Early photography of children required a special type of skill:  photography required longer exposure times and a still subject. Agnes Ellingboe (1901-2000) related how she hated having her picture taken by her father, A. T. Ellingboe, because she was supposed to remain still.  We have many blurry photos of Agnes. 

The presence of children in photos can be extremely helpful  for identifying historic data.  By estimating the date of the children, we can estimate the date of the photo. However, an unidentified baby picture can provides few clues as to date or identity. Without specific clues such as a family heirloom necklace, baby photos often remain unidentified.