ANCESTRY TIPS

Animate Your Ancestors

Welcome to the world of retro reality

Welcome to the world of retro reality. And meet my 3rd great-grandmother, Ellen (Nelligan) Murphy, who was born in Ireland in 1832.

MyHeritage announced its Deep Nostalgia tool which allows you to animate photos (also available as an app). It doesn’t work for all photos, but succeeds with many, and is simultaneously weird and wonderful. Pro Tip: When it’s your own ancestor, you might find yourself unexpectedly emotional, so consider starting with ancestors you didn’t know personally.

Want another example? Here’s Barack Obama’s 3rd great-grandfather — also an Irish immigrant — Fulmoth Kearney (born in 1830), along with a side-by-side with his famous descendant.