Read your ancestors' old handwriting in letters and records
Archive letters in 1850s cursive became readable enough to follow the finer details.
A picture made with AI to show the idea.
Your prompt
Attach a clear photo first, then paste the prompt with it.
Fill in your details. Skip any you like.
ChatGPT and Claude open with your prompt already typed in. Gemini can't be filled in from a link, so its button copies your prompt: paste it into the new chat.
The prompt that gets copied
This is a photo of an old handwritten [DOCUMENT TYPE, e.g. family letter from about 1880]. Transcribe it line by line exactly as written, keeping the original spelling. When you can't read a word with confidence, give your best guess in parentheses with a question mark. Then: 1) explain old abbreviations, terms, money or units in plain words, 2) give a modern, easy-to-read version, 3) list every name, place and date mentioned so I can add them to the family tree, 4) tell me which parts to photograph again more closely.
Photograph an old letter, diary or record in faded cursive. AI transcribes it, marks words it can't read, explains old terms and gives you a plain modern version.
Step by step
- Photograph each page flat in good light, one page per photo.
- Upload a page and paste the prompt.
- Compare the names and dates in the transcript with the original.
What you'll get
A careful transcript, a modern version, explained terms and a list of names, places and dates.
- Made for
- Everyone
- Works in
- ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude
