The Chosen Families Project

20/10/2025

Do you recognize this woman? Unfortunately, all I can read on the back of this photograph is her first name being Mary. This photograph was taken by the C.J. Champa studio, which operated in the St. Cloud area in the 1930s-1960s.

16/10/2025

Do you recognize this family or are they your Ancestors? From left to right, they are noted as Ann Tragem, Jeremy, Barbara, Stella, Esther Ott, Charles and Clara Thoma, Robert Tragem, Emma Tragem, Jerry Tragem, William Tragem. They might be based out of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

13/10/2025

Do you recognize this family or are they your Ancestors? This is the family of Mark Thomas, based out of Dundas, Ontario. They likely are his mother Barbara M. (Binkley) Thomas (1809-1896) and his four children, George, Magdalena, Clara, and baby Christopher, taken sometime around 1887-1888. If you are related please contact me!

31/01/2025

I am so happy to announce that with my project The Chosen Families Project I have returned a photograph of Martha Rodman (Lambert) Schofield (1917-2012) back to their family!

She was from New Brunswick, New Jersey and this photograph was taken at her baptism in October of 1918.

You can read more about her families story here: https://www.julianrebelo.com/blog/chosen-families-project-33-martha-rodman-lambert-schofield-returned

30/12/2024

Just wanted to say THANK YOU! Thank you everyone for all your support this year and so excited what next year brings for this project!

06/12/2024

I'm Back!

Hi everyone! It has been a while, but I have some exciting news to share. I was able to return this amazing photograph of Anna Elizabeth (Fysh) Gager (1846-1895) born in Norfolk,England and her two step grandaughters Dorothy Southard (1891-1955) and Sara Southard (1893-1973). This photograph was taken in Toledo, Ohio, however, the family resided in Buffalo, New York! You can read their story here: www.julianrebelo.com/blog/chosen-families-32-the-story-of-ann-elizabeth-fysh-gager-returned

09/06/2024

Hello! I’ve been a bit busy but that doesn’t stop me finding photographs in the meantime! I was able to get this amazing haul yesterday.

The families include the Dukes, and the Holmes and Longstreet families from NJ! Will be posting updates soon!

21/04/2024

Wow! I was able to successfully identify my first tin-type photograph.

The genetlemen in the portrait is Andrew Boyer Gladfelter, who was born on the 20 Nov 1837 in York, Pennsylvania. He had passed away on the 23 Nov 1912 in York, Pennsylvania, and was a descendant of Casper Gladfeltter, who had immigrated from Switzerland in 1743 and had settled in the York County area.

I am so happy to note the photograph has been sent back to a relative who had noted him as their 2nd great grand uncle.

Here is the link to his and his families story if you'd like to read more: www.julianrebelo.com/blog/chosen-families-project-31-tin-type-of-andreas-andrew-b-glatfelter-returned

03/04/2024

Hello everyone! I am so excited to announce that with my project The Chosen Families Project, I had the incredible opportunity to interview Meryl Frank , author of "Unearthed: A Lost Actress, a Forbidden Book, and a Search for Life in the Shadow of the Holocaust."

Meryl Frank was the former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women and former Mayor of Highland Park, New Jersey. We were able to have some thoughtful discussions regarding her experience writing the book, what photographs mean to one's family story, working through communal trauma of the Holocaust, and what our duty to persevering the past means.

The interview is available on all streaming platforms now! You can read more about her work on website: https://www.merylfrank.com/.

07/03/2024

Hello everyone! Tonight at the Avon Lake Public Library I will be giving a virtually talk regarding my project and how to preserve your family legacies! Hope to see you there!

FREE Virtual Event: Discover Your Past (6-part Webinar Series)

Host: Avon Lake Public Library (ALPL) [Ohio]

Dates: Thursday
• February 8, 29
• March 7, 21
• April 25
• June 13

Time: 1 hr.
4:00 PM Pacific
5:00 PM Mountain
6:00 PM Central
7:00 PM Eastern.

Registration: https://alpl.librarymarket.com/events/upcoming?keywords=discover%20your%20past

Date: Thursday, February 8, 2024
Topic: What’s in a Name? Clues to Ethnicity and Alternative Spellings - Surname Variations and How to Use Them
Presenter: Judy Nimer Muhn

Date: Thursday, February 29, 2024
Topic: Free Online Genealogical Education
Presenter: Annette Burke Lyttle, Heritage Detective, LLC

Date: Thursday, March 7, 2024
Topic: The Chosen Families Project
Presenter: Julian Rebelo, The Chosen Families Project

Date: Thursday, March 21, 2024
Topic: 10 Must Haves for Genealogy and Family History Success
Presenter: Thomas MacEntee, Genealogy Bargains

Date: Thursday, April 25, 2024
Topic: Using Technology in Your Genealogical Research
Presenter: Rea Newell, professional genealogist

Date: Thursday, June 13, 2024
Topic: Cousin Baiting & Cousin Stalking
Presenter: Christine Cohen

https://alpl.org
https://www.facebook.com/avonlakepubliclibrary

https://alpl.librarymarket.com/events/upcoming?keywords=discover%20your%20past

09/02/2024

I am so happy to say that this beautiful wedding album has been to returned to their daughters!

So grateful for their families kindness and so happy this heirloom is back with them!

You can read my post here: https://www.julianrebelo.com/blog/chosen-families-project30-the-benson-kiley-wedding-album-returned

05/02/2024

So excited to be a part of this amazing podcast! Please check it out if you can!

In this episode of The Photo Detective Podcast, I delve into the heartwarming and intriguing world of Julian Rebello, the founder of the Chosen Families Project.

Julian, a recent graduate with a unique blend of chemistry and graphic design expertise, has embarked on a poignant mission to reunite lost photographs, documents, and letters with their rightful families. His journey, which began with a chance discovery in an antique store, has evolved into a passionate project blending genealogy, history, and storytelling.

Julian shares his experiences, challenges, and the satisfying moments of reuniting people with a piece of their history. His story is not just about preserving the past but also about connecting generations and honoring memories.

We discuss:

- Introduction to Julian Rebello and the Chosen Families Project.
- Julian’s background: Bachelor’s in Chemistry and Graphic Design, certificate from Boston University.
- Origin and evolution of the Chosen Families Project: Returning photographs, documents, and letters to families.
- The uniqueness of the project: Not just photographs, but also documents and letters.
- The first project: Wedding photographs from Mount Carmel, Pennsylvania.
- Challenges in tracing the provenance of items and ensuring they find a rightful home.
- Julian's journey into genealogy and his aspirations in forensic genetic genealogy.
- The future goals and visions for the Chosen Families Project.
- Realistic perspectives on photo and document reunions.
- Closing thoughts and appreciation for Julian's work.

Listen wherever you get your podcasts, or here: https://buff.ly/3w0y1sS