The Clues Hiding in Family Letters and Postcards

Image created by ChatGPT 5.2, 8 Feb 2026.

What letters and postcards can tell us

Official records show what happened. Correspondence often reveals what life was actually like.
Family letters and postcards can reveal:

• relationships between family members
• nicknames and familiar forms of address
• maiden names and in-laws
• migration and travel patterns
• addresses and workplaces
• births, marriages, illnesses, and deaths
• everyday life details that never appear in official records

A postcard might show someone in a city on a certain day. A letter could explain why a family moved, describe a new job, or mention relatives you’ve never heard of.
 
Even a few lines of writing can add important pieces to your family story.
 

Where to look for family correspondence

Start close to home.
Many families still have letters and postcards stored in:

• attics and basements
• photo albums and scrapbooks
• memory boxes and old trunks
• greeting card collections
• recipe boxes or desk drawers

Ask relatives. There’s often one person in each family who keeps everything — photographs, documents, and letters. You might be surprised by what appears when you ask.
 
Correspondence can also be found in:

• local archives and historical societies
• military service files
• manuscript collections
• estate sales and antique markets
• digital collections online

But the most important collections are often still in private hands.
 

Reading correspondence like a genealogist

When you look at letters and postcards as research sources, you start to see them differently.
Ask questions like:

• Who wrote this?
• Who received it?
• Where was it sent from?
• What events are mentioned?
• What clues appear in the postmark or address?

 
Look for:

• names and relationships
• locations and travel references
• occupations and workplaces
• mentions of neighbours, friends, or relatives

Even small details can become important clues later.
 
Letters and postcards capture something that’s rarely seen in genealogical research: personality.
They show humour, worry, affection, and everyday life. They remind us that our ancestors were not just names in records; they were people who wrote home, stayed in touch, and shared their lives through the mail.
That’s why correspondence is important in family history.
 
This week, try one small step:

• ask a relative about old letters or postcards
• look through one storage box or album
• scan one piece of correspondence
• write down the story connected to it

Family history often begins with a single document, and sometimes, that document is a letter.
You never know what story is waiting inside an envelope.

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Want to explore this topic further?

This topic is also available as a webinar presentation for genealogical societies and family history groups. In the presentation, I walk through real examples of letters, postcards, and telegrams and show how to analyze them for genealogical evidence.

If your society is looking for a practical, engaging program, visit my webinar speaker page.

 

© Copyright by Kathryn Lake Hogan, 2026. All Rights Reserved.