Buying your first home is always special, but for Amy Seder, 36, the charming house she and her husband acquired in 2022 unexpectedly held a remarkable familial connection.
When Seder's mother delved into the family archives and uncovered a treasure trove of vintage photographs one in particular caught their eye—a picture of Seder's grandfather in 1932, standing proudly in front of a house that bore an uncanny resemblance to her own.
"It's like stepping back in time, connecting the past to the present," Seder told Newsweek. "I couldn't believe how similar the houses looked."
Having seen a few family photos in the past, Seder was prompted to begin tracing her family's roots. The first significant clue was when she uncovered her great-grandparent's address from the 1930s—located less than a mile from her current home in central Los Angeles.
Living in a home built in 1925 already felt special, but as she delved deeper into her family history, Seder's sense of connection to the city and her ancestors grew stronger.
"I knew that my family had been in Los Angeles for many generations, but I didn't know any details of where before the 1950s," she said. "It does make me feel more connected to the city and building my permanent life here—I grew up in the area but spent close to 10 years living in New York."
Meticulously piecing together her family history, Seder uncovered an address close, but not identical, to her own. "Most likely this is not the same house; I cannot confirm one way or another," she explained. "But if not ours, it is likely built by the same architect."
Despite the subtle differences between the vintage photograph and her current residence, Amy's story gained unexpected traction when she shared it on her TikTok @amyseder.
A video featuring the restored photo, along with others from the collection, garnered widespread interest and over 11 million views on the video sharing app.
"[It] surprised me the most was how interested so many people are in these vintage photos and my work with them," Seder said. "I had so many inquiries for prints and suggestions to make them into a book or gallery show."
Beyond the reaction online, she explained that she is thrilled to have a new-found connection to her family.
"They connect me to family members I never had the chance to meet, and after losing much of my father's family history in the 2017 Thomas fire, having this abundance from my mother's side feels like a precious gift," said the homeowner.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Alice Gibbs is a Newsweek Senior Internet Trends & Culture Reporter based in the U.K. For the last two years ... Read more
