In a 1975 letter from his son Edward, he told me, "Dad used dry plates, Nobody touched his photo hobby but him. He had all his developing done by Shrump's Photo Studio, somewhere downtown. I can still see him with his tripod and mounted camera, a hood over his head and not taking a picture until he had just the conditions he desired."

Edward's greatest success with his hobby was not just taking photos, but in keeping accurate records of the dates, names and places of every negative.

Photos are more valuable - even today -when you identify them with dates, names and places.

Edward A. Fairbrother, of St. Paul and (later) White Bear Lake, Minnesota (USA), took to this new hobby with a passion that lasted a lifetime. Edward was my grandfather.

Not only was he dedicated to recording life around him, but he mounted and catalogued his photos in tidy leather albums. In white ink, on the black pages, he printed the dates, locations, people's names and a few wry titles. In l940, a year before he died, he presented each of his three living children with one of these priceless memories, made many years before.

A century later, I have used a computer to explore and improve these images a bit so we can get a better look at the decorations, dolls, games, graphics, books and toys which people used and enjoyed a hundred years ago.

The only light he used was window light, which meant very long exposures, not condusive to including young, excited children. To get a look at the family, go to Family Photos.