work," Della observed one evening as Austin sat on the floor, rolling a wooden train car back and forth while Devier reached for it with chubby fingers. "He's going to be a builder like his papa."

"Or maybe a performer like his mama," Austin replied, making silly faces that sent the baby into fits of giggling. "Listen to that laugh! He'll have them rolling in the aisles."

Abbie stayed on to help, reluctant to leave her daughter and her first grandchild. She helped Della learn to nurse and bathe the baby, showed her how to make his food when he was ready, and rocked him to sleep while singing the same lullabies she'd sung to Della years before.

"You're natural mothers, both of you," she told Della one evening as they watched Austin playing peek-a-boo with Devier. "That child is blessed to have such loving parents."

The letters home were filled with joy: Devier said his first word yesterday - 'Papa!' Austin nearly fell off his chair with delight. He's crawling everywhere now and getting into everything. Mrs. O'Malley says he's the most beautiful baby in National City, and I quite agree!

The Shadow Falls

Spring came early to Southern California in 1890, but with it came a fever that swept through the growing community. Other children in National City had fallen ill - some recovered quickly, others lingered with weakened constitutions.

When Devier's fever began on the morning of May 8th, Della tried not to panic. "Children get fevers," Abbie told her, bathing his small body with cool cloths. "It will pass."

But by evening, the baby was listless and refusing to nurse. Austin sent word to the railroad that he wouldn't be coming to work, and all three of them took turns holding Devier through the long night.

"He's so hot," Della whispered, her own face flushed with worry and exhaustion. "Austin, I'm frightened."

"The doctor will come again in the morning," Austin said, though his voice betrayed his own fear. "Dr. Morrill knows what he's doing."

The doctor came, examined little Devier with gentle hands, and spoke in quiet tones that offered little comfort. "Keep him cool, keep trying to get liquids into him, and... pray."

For two days they battled the fever. Abbie shared the care with Della, Mrs. O'Malley brought soup and offered to help, other railroad families stopped by with remedies and kind words. But on the morning of May 10th, 1890, as the sun rose over San Diego Bay, their precious son drew his last breath in Della's arms.

The silence that followed was deafening.

The Mourning

Austin had built many things with his hands - train stations, freight cars, their little home - but the small pine coffin was the hardest thing he'd ever crafted. His tears fell onto the wood as he worked, and his fellow carpeners came by in shifts, offering quiet support and helping with the details their grieving friend couldn't manage.

The funeral was held at the small Protestant church in National City. Rev. Patterson, who had baptized Devier just three months earlier, spoke gentle words about children being called home to God, but Della heard none of it. She sat between Austin and her mother, feeling as though part of her soul had been torn away.

The grave in National City Cemetery was small and lonely under the California sun. They placed wildflowers they'd picked that morning - orange poppies and purple lupine - on the fresh earth.

"My sweet boy," Della whispered, kneeling beside the small grave marker Austin had carved with his own hands: Devier David Carringer, Beloved Son, August 19, 1889 - May 10, 1890. "Mama and Papa love you so very much." 

 (Devier David Carringer memorial card, from family sources)

Learning to Live Again

The weeks that followed passed in a gray haze. Austin returned to work because they needed the income, but his heart wasn't in it. Della couldn't bear to pack away Devier's clothes, leaving his cradle in their bedroom and his toys scattered on the floor.

Abbie stayed an extra month, cooking meals they barely touched and gently encouraging them to talk about their feelings.

"Grief isn't something you get over," she told them one evening as they sat on the front porch watching the sunset. "It's something you learn to carry. That child was loved every moment of his life, and that love doesn't die just because he's gone."

Austin found solace in work, volunteering to help other families build cribs and children's furniture. Della slowly began giving piano lessons again, finding that music could express the sorrow she had no words for.

They visited Devier's grave every Sunday after church, bringing fresh flowers and sitting quietly in the shadow of the pepper trees. Sometimes they talked to him, telling him about their week, about the ships they'd seen in the harbor, about how much they missed his laughter.

"Do you think he knows we're here?" Della asked one Sunday in late summer.

Austin took her hand. "I think love like ours crosses any distance, even death."

Finding Hope Again

By winter, they had learned to smile again, though the sadness never fully left their eyes. They received a letter from Della's Kansas cousin announcing her own pregnancy, and instead of bitterness, they felt a surprising surge of joy.

"Life goes on," Della said, folding the letter carefully. "Maybe... maybe someday we'll be blessed again."

"Would you want that?" Austin asked quietly. "After..."

