Did YOU know this?!!! Starting out with a brand new iMac.

Did you log into iCloud by any chance?

Oh, and you can delete them.

Safari bookmarks probably picked up from you signing in with your Apple ID. Your pristine enough not bringing over all your older programs , etc. If you really wanted to start all over pristine then a new Apple ID. That for me would be a pita.

Pretty much the whole point of iCloud - syncing stuff between your devices.

Photos and iPhoto are 2 different programs, what is correct for one is not necessarily correct for the other. What really matters is which one you are using, is it as you said iPhoto, or is it Photos.

If you are (as it sounds) using Photos your photographs are indeed in iCloud, on the other hand if you are using iPhoto they are not.

iPhoto was what you said, we cant see your Mac so are forced to accept what you say.

I am very very sorry to hear of your loss, it must have been very difficult for you.

I am reluctant to talk about Danny but I am happy to report that he is doing fine, currently appearing onstage in Shanghai, occasionally I get to see his FaceBook page 🙂

Once more I am sorry for your loss. And thanks for the music.

but DID understand iPhoto!

iPhoto has nothing to do with iCloud...

You failed to understand that iPhoto has nothing to do with iCloud.

Also, Photos uses the iCloud Photo Library as a sharing mechanism. It's not storage. Delete a photo from your Mac and it will also be deleted from the Cloud.