Memory Lane Monday
Our weekly genealogy challenge ties in perfectly with Memory Lane Monday.
Here’s your weekly genealogy challenge: Label Your Family Photos
As I pondered this weeks challenge, authored by Amy Coffin of the We Tree Blog, my mind raced back a few years. When my mother passed away in the year 2000, I became acutely aware that I wanted my photos to be easily accessed. Memories of the past, accessed through photos, seem to add stability at such a time as the passing of the loved one.
I had kept some scrapbooks of children’s photos and some of my family photos in albums, but hoards of photos had been developed and quickly put in a box year after year—awaiting a “better time” to organize them into albums. By the time my father passed away in 2001, the photos had been carefully placed in matching photo albums. There was no time for chronological order, but, at least, they all had a “photo home” of their own. Labeling will be a logical next step. I’m glad I at least put them in a more retrievable place, however, because they were a source of comfort, helped us remember the good times, and were thought-provoking which stimulated gratitude in my family and friends when my father passed away.
Our weekly genealogy challenge ties in perfectly with Memory Lane Monday.
Here’s your weekly genealogy challenge: Label Your Family Photos
As I pondered this weeks challenge, authored by Amy Coffin of the We Tree Blog, my mind raced back a few years. When my mother passed away in the year 2000, I became acutely aware that I wanted my photos to be easily accessed. Memories of the past, accessed through photos, seem to add stability at such a time as the passing of the loved one.
I had kept some scrapbooks of children’s photos and some of my family photos in albums, but hoards of photos had been developed and quickly put in a box year after year—awaiting a “better time” to organize them into albums. By the time my father passed away in 2001, the photos had been carefully placed in matching photo albums. There was no time for chronological order, but, at least, they all had a “photo home” of their own. Labeling will be a logical next step. I’m glad I at least put them in a more retrievable place, however, because they were a source of comfort, helped us remember the good times, and were thought-provoking which stimulated gratitude in my family and friends when my father passed away.
After filling about 17 albums and running out of storage space, I decided to use the computer to download pictures there, label them and burn them to a disc for backup. My goal now is to select pictures from those stored on my computer and burn a family history CD to be given for Christmas gifts for family members each year. I will have a CD of pictures from October of one year to October of the next year to allow myself time to complete the CDs without pressuring myself too much before the holidays in November and December. It’s like a slideshow with titles and music. The family loves it, and I feel satisfied
that the memories will live on.
Labeling pictures can be a family affair that creates a memory of its own.
I mentioned in this weeks Examiner article that I recall some very precious moments while sitting at the small kitchen table in the quaint Utah apartment of my elderly grandmother. Going through a stack of pictures to label them so that people and places were not mistaken nor forgotten was one of the most special moments of my lifetime. Not only were the details of the pictures recorded, but the twinkle in my grandmother’s eye and the sound of her chuckle were indelibly etched in the memories of my heart. I was especially awestruck when I saw a family home made entirely of railroad ties. This added a new perspective to me when I began to understand more fully some of the conditions that existed in my
grandmother’s life and my father’s life, as well.
So, back to the challenge. At a minimum, we can label photos with first and last names, location (if known) and date or approximate date (if known). Becoming familiar with scanning devices and / or digital computer programs may be something you want to put on your genealogy “To Do” list. Give it some thought and decide what you'll do.
We owe our thanks, once again, to Amy Coffin of the We Tree Blog, for authoring these challenges.
View the entire description of this week’s challenge, by using my Examiner.com, Phoenix Genealogy Examiner link. Click here.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post from Amy Coffin. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
View the entire description of this week’s challenge, by using my Examiner.com, Phoenix Genealogy Examiner link. Click here.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post from Amy Coffin. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
