EXIF to the Rescue

A modern digital camera ensures that every picture contains some hidden data. It contains information in a format known as an Exchangeable Image File. This includes all sorts of useful bits such as camera type, aperture size and shutter speed. In the future, it'll most likely contain GPS data to make identifying outdoor locations a snap. More importantly for historians, as long as the device's time is set correctly, there's a date and time stamp too!

I have managed to begin scanning old photos so they can be stored online at A Box in the Attic on my Flickr account. The unfortunate thing is almost none of these pictures have date information. It's no problem if it's from a specific vacation, as I can check my records for the month and year. I've discovered that most can be problematic though.



Until my job here, I had taught in Dubai the longest. I arrived in the UAE in August 1991 and left in June 1996. My photos, during these years, were never organized. None have a printing date or handwritten information on the reverse side. The scan above is a good example. I know it was a party with college staff but I haven't a clue as to the exact year!