View Full Version : this family photos project is gonna kill me
For 2 years I've been "working" on the huge pile of photos from my mother, but the "work" has been only during the month of January. You all have heard about this project in past years but I'm sure that no one remembers. Why should you!:)
I swear by all that is holy I will be completing this freekin' project by January 31, 2011.
I am disgusted by the photo album choices in the stores. They are useless. I bought some "photo corners" to affix photos to plain paper, and while I don't hate that option, the bendable paper puts stress on the photos.
So--I've decided to caption each photo and place them in a box for each recipient. I think the photos will be better preserved there.
See, I've got photos from the great great generation back and those are rare. We even know everyone's name!
My great aunt dated Carl Sandburg while in college around 1910 - 1915. I had forgotten that piece of family lore. There was a notice in the society column of the Des Moines newspaper that made reference to that. And coincidentally, the Des Moines Public Library chose to highlight that very column in their random facts blog recently which I just found yesterday. I've got her big platinum and diamond engagement ring, something a poor poet couldn't have given her. She kicked that guy to the curb for a successful attorney. Way to go auntie!
One of my cousins has a child from whom he is estranged. This female child is an artist with a web site. She makes egg art pieces. I am fascinated by her because I was obsessed with eggs when in my teens and I spent several years creating egg art as well. The egg shape is fascinating and beautiful. It's in our genes. I don't know if I should send her a family artifact, or not, in addtion to photos.
...just random report...
rosarugosa
1-10-11, 8:07pm
Irislily: I use those shoebox sized photoboxes, and organize my pictures by year. I've been trying to help my Mom corral hers for years - she has pictures everywhere! including some inherited tintypes that really shouldn't be lying around in piles of clutter. (Which begs the question of what should be?)
It's interesting how with the digital camera age and camera phones, a lot less gets actually printed/developed. I read an interesting article in the Boston Globe about the unfortunate implications for future historians, archivists, descendants, etc.
I am disgusted by the photo album choices in the stores. They are useless. I bought some "photo corners" to affix photos to plain paper, and while I don't hate that option, the bendable paper puts stress on the photos.
S
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I did not like purchased photo albums either. Both for price and shapes. I mounted the photos on card stock either with corners or glue stick if I was less fussy. Then I used those clear page sleeves and then I put them all in 8 1/2 x 11 three inch binders. I did some journaling, some collages, and some plain. I did 20 years worth and it took me several years. I was SICK of it when I got done. But what a relief.
i like your stories --wonderful that you have so much history.
I hate the choices of photo albums available now, also. I have always used the kind with "magnetic pages", a sticky page covered with a thin plastic layer. But I've found that my oldest albums, from the late-70's and 80's, have started to yellow around the edges and I don't know if the photos will be damaged eventually. And lately, I haven't been able to find the magnetic page albums, except for a cheapo one at Wal-mart, that has such thin plastic over the pages that half the time it rips when I try to peel it. I don't like the ones with pocket pages, because I like to have pages with different sizes and shapes of photos on them. I've thought about switching to scrapbook pages but wasn't sure how to attach the photos. I like to have the option of taking a picture out of the album or moving it later.
I agree that because of digital photography, a lot of photos will be lost because they're never printed, or put on a medium that won't be used in the future. I do like to be able to take a zillion pictures without worrying about using up the film, but I like to look at my photos in an album rather than only on the computer.
When I was a kid my Grandma sat me down at the table with photo albums and massive quantities of family photos. I spent several weeks each summer at her place filling the albums with the photos she had organized a certain way.
Smart Grandma saw cheap labor in her grandkid =P Now that I'm an adult I know I won't have to worry about a family photo "mess" to inherit :)
If you know what kind of photo album you want, I'll bet you could get someone on etsy to make it for you. If not for your other family members, then just for yourself. Then just tell your family where to get a nice album.
I hope you have written down all these wonderful family stories to go with the pictures. Future generations would be grateful I'm sure.
If you care about photos you have in the magnetic albums, you really do need to switch them over. The magnetic albums will DESTROY your photos.
iris lily
1-14-11, 10:07pm
It was worthwhile posting this because you all convinced me to give up the stupid photo albums and just do boxes. And you are right! It will be simpler, and the receipients can then do whatever they like with the photos, frame them, keep them in the box, etc.
But I'm tno talking about a big big box here, just a medium size ones and maybe I will pre-sort of groups them in envelopes.
iris lily
1-14-11, 10:09pm
rosa, that's what my mom's pile of photos were, lots of junky contmeporary ones, some older ones, and then a few rare precious pre-1910 ones. doh.
Get them out of the pile before something happens to them, and get them labeled! Tahs' my advice because I didnt' do that and it's taken a long time to figure out whoe the old relatives were.
I feel your pain. This is only my second year (aka January)...last year I went through every old album/boxes of mine/my parents/my inlaws and made for a lots of pictures that had all been just thrown in boxes.
The albums were 4 that I had started as a new wife and mother but they end when our oldest was 5 years of age....
