Where would I find my birth photo & thumb/foot print that was taken at birth in 1967?

Question

I'm searching for a copy of the photo & thumb/foot print that was taken when I was born in 1967 at Harper Hospital. I have tried calling the hospital a couple of times - but no luck. Just keep getting transfered to another office. Thanks in advance!

Answer 1

The thumb and footprint would be part of your medical record and your mother's medical record. But there's no reason to believe that they'll have copies of those records after 30 years. If it's Harper Hospital in Detroit, I'm very sure they don't have the records...Michigan only requires them to be kept for 25 years after discharge.

The photo will be impossible to get. They are taken by an independent photography company that comes in every other day or so to take photos and are taken back to their studio for developing. Back when mothers were kept in the hospital for 4-6 days after giving birth, it was no problem to return finished photos to the mother before discharge. These days, with nearly drive-thru deliveries, the photos are usually mailed a week after they're taken. It's almost impossible to figure out who had the contract 40 years ago, and even harder to believe they'd still have the negatives.

If your mother or another relative doesn't have them, I'm afraid it's not likely you'll be able to get them. The ONLY hope I can give you is that if you contact the Vital Records office of the state where you were born, it's possible they could give you the part of the birth certificate with the footprint (that part is usually not reproduced when you get a copy of your birth certificate because there never used to be copy machines). I'm not sure what the odds are, but it's a longshot.

Answer 2

Your state must have a general registry of births. If anywhere, you will find what you're looking for there.