Google Image Search can help you visualize the past by using keywords to find pictures
from the time and place your ancestors lived or pictures about artifacts and landmarks
that are part of your story. Today, I'm going to give you a number of different keywords
that you can use on Google Image Search to find those pictures. Now Google images is
a free way for you to scour the internet looking for images. So instead of doing a text-based
search, you're doing a photo-based search. To access Google Images, you type in Google.com.
And then come up to this little text link that says images. The advantages of using
Google Image Search. You can trace the identity of things, and places, and sometimes people
in those photos. You can also see what a bobsled is in Ontario, Canada, in the 1850s and what
a St. Brigid's cross is in Ireland. Let me show you some really cool keywords that you
can use to help you search Google Images for some topics that will come up when you're
writing your family histories and when you're trying to research a family history. And understand
the details that are happening in the documents that you're discovering. So let's start off
by searching the keywords of buildings. Now you don't want to just type in buildings into
Google Image Search. You actually want to type in a specific building that you recognize.
Now you can type in any type of building. You can do a farmhouse, especially if it has
a particular name. You can put in businesses such as the Chancery Inn Bar. As well as famous
buildings or office buildings where your ancestors may have worked. So let's go ahead and try
this Chancery Inn Bar in Dublin, Ireland. Click the search magnifying icon. You'll get
a visual search results page. Not the text ones if we had searched all on Google. You
have all of this text-based stuff. Since we're over on images, our results are going to be
images. You have a number of different images you can explore here. And when you find one
that looks familiar or that you want to explore further. And then a right menu will pop up.
It will be the actual image. And there will be some links where you can actually go visit
the website where this image is found. What I also like is "Related Images." Sometimes
you'll see duplicate images, and you'll see different websites that it's associated with.
Some of them have larger images than the others, and that comes in handy. Another building
that you might want to investigate is a church. Now, I can't pronounce this actual church
that is in Sweden. But that's okay because Google can know what I'm looking for. For
can type in any language and Google while look for it. And notice I have the church
in Sweden. Now when I put just that location. get quite a few different images of varying
styles. When did "church in Sweden", then I get just the returns for the church. So
adding extra words along with your building in a specific location can help you filter
down when you get results that you weren't expecting. Another keyword that you can type
in is roads. Now, this is kind of fun because you can see pictures of homes along those
roads and also find some maps. You can actually put roads in a specific location, so Wake
County, North Carolina. And you can get an image-based in Wake County. And you can also
get some maps. Let's say you want to look for a specific road in a specific location.
Some I'm going to type in Bloodworth St in Raleigh, North Carolina. And now the results
that I'm getting are homes along this street. Now, if you wanted to change this to vintage
photos, then one of the things that you can do up here at the top is use Tools. Then click
Color and try Black and White. And see if that changes things. Well, instead of getting
vintage images, I'm actually getting drawings of the floor plans. So that's kind of interesting.
But, you might find some historical images. But make sure you're looking at that title
because this one doesn't actually looks like it belongs in that location. So, not all of
your results are going to be perfect. You just have to put on your detective hat. Go
ahead and play with the tools for size. Maybe you just want to have large images. When you're
also typing in roads, I also want you to think of roots or routes. And it all depends on
where you're from in the world, which one you say. But think of Route 66. What like
about this image search is that I can get a variety of different images. So I can find
maps. I can find actual scenery. I can see the roads. I can see buildings along that
route. I really like this one because it dots it all along. You never know what you're going
to find when you key things in. Now, what I want to call your attention to are these
bubbles across the top. Let's say you typed in Route 66, but you just want maps. So there
is a prompt at the top which will just filter image results to maps. Or you want road trip.
So if you're looking for more images about planning an actual road trip. So there's a
map showing you the stops to make along the way. You can also filter to a specific place.
So I clicked on Arizona, and now I have images from Arizona along the route of Route 66.
Now landmarks an important part of our family history because landmarks can be in your ancestors'
history. But don't forget yourself. So let me show you two examples of some landmarks
that are in my history. Here's something I do like about Google. It's okay if you type
things incorrectly. So I'm going to search for Albrighton Tower. I'm looking for the
place where Andy proposed to me. Notice I spelled it A-L-B-R--I-G-H-T-O-N Tower, and
I didn't put a specific location. And there are a lot of Albrightons, and they're spelled
in a number of different ways. But I recognize this one over here on the right. Now, I can
click on that, or I can use the bubble prompts above, which is Texas A&M University. And
now I'm getting pictures- standing under the little crevice of Albritton Tower. I have
the full Albritton Tower. They have a landscape view of Texas A&M University with Albritton
Tower there as well. Lots of great imagery when you dive in. So it's okay to misspelling
things. Google is going to try to figure it out for you. Now another landmark being that
I'm a Houstonian. Not native, but got there as fast as I could. Is the statute of Sam
Houston that was north of Houston on I-45 as you're driving up to Dallas. This statue
is huge. Now, I paused here because you can start typing in a building or any of these
keywords that I recommend. And then Google is going to give you some prompts. So let's
say you knew it was near Huntsville, Texas, then you can select that or a variation of
that. But let's say you're like, I don't recognize Huntsville, but I remember it was along I-45.
