What to Do With Old Family Photos
Find out how to research, share and preserve images that offer a connection to the past
Jennifer Phelps
December 22, 2013
There’s something intriguing about poring over old photographs. Whether the photos are black and whites from the Old Country or yellow-stained images from the halcyon days of our own youth, looking at them is like peeking through a window at another world. But if you’ve inherited boxes and boxes of old photos, whether you’re a family history buff or just trying to get organized, you may find yourself asking, “Who are these people?” Well, here are some tips to help you research, share and preserve those dusty old prints.
Identifying faces and places. It can be both fascinating and frustrating to see the faces of strangers gazing back at us, piquing our curiosity about their stories and their connection to us. Often there is scant information available other than cryptic notations in an unfamiliar hand, or the faces themselves that bear a subtle or profound family resemblance. With a little sleuthing, however, you may be able to fit the pieces together.
Mix in new photographs for an updated gallery wall
Mix in new photographs for an updated gallery wall
If you know generally where the photos were taken, you may be able to contact the town library for information, and some newspapers will print old photos with a caption asking if anyone recognizes individuals or locations in the picture.
Contacting a local genealogist can be helpful, if you’re willing to pay for research. Also, joining an online site such as Ancestry.com can amplify your resources by connecting you with hundreds of people in an extended family tree.
Contacting a local genealogist can be helpful, if you’re willing to pay for research. Also, joining an online site such as Ancestry.com can amplify your resources by connecting you with hundreds of people in an extended family tree.
Finding homes for unwanted photographs. Many people feel strongly that no old photo should ever be tossed. However, if you have tons of photos but have no connection to them (or if they’re just not your thing), what can you do with them? One option is to donate them. Historical societies worldwide often accept photos, especially if you can provide information about how they came to you. It can be a point of pride for small towns across the U.S., Europe and elsewhere to see how far and wide their native sons and daughters have traveled over the course of generations.
Hold a photo party. A wonderful way to bring people together, share photos and learn a little more is to hold a photo party. Invite family and longtime members of the community to peruse boxes, piles or albums of photos placed around the room and just let people mingle and remember. Have a notepad near each stack and ask guests to share what they know. Send each person home with a small box of treasured photos or create a scanned album of favorites to share online.
Crafty fun with photos. Gift shops sell wonderful (and expensive) art made from old photos, so why not make your own? Use decoupage or resin to create playful collages for walls, tabletops or just about anything you want to kitsch up. Arranging photographs under glass on a tabletop or desktop would allow you to enjoy multiple photos at once but change them out as the mood strikes.
Commemorate anniversaries and birthdays with vintage images in frames or make easy, classy pendants and key chains using diamond glue to paste images behind clear glass tiles.
Ornaments made with retro snapshots are a playful way to memorialize family traditions.
Ornaments made with retro snapshots are a playful way to memorialize family traditions.
Label, label, label. Remember to permanently label images with the names, dates, locations and relationships you’ve discovered. If you’re the keeper of the family photos, do this now so your children aren’t left to do it all themselves.
Sort photos in storage bins and boxes
Sort photos in storage bins and boxes
If you’ve already scanned your photos to a digital format, remember that it’s just as important to include full notations on digital images as it is on hard-copy images, or all your efforts and expense will be for naught when they’re viewed by people without knowledge of your family’s history.
From sleuthing to sharing, there are many ways to enjoy historical images. With a little time and creativity now, your photographs can be treasured for generations to come.
Declutter once and for all with help from a professional organizer
More: Help for Whittling Down the Photo Pile
Declutter once and for all with help from a professional organizer
More: Help for Whittling Down the Photo Pile
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Patricia Carswell is on the money: graphite pencils in a soft lead for annotating the backs of photos. It's archival.
I love to use old family photos and souvenirs in decor. They add such character to the space. Thanks for your article on the subject.
As far as storage and labeling, scrapbooking supply and craft stores have storage options for "archival" preservation. Scotch tape, sticky "magnetic" albums, and ink are some of the worst insults to a photo. So are mice...my great grandmother's family Bible got chewed on by the little monsters while tucked away in a relative's closet or attic!
Also, please don't hog the photos. With modern scanners and email, all our kith and kin can get a quality image of Grandpa in uniform without damaging the original or the family relationship.