Family History Today: Using Facial Recognition Tools to Identify Unnamed Ancestors

In contrast to vital records, family photos do not impart clear, standardized information and have always posed a genealogical challenge. In 2019, amateur genealogist and data scientist Scott Genzer developed a technique for using free online facial recognition tools to identify people in photographs, and has successfully applied it to historical photos of the Jewish community of his ancestral town, Mielec, Poland, among others. In this presentation, he will offer a detailed demonstration of this technique and explain how it may help you break through some of your genealogical brick walls. This program was sponsored by the Ackman & Ziff Family Genealogy Institute. It was supported, in part, by a major grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities: Exploring the Human Endeavor and by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council.

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