I can click that. And then I can get to pictures of this massive statue of the first President
of the Country of Texas when it was its own republic. Have you ever stopped to think you
can go and search for images about an event? Now, I'm going to type in the Moscow Music
Peace Festival that happened in the 1980s., the late 1980s. I remember watching Headbanger's
Ball and watching the Moscow Music Peace Festival on MTV. It was kind of a defining, major event
in my teenage years. So, notice that I type it in and Google is giving me some of the
variety of prompts. Bon Jovi, my favorite band. A jacket, shirt the year, some other
bands that played. Attendance, a poster. Let's stay general and see what comes up. You'll
see a number of those prompts there at the top. The bands that participated. Here are
some pictures. That is Bon Jovi. I should have recognized Richie Sambora. There's pictures
of the leader singer of Motley Crew at that time. There are program photos. And some of
the other things I like is that I can see pictures. I remember seeing the camera take
all of these photos of the different angles of those attending and the various angles
of the performers. And you can relive that event. So what are some of the major events
in your life and the lives of your ancestors that you can type into Google and see pictures
of? Now, stick around because I'm going to answer that question that you're thinking
about already. Can I use these for my family history? These images that I find. Now don't
limit yourself to people and things. Also, search for genealogically related items such
as cemeteries. And while there is Find A Grave and Billion Graves, sometimes you want establishment
shots of particular cemeteries. So go ahead and type in a cemetery and see what images
pop up. And I do like that from St Patrick's Cemetery in Quebec. Notice that I didn't choose
to capitalize all of the words. And if I misspelled something, then Google is going to say, "Um,
did you mean this? Is this supposed to be apostrophe?" There is an apostrophe S., But
if you take it out, there's actually some historic maps that are taking place that you
can find. So sometimes you have to spell it correctly. And sometimes, you need to spell
it incorrectly. But I really do like doing a search like this because on Find A Grave,
you're really focused on headstones. But on Google Search, you can pull up establishment
shots. You can see different aspects of the cemetery from different angles. Have any of
you actually visited this cemetery? Let me know in the comments. Another great term to
put into Google Image Search would be maps. Now you don't have to write out the full place
like you did in genealogy citations or pedigree chart where you put something is from. For
me, Karlsruhe could be the place where my ancestor Joseph Geiszler was before he immigrated
to the United States. Let's type in Karlsruhe and see what comes up when I add "Map." You
can see a variety of different styles of maps to help you understand the locations where
your ancestors lived. Maybe the streets. More modern and past. Maybe this one puts Karlsruhe
in a different format than the maps up here. And then, if you want to dive deeper, you
can click through to the images' actual place where it's hosted on the internet. I also
like checking out these related images because look! This is what I was pointing out. Each
map has something different and unique to share. Another keyword that I want you to
start putting into image search is Traditions. So some of you are aware of the traditions
that you have around your home. Such as St. Brigid's Cross. Now let's search for a St.
Brigid's Cross. And what I really like when I type this in. is that I have a lot of different
words so that I could filter down. So just in general, here are some St. Brigid's Cross.
Now the top is sponsored. That's actually where you can go buy one of these. But if
you scroll down lower, you're going to see a lot of the different variations of the cross.
Now you may be asking yourself, that's great. I found these images. Can I use any of them
in my family history project? The answer is it really depends. It depends on your country
and the laws that they have regarding copyright. It depends on who took the picture. And it
also depends on when the picture was taken if you didn't take it. Let's say you want
to use this image. Can you use it? Well, it depends. Notice Google warns you that they
may be subject to copyright law. So you have to click into the actual image and see what
it says. Right now, this image is on Trip Advisor, and it's not clear if this image
is in the public domain or not. It is entirely possible that it's not. Now you can ran a
Tool Setting where you check Usage Rights and select something for Creative Commons
License or Commerical and Other License. But notice how when we run that filter, we're
not finding that inn that we wanted. We can try the other one, and here is the Chancery
Inn, but this is a stock photo, and you're going to have to pay for it if you want to
use it in your book. So once again, the question is can you use it? The answer it depends on
whether the image is in the public domain or not. You might want to find certain images
on Google Image Search and then go over to alternative platforms that I will link to
in the Show Notes over on my blog that can be helpful for you to find copyright-free
images that we can use. Now keywords are not only used for Google Image Search.If you haven't
watched our video about keyword searching in newspapers, check out this playlist here.
And if you're ready for something new, check out this playlist right here. And help you
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