OLD FAMILY PHOTOS

Don D · February 2005

Yesterday I was paged up front to find an 86 year old man claiming to be my daddy's first cousin, my second. We sat on the couch in the lobby and he showed me two ancient photo albums, leather bound, worn and tattered, with hundreds of photos pasted onto black pages. They were photos of my dad as a baby and his parents and relatives and old A-models and people in wagons and buggies and partying in Bonnie & Clyde outfits and waving flags at football games and sitting in toy wagons and on old tricycles. There were pictures of my dad's early birthday parties, dead relatives whose names I had heard, my grandmother at age eleven with pigtails two feet long, but not braided and the grandfather whom I barely remember whose pictures I had never seen. Many of these photos must be a hundred years old. I asked him if I could borrow the books for the night. He said, 'They're yours. I brought them to you'. This is about the strangest thing I've ever experienced.

We have thousands of pictures of our kids and our family but had almost none of the prior people. Never throw away pictures and take lots of them. x:-)

marc · February 2005

That's a great story!

That's why my wife says, "If we ever have a fire, save the photo albums first."

When my grandmother died (a year to the day from my grandfathers death), she left behind an attic full of these types of photos. Most were just piled up randomly in boxes. Very few with any notation of who or when. My Mom and Dad and I used to spend hours looking through them trying to determine who they were and how they might be connected with the family.

It is an excellent way to spend some time with my folks, reminiscing about those times and people.

Thanks for the reminder.

HRinNH · February 2005

That's awesome...how on earth did he find you at work. I have a few old photos of my mom's family but just a few. Some day I may put them into a scrap book while my mom can still tell me who they all are. Have fun getting to know your family!!

Cheryl C.

ray a · February 2005

If he was your dad's first cousin, I believe he would be your first cousin once removed. His children would be your second cousins.

LindaE · February 2005

I went up to Virginia last month to spend time with my dad while his wife had major surgery. He gave me two framed photos he just didn't have room for - one is a group shot of my maternal grandmother's family - she was the only grandparent I knew, about 12 in that photo. The other was my first grade class photo, a big 8 x 10, that my mom had saved. I look at that picture and giggle, but my husband adores it and has put it on a wall in the den! Ugh! We too have tons of old photos, and with Mom gone, we have no idea who most of the people are, but I feel strange kinship when I look through them and wonder who they were. Don, what a trip - those books you received are priceless.

E Wart · February 2005

YEA! Ray, I am so glad that you understand this. I have the hardest time trying to explain this to folks and have more arguments about it.

I love to trace geneology and it makes sense when you look at it on paper.

E Wart

Whatever · February 2005

Last year, my sister had the old 8mm pictures from the 30's, 40's and 50's converted to VCR tape. Then, we had my parents record what the pictures were about and who was in them and added it to the tapes.

This year, my brother read old pictures into the computer and printed them out (some of these pictures were brought here from Russia-Poland and include my great grandparents and one includes a great great grandfather). Now, we have my parents talk into a tape recorder and tell us what the picture is about, who is in it. We also sent these pictures to a first cousin of my father and my maternal uncle and asked them to reminisce.

Don D · February 2005

Great work! You'll never be sorry. It's really tragic to have a photo of a man or woman back a hundred years ago and you know they are a key member of the family but do not have a clue who they are and have no way to find out. Someone will look at a picture of us one day and have that same thought.

lorrie · February 2005

Don,
What an awesome experience for you! Thank you for sharing.

Shelby

DeidreFR5 · February 2005

My last grandparent died when I was five. Last summer I was helping my father clean out his sister's house. I kept picking up pictures and asking who they were - I thought my father was going to cry when he realized I didn't know what my grandparents looked like. I wish my aunt had shown them to me when I was growing up and could have identified the family.

E Wart · February 2005

What a treasure. Try to find someone in your family who might have known these folks and write their name on the back (and date and event if known). Get a pen that is made for this or made fade on other pictures.
Also, as the gentlemen to come over and visit and get a tape recorder and tape some of his memories. These die with the people who experienced them unless we do this. Also, if you have children, no matter what age, get them to sit down and listen. They will thank you later on.
With my "80 something" relatives dieing, we are getting pictures that no one knows. My father thinks he does but not sure. Mother has no idea. This is such a wonderful treasure. You should have copies made (very easy at Walmart or any drug store) and send to your younger relatives, but don't let the originals out of your hands.
E Wart

OLD FAMILY PHOTOS

Comments