I hope to learn how to determine (approximately) when a picture was taken and/or developed.
I have a few boxes of photos to be scanned but prior to doing so I would like to be able to have a better idea of the date — or at least year — they were taken, and then scan and take note.
The vast majority were taken in the early to late 90s. Prior to affordable point and shoot digital cameras, developers began to compete with the local Kodak developer via mail-away service. Then came the local drug store offering CD with hard copy prints. However, most of the pictures do not have any clear id for dates on the back of the photos. A few are completely empty of any info ... so that's out (unless there is info on the negatives I can look to) but most have some imprint of their own code: a combination of numbers, symbols, and letters but nothing I have been able to figure out from my own memory of when they were taken. I have asked the local shops, but those who work there have no history of pre-digital cameras.
If I recall correctly even the pre–mail-service developers printed the develop date, not actually when the photo was taken — and that is fine. I just need to flesh out a few years on some of these ... e.g. was that summer of 95, 96, 97?