Memories
While going through my grandmother's house, clearing things out, we came upon a lot of family photos. I hadn't seen these in a long time. My dad and me.
In the right one, behind us standing on the porch, my aunt.
In the left one, the woman's face is blurred but I think it's my mom?
The house is my grandmother's house - so many memories.
It's my job to scan all the old photos and then make copies or copy onto a flash drive those photos other family members want. It's going to take a while.
11 comments:
Sad, but wonderful memories. I've gone through a family member's photos who has passed and sometimes there are great surprises.
You are a good person to agree to scan all the photos and save them. It IS going to take a while. Good for you.
Such nice photos--and I have one of those gliders on my front porch. It's nice of you to handle the photos; not an easy job.
That is indeed one big job! I love looking at old photos. Not sure why but I love looking at other peoples' photos too. These are fabulous!!
Oh how precious these old memories are. So good to have the pictures as something to pass on to the family.
We have had similar discoveries of my grandfather and his family who died in WWII. They are wonderful because, together with a few letters he wrote home, they give me a tiny glimpse of what he was like. I would have loved to have known him.
You've got to be thinking what I immediately thought. These will make great paintings and drawings. These couldn't be more suited to painting if you were posed for that purpose. But it sounds like you'll be busy for awhile so I won't hold my breath.
My aunt was a photo thief - if you had a photo she wanted, she stole it from you. When she died, she had all my photos (since I lived with her it wasn't a big deal at the time); then my uncle didn't let us have anything - all those family photos are probably rotting and mildewy in a box in his new wife's garage or basement. So I want everyone to have copies - I don't want to hold them all and assume others can get them if I'm gone!
Kevin, I never thought of painting these, but there may be several that could be painted (if I have the skill to do it).
Such a wonderful thing for you to do.
Rhonda...I have to share with you my experience in doing this. When my beloved mother-in-law was terminally ill, she gave me many shoeboxes full of OLD family photos since she said no one else would want them. Many of these were in sepia and were circa turn-of-the-century and were wonderful glimpses of how they dressed, etc. I insisted she sit with me for an hour on her couch and identify any of the people she recognized so I could save the names for posterity. She relented and did just that, along with relating some of the wonderful stories, gossip, etc. about some of these characters. There was even one photo of a disliked great-aunt, in a resplendant riding costume, sitting astride a mule!
I scanned hundreds of these photos, naming them according to where they were taken and as many of the names I could. I created DVDs for anyone who wanted them, many did.
There was an original sepia studio photo in an antique frame that my mother-in-law had hung in her bedroom for years. It was of her father's family when he was six years old. This is my husband's grandfather, and seeing him at six was just amazing. I loved the austere poses and expressions on all of the large family. She gave this to me with the instructions that her sisters resented the fact that she got this portrait photo and she wouldn't want to slight either of them by giving it to one, so I was to keep it. Someone had spilled some ink on the lapel of the father, and the whole photo had faded some. So, I took it apart, took a digital photo of it, and then restored the photo. I made prints of this photo for anyone who wanted one, interestingly the two sisters did not, their kids did. This photo is now hanging in our bedroom, which is done in all sepia photos and paintings I have done.
I have painted three sepia portraits from these old photos, and just loved their dresses, hats, etc.
So, while this is a daunting task you have taken on, it can be a very rewarding one and so appreciated by those with whom you will share.
Thanks so much, Carol and Susan. Susan, thanks for sharing your experience with this - what is amazing is which photos each person wants or doesn't want - some that seem so dear to me mean nothing to my cousin or brother - photos that mean nothing to me like those of my grandfather (he was a hard man to love and walked out on his family when his youngest daughter was 14 - on her birthday!!) my cousin wants because he meant more to her. And you cannot guess what will mean something to someone - each of us are very different.
What great photos, Rhonda. What a treasure!
Thanks, Laura. I wish I could paint these, but I'm not that good yet - someday, maybe.
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