My thought was to make everyone kids/grandkids/nieces/Dsil/Sisters all an ablum for this Christmas...lol like that happened
I got as far as throwing out photos of scenery/ones with the heads cut off/ones with people looking really bad. That took a couple of weeks last Jan and then I put them away and never looked at them again.
Okay I have 2 weeks left to start the project again will keep you up to date.
The plan is to do the sort by years or maybe to be honest I have no idea but I too like the idea of a box for each of them.
How did we take so many pictures of those kids when we had no money..lol
iris lily
1-23-11, 12:15pm
This post is to keep me on track.
On of the amusing things I find in this pile of old family photos is my dad's handwriting on the back of a few listing the name of the person in the photo.
The reason it's funny is that it is NOT his side of the famaily! ha ha. I love my father. He was careful and organized and I can just see him saying: we've got to get these photos labeled for our kids. Why don't I just do that right now and later you (to my mother) can put them in an album. Which of course she never did (that's fine!) just label the damn things, mom.!
here's a weird coincidence: Yesterday I was ready to pick up the phone to call a distant relative, the last of the generation who would know the first name of his grandfather. As I was looking up his phone number, the mail arrived. There was a letter form his wife saying that he had moved to an assisted living facility due to his Alzheimer's disease getting that bad. So, I won't get info from that ancient relative! What a relief, I can stop. I know that any young relatives who wishes to find out the name of this great grandfather can use census data.
And it was also interesting that his wife mentioned that the cause of his Alzheimer's was "a fall he took on the ski slopes 7 years ago." Ok, whatever, but the cause of his Alhiemers' is his genes, it is rampant in our family.
I took about 20 of the best family photos, had them scanned only a CD, and then printed a few copies for everyone. The total cost of this project will be about $200 - $250.00.
I can see the end.:cool::cool::cool::cool:
This is a very interesting thread that has got me thinking! (a dangerous thing :~))
I have some photos in albums with the plastic covers that you peel back, place the photo and replace the plastic. I have noticed that if you ever want to remove those photos after many years, you can forget it. When you try to peel back the plastic it ruins the photo. Also, the plastic yellows over time.
I have some other photos that are just loose and now I am thinking that perhaps that is the way to go. If I put them in a photo box and label the backs of them, they will probably stay in better shape in the long run. Each box can be labelled with year, or subject or whatever.
I agree that while digital cameras are great for convenience, etc. they will be the death of historical photos for future generations just because so many of them are never printed. As a local historian, I relish old photos and get very excited every time a new one surfaces.
One thing people should remember before you get rid of old photos that you think aren't important - Always look at what is in the background!!! Is there a building or something that might not be there in 100 years or so? Many of the historic photos I deal with are special, not because of the people in them, but because of the buildings, etc. in the background.
When talking with an oldtimer as I went through his collection, he commented that he couldn't even remember many of the people in the photos and some were his grandfather's photos from the early 1900's. His collection was full of fantastic shots of old towns and buildings (all in the background). He was amazed when I gathered them all up and eagerly took them away to digitize just for the backgrounds! So before you throw your pictures away, take a closer look at the background please. Your local historians will love you for saving them.
Gak. I have about 8' of albums, folders, envelopes, daguerreotypes, tintypes, negatives and thumbnails spanning 125 years. Plus cards and letters and playbills and ticket stubs and diary entries and travel brochures and postcards and locks of hair. DH has another 5' worth. Every time I look at this I hope for a nice house fire. My hat's off to you for digging in, this is the last and toughest holdout of clutter I have.
This afternoon I gathered all of the "artifacts" to divide and send off with the photos. I've got:
1 blanket -The great grandfather's blanket that he took with him when he rode off to war when he was the "youngest volunteer in the Civil War" (this last bit from my grandmother, but it is not remotely true, and the guy didn't even see combact.
1 quilt from a great grandmother--it is in tatters
3 quilts from a grandmother--they are in perfect condition
5 silver spoons, either travel souvenirs or engraved with significant dates
a few little decorative items
a cameo ring
a gold locket
But I am keeping 2 quilts, a set of Victorian earrings, and a big diamond ring. The ring I will pass on to someone, someday.
iris lily
1-25-11, 10:13am
Hattie, you are so right about the buildings in the background. They can be interesting! But then, I love Victorian architecture. I was peering into the photo with my great-granmother, trying to see what building was in the background and would I recognize it? No luck.
AGreed that the peel-back covers ruin photos. But I have only my own photos in them. I won't be passing those on to anyeone. I don't have children, no one to burden with these collection! ha ha ha. Really, it is a relief that I don't have to worry about the archival state of my own photographs.
iris lily
1-25-11, 10:20am
This discussion reminds me of a photo album I have. I am paralyzed when I look at it. I can't toss it. I can't GIVE it to anyone. I found it in the dumpster behind my house and it is the photo album of my friend and neighbor who was killed by her husband. Originally when I picked it out of the dumpster I didn't know what I'd do with it--well, I had an idea--I'll tell you in a minute--but over the last decade this has not been made clear to me.
Often, with time, I get clarity in a situation. Not with this one.
Her relatives threw it away, so it's not as though I can send it to them. At one time, early on, I thought that I might give it to her husband when he gets out of jail, he might want it. But now, I think not. I don't know if he's still in jail anyway.