"Because of," she corrected. "Because we know how precious it is. Because Devier taught us how to love completely, even knowing we might lose everything."

They began talking about the future again, making plans and dreams. The little house in National City would always hold memories of their first son, but it would hold hope for the future too.

As 1889 drew to a close, Austin and Della Carringer had learned one of life's hardest lessons - that love and loss could coexist, that joy and sorrow were often intertwined, and that the human heart was both more fragile and more resilient than they had ever imagined.

Their love story would continue, marked by this profound loss but not defined by it. In the years to come, they would be blessed with other children, but Devier David would always be their first, their angel, the child who taught them that love transcends even death itself.

I can imagine the excitement ans joy of the birth of a first child.  I cannot image the sorrow of my great-grandparents when they lost this child at the age of nine months. I want to believe the above fictional account is realistic, but it is historical fiction.  The account is touching and heartfelt.  I do know that Austin and Della renounced their Christian beliefs after this event.  

This is a series of fictional short stories (but based on actual events in their lives) about the lives of Austin and Della (Smith) Carringer.  Getting married in Kansas in 1887, the honeymoon trip to San Diego, raising a family, owning and building their own house, having a grandchild, and living their lives for almost 60 more years! 

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Links to my blog posts about using Artificial Intelligence are on my Randy's AI and Genealogy page.  Links to AI information and articles about Artificial Intelligence in Genealogy by other genealogists are on my AI and Genealogy Compendium page.

Copyright (c) 2025, Randall J. Seaver


Please comment on this post on the website by clicking the URL above and then the "Comments" link at the bottom of each post.  Share it on Twitter, Facebook, or Pinterest using the icons below.  Or contact me by email at randy.seaver@gmail.com.  Please note that all comments are moderated, and may not appear immediately.

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The Free ChatGPT4 AI Tool Can Sharpen and Colorize Faded and/or Black and White Photographs

 In the past decade, there has been a number of free and subsciption wfbsites that can sharpen and colorize faded and/or black and white photographs.  Many genealogists use these services on MyHeritage and Ancestry.com. 

After watching the posts on the Genealogy and Artificial intelligence (AI) Facebook group, many genealogists are now using the free ChatGPT4 AI tool to do this task.  

I asked ChatGPT4: "What effective prompt can I use to have ChatGPT4 brighten a faded black and white photograph and colorize it?"

The ChatGPT4 response was: 

To have ChatGPT-4 brighten a faded black-and-white photograph and colorize it, you can use the following effective prompt:

"Please enhance this faded black-and-white photo by increasing the brightness and contrast to bring out the details, then apply realistic colorization based on the historical period, clothing styles, and environment shown."

I used that prompt, and uploaded this faded black and white photograph from the 1890s, which I found in the Carringer treasure chest:


 Here is the image created by ChatGPT4 that is sharper, brighter and colorful:


In my humble opinion, that is a beautiful photograph. That is my grandfather, Lyle Lawrence Carringer (1891-1976) the little boy on the sled, my great-grandparents Henry Austin Carringer (1853-1946) on the left, Abbey Ardell "Della" (Smith) Carringer (1862-1944) on the right, my great-granduncle Harvey Edgar Carringer (1852-1946) in the doorway, and my 2nd great-grandmother Abbie A. (Vaux) Smith (1844-1931) in front.  

I think the date of this photograph is about 1895, and ChatGPT suggested 1894-1895 based on the birth dates of the persons in the photograph and the clothing styles.  The setting is probably a hat shop in San Diego, it may even be the home of Austin and Della, or of Harvey Edgar Carringer. 

Do the faces match the original image?  It's hard to tell, but they are really close, I think.  Are the colors of the people and the clothing reasonable?  Yes, but the actual clothing colors may have been different, but we know only that the clothing on the original photograph were darker than white and lighter than black.  

I'm not an expert on photography or how to sharpen or colorize photographs, but I'm going to use ChatGPT4 to do that job on as many photographs as they permit me to do.  Two a week, one a day?  Maybe.

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Links to my blog posts about using Artificial Intelligence are on my Randy's AI and Genealogy page. Links to AI information and articles about Artificial Intelligence in Genealogy by other genealogists are on my AI and Genealogy Compendium page.

Copyright (c) 2025, Randall J. Seaver


Please comment on this post on the website by clicking the URL above and then the "Comments" link at the bottom of each post.  Share it on Twitter, Facebook, or Pinterest using the icons below.  Or contact me by email at randy.seaver@gmail.com.  Please note that all comments are moderated, and may not appear immediately.

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