Going through old family photos can be a great way to learn about our history and maybe even spot where some appearance traits moved through the genetic code of family members. Preserving priceless memories and information through our photo history is important. Here are some tips for preserving priceless family photos for your family.
Tip One, Preserving Priceless Family Photos
Sort, organize and record important historical information.
Put family groups together. List full names and dates of birth/events. We live in a bombardment of information age and it’s easy to forget simple details. For those coming along behind us, more information with photos will help them piece together family facts.
Tip Two, Preserving Priceless Family Photos
Keep it simple.
There are many ways to create amazing photo albums. If you have time and are crafty, do so. If you are still working, don’t have a craft room, or just don’t want to spend the time cutting and pasting, don’t be afraid to simplify. Use archival-quality photo sleeve albums and write short descriptions and dates in the margins. It works and memories are preserved. Search online for “pocket photo albums” to find an album in a style and price range that fits your project. Pottery Barn and Exposuresonline.com both have very nice, archival-quality albums that I’ve used or gifted.
Tip Three, Preserving Priceless Family Photos
Spread the knowledge.
Digital photography and computers make it super easy to record info and share digital photos. Share with your children or older grandchildren. You could even buy external hard drives and backup photos for each child.
Tip Four, Preserving Priceless Family Photos
Turn antique photos into digital files.
Many of us have beautiful, old photos that are fragile and maybe the only known copy. An easy way to preserve the memory is to photograph the photo with a good quality digital camera. I’ve found that if I put a tissue over the flash on my Nikon 7100D, have good natural light, and fill the frame with the photo, I can turn a one-of-a-kind photo into a digital file for use in a variety of ways.
Tip Five, Preserving Priceless Family Photos
Buy plastic tubs for storage.
There are many beautiful archival-quality boxes and systems for storing photos. Exposuresonline.com is a favorite spot of mine. But. I strongly recommend putting your photos into plastic tubs unless you are absolutely certain there are no water lines near where you store your photos.
Years ago, I had a tub with all the photos and negatives of my children when they were young stored carefully on a high shelf in the basement. They were safe from any floor-level flooding but what I didn’t anticipate was a very small water leak from a bathroom line running through the ceiling. It took a long time for us to notice the leak because it was so small. It was finally obvious because of the pool of water collected in the lid of the plastic tub with my children’s photos! Had the various boxes, pouches, and envelopes not been inside a plastic tub, they would have been ruined and gone. An inexpensive plastic tub can be a best friend to family memories.
What are your ideas for preserving priceless family photos?
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