Who is The Past Matters?



Karen Wallace Steely on the roof of Dalhousie Castle outside Bonnyrigg, Scotland.
Robert Craig Wallace on the roof of Dalhousie Castle outside Bonnyrigg, Scotland.

The Past Matters®LLC is a research and consulting services firm that assists individuals and organizations with researching, organizing, and managing their genealogy, artifact, and photo history projects.
The Past Matters® is co-owned by the husband and wife team of Robert Craig Wallace and Karen Wallace Steely. Craig and Karen have lived in the Pacific Northwest for more than 20 years, and currently reside in Vancouver, Washington.

We have been in business since 2005. The Past Matters® LLC is a limited liability company registered in the state of Washington. Karen Wallace Steely is the Registered Agent. Whether your project is large or small, The Past Matters® can help you achieve your research objectives.


What We Do

We research old photographs, we teach others how to date and identify old photographs, and we share old photographs through our website and photo blog.

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We Can Help

Dating and identifying old photographs requires expertise in history of photography and clothing as well as genealogical services. At The Past Matters®, we have that expertise.

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Latest Work
Contact Us

Ask a question, schedule a seminar or workshop, request help with a photo, or enquire about one of our Rescued Photos.

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Expertise




Karen Wallace Steely is the principal researcher for The Past Matters®. She brings the following experience to her work:


  • Karen has studied the history of costume, collected vintage clothing and personally created scaled reproductions of antique hats, shoes and clothing for more than 30 years.
  • She has studied photographic history and has more than 15 years of experience in dating and identifying old photographs.
  • She has a Bachelor of Arts degree in History from the University of Missouri at Kansas City, with additional coursework in Library Science at Central Missouri State University in Warrensburg, Missouri.
  • Karen has more than 30 years experience in family history research, writing and lecturing.

A Passion for Excellence




We are passionate about uncovering the history in old photographs. The joy we find in this work comes from helping others uncover their history through photographs as much as from researching our own.

Karen Wallace Steely

Karen Wallace Steely

Karen Wallace Steely is the principal researcher for The Past Matters® and began researching her own family when she was a teenager. Karen’s experience in history, genealogy, historic clothing, and photography combine to make her uniquely qualified to assist others.

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Robert Craig Wallace

Robert Craig Wallace

Robert Craig Wallace provides on-location photographic services for The Past Matters®. Craig has training and experience in traditional 35mm photography as well as digital photography. He is able to provide high-quality, on-location tombstone, house and building photos.

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