FAMOUSUNCLEART

My passport photograph shows me without a beard, but I have one now. I wasnt questioned about it, but the screeners looked very carefully at me.

I wondered what happened before photography. How did the ordinary person whos were travelling, even for vacations, identified? Did they have a person of authority describe the person giving birthmarks, etc.

I googled passport, photos, before photograpy, etc got no answer.

It sounds minor but I am curious.

Any legitmate answers, please.

Ryan

Maybe this will help answer your question:

http://www.ppt.gc.ca/passport_office/history_e.asp

elle

I'm not sure about middle-class and poor people, but the nobility would carry their court portraits with them everywhere.

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Patrick

I'll never forget years ago when my partner and I were going through the experimental mustache thing. On my passport photo I had a mustache, but I had shaved it off. My partner's photo didn't, but he now had one. We gave our passports at the airline check-in. She looked at our pictures, then switched passports, comfirming we were who we said we were. Funny thing was she matched the wrong photo to the wrong face as if a mustache is all that identified us.

And to answer the original question, cavemen used to have to carry a big stone tablet with their picture scratched on the surface with another sharp rock. Unfortuantely they usually had to pay extra for their overweight luggage.

Intrepid1

But that was only when they flew on RyanAir!!!!!

Clifton

LOL elle. Bet that frame was hard to get back in the money belt.

<i>I wondered what happened before photography. How did the ordinary person whos were travelling, even for vacations, identified</i>

Probably by the person standing next to her going, &quot;a yup, that's him awright&quot;.

I have no idea, but I suspect there was less reason for ID in those days. No cars, no mass crime sprees, and very few vacations except by the lengthy ones by the very wealthy (and they all mostly knew of each other.)

Think about how many people came through Ellis island and their family name was changed by the authorities because of spelling mistakes, choice or lack of caring. Because almost no one had even a piece of paper saying who they were, much less something on it to prove it. Seems so strange now though, to think of living without a couple of little documents.

rex

No &quot;ordinary people&quot; traveled... for &quot;vacations&quot;... before photography.

Best wishes,

Rex

elaine

two threads are going on this, here's the other one
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34550665