Kurt Deion, author of Presidential Grave Hunter, shares his lifelong journey of visiting every U.S. president and vice president’s grave. Sparked by early interests in presidential history and inspired by books and family trips, Kurt’s unique quest began in childhood. His book combines memoir and historical facts, recounting adventures and discoveries at burial sites. Besides graves, Kurt has explored presidential libraries, capturing memories through photographs. He continues his historical pursuits, researching and visiting various historical figures, reflecting his deep passion for public and presidential history.

• Kurt’s fascination with presidential history began at age seven, spurred by the book So You Want to Be President?.
• Kurt has visited the graves of all U.S. presidents and vice presidents, documenting these visits in his book.
• He emphasizes the importance of photographs for documenting and sharing historical sites.
• Kurt continues to explore and document other historical figures, expanding beyond presidential history.

Related Episodes:
Episode 148: Early Photographs on Headstones with Elliot Conte

Episode 203: Recipes on Gravestones with Rosie Grant

Links:

• Kurt’s Historic Sites
• Sign up for my newsletter.
• Watch my YouTube Channel.
• Like the Photo Detective Facebook Page so you get notified of my Facebook Live videos.
• Need help preserving your photos? Check out Maureen’s Preserving Family Photographs ebook
• Need help identifying family photos? Check out The Family Photo Detective ebook
• Have a photo you need help identifying? Sign up for photo consultation.

About My Guest:
Kurt Deion is a public historian, author, guest speaker, and presidential expert for RoadsideAmerica.com. He holds an M.A. in history. At age 14 he launched kurtshistoricsites.com as a means to both document his travels and to encourage others to visit gravesites and engage in hands-on history. His website and his cemetery pilgrimages were the subject of a 2015 interview on the C-SPAN show “Q&A.”

He currently works as an education specialist at Historic Congressional Cemetery and since 2023 has been a White House Historical Association next-gen leader.

About Maureen Taylor:
Maureen Taylor, The Photo DetectiveÒhelps clients with photo related genealogical problems. Her pioneering work in historic photo research has earned her the title “the nation’s foremost historical photo detective” by The Wall Street Journal and appearances on The View, The

I'm thrilled to be offering something new. Photo investigations. These collaborative one-on-one sessions. Look at your family photos then you and I meet to discuss your mystery images. And find out how each clue and hint might contribute to your family history. Find out more by going to maureentaylor.com and clicking on family photo investigations.

Support the show

Join Maureen Taylor, the Photo Detective, in a solo episode where she delves into the fascinating world of tintypes. This episode covers everything from their historical emergence in 1856 to their resurgence via modern itinerant artists. Discover why tintypes remained popular through the 19th century and explore their unique characteristics, including their affordability, durability, and the fact they are made on iron, not tin. Maureen also shares insights on identifying and preserving these precious pieces of history.

Episode Highlights:

1. History and Popularity: Explore the origins of tintypes in 1856, their peak during the 1860s-1870s, and their enduring charm, attributed to their accessibility and affordability.
2. Modern-Day Revival: Learn about the resurgence of tintypes through modern itinerant artists who travel with vans equipped to produce these photographs at events, preserving the traditional methods.
3. Preservation Tips: Maureen provides expert advice on how to preserve tintypes, emphasizing the importance of proper storage and handling to prevent damage from environmental factors like humidity and sunlight.

Related Episodes:

Episode 116: America and the Tintype with Steven Kasher

Bonus Episode: Tintypes Made for Movies and Television

Links:

• Sign up for my newsletter.
• Watch my YouTube Channel.
• Like the Photo Detective Facebook Page so you get notified of my Facebook Live videos.
• Need help preserving your photos? Check out Maureen’s Preserving Family Photographs ebook
• Need help identifying family photos? Check out The Family Photo Detective ebook
• Have a photo you need help identifying? Sign up for photo consultation.

About Maureen Taylor:

Maureen Taylor, The Photo DetectiveÒhelps clients with photo related genealogical problems. Her pioneering work in historic photo research has earned her the title “the nation’s foremost historical photo detective” by The Wall Street Journal and appearances on The View, The Today Show, Pawn Stars, and others. Learn more at Maureentaylor.com

Did you enjoy this episode? Please leave a review on Apple Podcasts.

I'm thrilled to be offering something new. Photo investigations. These collaborative one-on-one sessions. Look at your family photos then you and I meet to discuss your mystery images. And find out how each clue and hint might contribute to your family history. Find out more by going to maureentaylor.com and clicking on family photo investigations.

Support the show

In this episode of The Photo Detective, host Maureen Taylor speaks with Amanda Meeks, the Community and Partnerships Manager at Permanent.org. They discuss the recent developments at Permanent.org, focusing on the Legacy Lab, a new program designed to help users create and publish public archives. The Legacy Lab includes an email course that breaks down the archiving process into manageable tasks, emphasizing legacy planning and the importance of preserving history. They also touch on the Byte for Byte program, which offers storage grants for community archiving projects, and the new gifting feature for storage.

Key Points

• Legacy Lab: An email-based course helping users create public archives; includes steps for storytelling, metadata, and legacy planning.
• Byte for Byte Program: Grants 100 GB storage to community archivists and organizations, reviewed biannually.
• Public vs. Private Archives: Users can choose to keep archives private or share them publicly; public archives support Permanent.org’s mission.
• New Features: Storage gifting and collaborative archives with designated payer accounts.
• Copyright Considerations: Users are encouraged to share materials they own the copyright for; measures in place to handle copyright issues.

Related Episodes:

Episode 184: Byte4Byte: Permanent.org’s Grant Program for Non-Profits

Episode 95: How to Save Your Family Archive on Permanent.org

Links:

• Sign up for my newsletter.
• Need help preserving your photos? Check out Maureen’s Preserving Family Photographs ebook
• Need help identifying family photos? Check out The Family Photo Detective ebook
• Have a photo you need help identifying? Sign up for photo consultation.

About My Guest:
Amanda Meeks is Permanent.org’s community and partnerships manager prior to that, she worked in academic libraries.

She’s a professionally trained librarian and an artist as well as an end-of-life doula. One of her primary responsibilities is managing the Byte4byte grant program.

About Maureen Taylor:
Maureen Taylor, The Photo DetectiveÒhelps clients with photo related genealogical problems. Her pioneering work in historic photo research has earned her the title “the nation’s foremost historical photo detective” by The Wall Street Journal and appearances on The View, The Today Show, Pawn Stars, and others. Learn more at Maureentaylor.com

Did you enjoy this episode? Please leave a review on Apple Podcasts.

I'm thrilled to be offering something new. Photo investigations. These collaborative one-on-one sessions. Look at your family photos then you and I meet to discuss your mystery images. And find out how each clue and hint might contribute to your family history. Find out more by going to maureentaylor.com and clicking on family photo investigations.

Support the show