"You've Inherited Family Photographs. Now What?"
After my grandparents passed away, we had the awful task of
sorting through the heaps of things they had collected over the
years. Among the many boxes of "treasures" I discovered, were
countless boxes of photographs. Old, yellowing photographs,
neglected in the attic, deprived of a safe environment, yet so
meaningful to my grandparents. I decided then and there that I
would create an album to preserve my family's heritage. But, as
I began to sort the photos, I realized that though there were
many photos of my immediate family, there were double the amount
of photographs where I didn't recognize a soul.
What started out as an endearing project was now becoming more
daunting by the minute. I put everything back in the boxes and I
walked away from the mess. The boxes remained safe in my closet
for months, even years (I confess). Yet, every time I would go
into my closet, I would feel the pang of guilt: I am
contributing to the slow death those photos.
For anyone who has been in my shoes, receiving heritage photos
can be a double-edged sword. While inheriting these treasures
can stir many sentimental emotions, at the same time, you may
feel like you are burdened by the task of doing something with
them. It has taken me a long time to realize that whatever I do,
no matter how small, will be an improvement over what has been
done to these precious photographs over the years. Even if all I
do is transfer them to a safe environment, one that is
acid-free, lignin-free, PVC-free, their longevity will increase
tremendously.
I will share with you a few tips that I discovered while
beginning my sorting process:
"Don't Know 'Em,Toss Them..." First of all, I got rid of any
photographs where I couldn't recognize a person, place or thing
of importance to me. I knew there was no one around who could
help me identify these photos so I chose to release them. That
alone, decreased my pile tremendously. (As a side note: If you
can't bear the thought of throwing these old photos away, how
about creating some beautiful, one-of-a-kind cards? That way
you'll be releasing the photographs into the hands of a
deserving friend through a kind note. )
The next thing I did was to purge any photos that had visible
and irreparable damage. Over the years, many of the photos had
become so dark or brittle that they weren't worth keeping. It is
a shame to see this but feel good in knowing that if you are
reading this, you are taking the steps to prevent further damage
to the photos that have survived. Some photos that may be
brittle but still recognizable could be colored copied onto
acid-free paper.
After I had done all of my purging, I created categories for
which I would streamline my sorting. For instance, I had
pictures of my grandfather as a baby, as a young adult, while he
was in school, playing football, courting my grandmother, their
marriage, the birth of their only son, my father, and so
on....Their story began to unfold. Here was their legacy and my
heritage. I knew I had to save it.
I created file folders with each category and lined each with
acid-free paper. I also created hang file folders with the same
categories, which I placed in a plastic file tote with a cover.
As I sorted through the mounds of photographs, I filed them into
their appropriate category. I also took some time to jot down
notes and stories that I remembered my grandparents sharing with
me.
It feels great to have them all sorted and stored in a safe
environment.
I have begun to scrapbook these photographs chronologically. I
haven't completed the book yet but I know that the photos and
memorabilia are now in a safe environment while I am undertaking
this project. I am guilt-free and even if they never make it
into a scrapbook, they will still survive the test of time.
Excerpted from their e-book "Save Your Photos and Your
Sanity: How to Organize and Safeguard Your Entire Photograph
Collection...in as little as 10 days, without losing your
mind!"