Author Archives: Don Taylor

Breathing New Life into Old Blurry Photos with AI

Posted on August 12, 2025 by Don Taylor

Tuesday’s TipsBy Don Taylor Sometimes I’m genuinely astonished by what new technology can accomplish. Recently, a friend asked if I could help clean up a couple of old, blurry images that had been cropped from a much larger family photograph. … Continue reading →

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A Case of Mistaken Identity? Mrs. Montran (or Montrose?) in Vicksburg, 1901.

Posted on August 11, 2025 by Don Taylor

Montran MondayBy Don Taylor As part of my ongoing Montran Monday series, I search historical newspapers for any mention of individuals bearing the Montran surname. Each brief reference is another clue in the larger puzzle of my maternal grandmother’s elusive … Continue reading →

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Scarborough Students’ Summer Fun – 1930s Style.

Posted on August 8, 2025 by Don Taylor

Photo FridayThe Linwood Dyer Photo Collection, Part 078Album 2023.02.05. By Don Taylor As part of my ongoing work with the Linwood Dyer Collection, I look at photos from his collection. Looking at a well-worn burgundy album, most of the images … Continue reading →

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Donna at Hotel Brenton, Bass Point, Nahant, Mass. August 4, 1915.

Posted on August 2, 2025 by Don Taylor

In 1915, Donna—famously known as the “aeroplane girl”—performed at a grand carnival at Hotel Brenton in Nahant, MA. With vibrant lights, cabaret acts, and dancing, the event was directed by Thomas Rooney, whom Donna married just months later. A vivid piece of early 20th-century entertainment history. Continue reading →

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The Heer Surname: Origins & Ancestors

Posted on July 30, 2025 by Don Taylor

This post explores the origin and meaning of the Heer surname, once a noble title in Switzerland, and follows its lineage through eight generations in Canton Glarus. From Sarah Heer to Florence Wilma Huber Darling, it traces the family’s deep Swiss roots and highlights modern surname distribution and descendant statistics. Continue reading →

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