So there it lies, in a drawer in an unused bureau.
My aunt sent me a box of photos from my late great uncle. He was widowed very young and never re-married, had no children. I open the box and was overwhelmed by the volume of photos. It sat in my closet for several years. Mocking me everytime I looked at it. When would I ever have time for such a project?
Then one day, I looked at a few of them, took out a 1/2 dozen or so of my favorites had them copied - then sealed up the box and took it to work. By 3:00pm the UPS man took the box - back to my aunt.
You don't know what kind of burden that took off my shoulders. While we have book and books of photos, rarely do I ever look at them. And I have gotten to the age that when I look at baby pictures of our three daughters - I can't tell them apart. They all looked cute...!
iris lily
1-29-11, 10:55am
Greg, love that story about sending them back. Isn't it interesting how all of us are feeling so tormented by these blasted photos?!!!!!
iris lily
1-29-11, 11:03am
January 29 report: I was to have finished this project by Jan 31. Not gonna happen, but I"m getting close to the end.
Late yesterday I purchased the boxes that will hold these photos. Then I had the brilliant--BRILLIANT I TELL YOU!!!--idea to sort them into generations. And so, I have an envelope for the great grandparents & their generation, another envelope for the grandparents and their generation, a 3rd envelope for our parents and their generation, and one for our generation. There is one lone woman, a Cameron by marriage, who is the sole representative of her generation, a great great grandmother and I do not know her name. By "envelope" I mean large manilla envelope that just fits nicely into these boxes.
iris lily
1-29-11, 11:09am
After living with these !@#@#$!**! photos for so many years, I am experiencing a twinge of loss at their impending departure. I will have some copies of the key ones, but I like the original artifact. Our grandmother was beautiful. Neither my mom or I got her looks. I love the photos of her as a young girl and young woman.
I also LOVE LOVE LOVE the box idea. I urge anyone who is focused on putting old photos in "albums"--Don't Do It! Free youself by putting them in an attractive box. They take up far less room than stuffed into albums.
I got these boxes at Michael's craft store and there were about $13 each. They are not archival quailty. The envelopes I'm using are not archival quaility, either. I don't care.
My fabulous, wonderful Mom has been working on the huge amount of family photos for several years now. She's 83, and quite computer savvy. She hired a local guy with a scanner and a small business to scan all the photos, and then give her the discs. She found an online book publishing program, and a local person who is a beta tester for it, and put together a sample book to test fonts & how photos show up.
When that came back, she decided to put together a bigger book with her design choices, and she works on it in between taking care of my Dad & the rest of life... she is amazing.
redfox, your mother's eventual product will be lovely! It would be great is most of us had this coming our way.
Now that I tink about it, I remember sitting down with my mom one day about 12 years ago to attack the photos. She would not throw any of them away. I would not work on a project whereby I had to touch things again and agan, never to toss anything. So, we stubborn people were at a stalemate.
As I think about it now, I --perhaps--could have pursuaded her to put really old, fragile, and interesting photos in an entirely separate pile from the 280 photos of her cats,most of them fuzzy, and the 327 photos of catus in the dessert. The first pile I want for preservation, and the others--enh, let her keep them. Exceptp that she want ed ME to organize and probably take them.
rosarugosa
1-29-11, 5:51pm
IrisLily: I've instituted a family rule that if Mom offers you something, you take it. You don't have to keep it, but you are helping the cause if you get it out of her house!
That is excellent strategy, rosa.
Done done done! This project is DONE!!!!!!!!!!! This afternoon I mailed off 3 boxes to children of my cousins. Those kids will now have the burden of maintaining (or not--it's their choice!) family photos and artifacts. The entire project--scanning, reprinting select photos, buying supplies, mailing, cost around $300. I am SO finished with this d*amned thing!
I will confess that, against all reasonable advice, I washed The Family Artifact which was covered with cat hair after being in my house for 20 years. The Family Artifact is great grandfather's civil war blanket. That was a mistake. Much of the linen backing is now flaking off though the wool woven part is fine.Do not yell at me, please!!!!
My aunt came through at the last minute today, providing, via email, some imprtant family history. I included that info and sent it off in the mail.
I am finished!
I am drinking celebratory glass(es) of wine and I am certain that our alcoholic great grandfather, the one who is missing from all family photos because his wife kicked him to the curb, would join me if he could! ha ha.
I am actively planning for my own family photos to be sent to the dumpster when I die. I don't have children and no one needs to be burdoned with these photos.
Congradulations Iris Lily that is an amazing feat I wish I was anywhere near the end. But, I have decided that they are all going in boxes one for each person or group of persons. That is a much better idea then the albums let them all decide what they want to do with them...
Congradulations Iris Lily that is an amazing feat I wish I was anywhere near the end. But, I have decided that they are all going in boxes one for each person or group of persons. That is a much better idea then the albums let them all decide what they want to do with them...
danna, I hereby bequeath this thread to you. Now it's about YOU and YOUR family photo project. Go with it! Keep plugging away.
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