Old Family Photos

debodun

debodun

SF VIP
Location
way upstate in New York, USA
I had the fortune, or misfortune, to also have to clean out an aunt's and uncle's residences (my father's brother and sister) when they died. I found a huge number of photographs in each residence; some in albums, but many were loose or in boxes. Most of them were of people I have no idea as to their identity. It seems a shame to throw them out, they must have meant something to somebody at one time.
 

I have done the same thing. A lot had to do with photos not being marked with identifying info. I actually just got rid of many as I had no clue who the people were.
 
All of the really old photos, like my wife's mother when she was a little girl, we kept some and scanned the rest and put on a usb flash drive.
 

When my mother remarried and moved us (away from Chicago) we were sub-teens. She discarded a bunch of family stuff. Photos and momentos. They would be like found gold to me now, 60 years later. So I would scan all of them no matter if you recognize the subject(s) or not.
 
I have a large box of old family photos too!

Every few years I drag them out and fuss over them wondering if a new guardian will come along to take them off my hands.

I doubt that will happen, I'm afraid that they will end up in an incinerator a few days before I do.

I would much rather have that happen than see them for sale at a flea market or on eBay.
 
Aunt Bea said:
I would much rather have that happen than see them for sale at a flea market or on eBay.
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I wonder why anyone would buy photos of people not in their family. I can't give mine to anyone - I'm the last in line on the paternal side of the family, so no one to identify people or even care . On my mother's side, I tried to give photos to my aunt and uncle who are preparing albums of family history, but they said they have boxes and boxes of photos they haven't even sorted yet - thanks, but no thanks.
 
debodun said:
I wonder why anyone would buy photos of people not in their family.
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I've seen old photos used on nostalgic type greeting cards and Ransom Riggs wrote entire novels based on strange photos he found at estate sales etc : Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children. Excellent books with the pictures included.
 
I finally have mine all sorted out and marked. It took me over a year. Some still should go in newer albums or boxes because the black paper is falling apart and the little triangle corners are coming loose but at least the photos are marked. Amazing how many doubles there were. I guess my Grandma had them and my Mom made copies though the years.

Also scenery,not labeled and so many zoo animals. I'm sure the monkey from 1937 has long gone over the rainbow bridge so I didn't mind getting rid of those type of photos. It lightened the load a bit.

The ones left are precious to me. My kids say, if they didn't know the person they don't want the photo. I didn't know my Great Grandparents either but I'm not giving them up. I hope in the future they will change their minds.
 
I'm fighting a losing war with mine. I have several large plastic "packers" full of photos. I've discarded a lot of them but I swear they multiply in the dark closet. I have to wear a surgical mask when I get them out because they trigger allergy attacks, dust and mold, I guess.

I don't know why I'm holding on to them. Nobody else in the family are particularly interested and I know the younger generation will just throw them out if they get them.

I get to work on them periodically but then after an hour or so, I just throw my hands in the air in despair and pack up again.
 
When I cleaned out my aunt's house, she must have had hundreds and hundreds of just landscapes and scenic photos. I was going through her albums and separated the people pics from the ones with no people in them. One woman that stopped at an estate sale I ad at my aunt's house saw them and wanted the scenic photos, but at that time I had not finished going through the albums. She left me her phone number to call her when I did, but every time I tried the number, I heard a message that the person has nit yet set up a voice mailbox. After a while I gave up and trashed the photos. That was 6 years ago.
 
I have soo many pictures and I treasure them so much. When my parents passed away my oldest niece sorted the pictures out and divided them between me my sister and brother. There were some she couldn't figure out who she should give them to so she has them if we want any others. I know when I am gone my daughter will save them just the way I did. She is very sentimental also.This one is one of my favorites.It is my Mom,Dad my older brother and my sister. I have my hands on my Dad's shoulder. He was the best Dad in the world and I love the picture.
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Sassycakes, that is so sweet. What a lovely photo with you and your dad and your whole family. Something so much to cherish. And you look so cute.
 
Thank all of you. I was truly blessed with the family I had. Now it is only me and my sister left. My Dad was soo loving and caring that when we have family gatherings now all my Dad's grandchildren and great grandchildren argue over who is favorite was,then I laugh and tell them I was always his favorite.My parents married after knowing each other for 3 months. They were only 16 yrs old when they married and their marriage lasted 63yrs until my Dad passed away.
 
Talking about Old family photos my husband brought me a large box today to unpack since we have just moved a few months ago and are still unpacking some things. It was filled with Pictures. The first picture I saw was my Parents at their 63 wedding Anniversary. They married when they were 16yrs old so they were 79 yrs old at the time. I cried when I saw it because it was taken that October and then my Dad passed away in August.
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