Memorabilia

Used sparingly in your organized photo album, memorabilia can give the importance of place, dates and time. I used a couple of business cards in my pet album to indicate the occupations of the pet owners. Use a photo mounting sleeve to hold your memorabilia or cover every page with a page protector to keep your photos from coming in contact with acidic memorabilia. The acid can cause the paper of memorabilia to deteriorate, turn brown and eventually crumble. You can purchase a special buffering spray that neutralizes the acid in the paper and provides a protective coating to fight against acid recurrence. Some examples of memorabilia:

Coins and paper money
Ticket stubs (airlines, train, bus, subway,museums, zoos, theaters)
Newspaper Articles
Brochures
Maps
Wrapping paper from stores
Small hotel souvenirs
Postage Stamps
Matchbooks
Stationery
Programs (recitals, graduation, religious ceremonies)
Postcards
TV Guides
Report cards, Book reports, and High School Varsity Letters
Recipe
Marriage licenses
Wedding invitations
Embossed wedding napkins
Field trip souvenirs
ID Cards and Business cards
Love letters
Award certificates and Ribbons
Announcements (engagement, wedding, birth. obituary)
Birth certificates
Hospital bracelets
Autographs
Children’s drawings and Scout badges
Note cards and Greeting cards
Bank papers
High School and College Transcripts and Diplomas
Church events
Prayers and Quotes
Famous Sayings
Memorials
Military dog tags and Buttons
Costumes
Penny from year of birth
Family portraits
E-mails

Embellishments

Scrapbooking takes a great amount of time in preparation. My business involves little of that type of activity but I do include some embellishments to make some of the photos more interesting in the album. The sky is the limit in the creativity of what makes an embellishment. They can be handmade, store bought, or items found around the house. Ideas for embellishments are boundless-anything that is somewhat flat and will fit in your book. Keep in mind that the item needs to be thin or you won't be able the get the book closed. Look through your sewing or craft supplies for scraps such as ribbon, embroidery floss, sequins, rick-rack, even old zippers. You could use loose buttons, snaps, eyelets, small paper clips. Often times, I use stickers, letters, and quotes purchased from places like JoAnn Fabrics, Michaels, and Target (those are my favorite). For the pet album I recently made, a few quotes were taken from DogQuotes.com Glitter can add pizazz to your album - apply liquid adhesive with a small paint brush. I have saved my Christmas and birthday cards over the years and cut out images for the albums. Sometimes, I will incorporate full sheets of patterned paper for a 'mat' around the photo. Simplicity is the idea, though, because 'less is more'. Visit your local scrapbook stores - they may have more suggestions.

Jackie's Pet Album

Remember, I told you about assembling a pet album for my sister's friend, Jackie! I have included a few photos of the completed album.

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow . . .

We had a major snowstorm in Western Washington in December. It snowed for seven days in a row and actually stayed on the ground. Usually the mountains are covered by the snow and the moisture turns to rain by the time it hits us in the valleys. We have lived here for twenty years and have never seen anything like this. Of course, the children were ecstatic and built numerous snowmen - I felt inclined to take photos around the neighborhood to place in the Memory Album I maintain for my business.

Christmas Seson

Well, I think you will be putting aside you photo organizing during this busy season. As you begin shopping for Christmas presents for your family and loved ones, keep a lookout for albums you could use in your future projects (see post for September 20, 2008). You might consider selecting pictures from previous holiday celebrations. When family or guests arrive for Christmas celebrations, ask each member what they remember about the holiday to include for journaling in your albums.

Preserving these memories is captured in the following quote:

"Children are the living messages we send to a time we will not see." John Whitehead

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is a wonderful time of the year to count your blessings Gratefulness is having alertness to the benefits that we possess without waiting until they are gone to appreciate them. List things that you are grateful for. Savor the glittering moments that have brought you – and can continue to bring you – a heart that brims with joy. Pictures provide wonderful memories of those blessings. Here is an idea: transform badge holders purchased at an office supply store into an adorable brag book featuring favorite photos. You can keep your design seasonal with autumn colors and a Thanksgiving theme.

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Duplicates or Blurry Pictures

I have mentioned before about using your photos in gift ideas (see post for September 27, 2008). Instead of throwing away the duplicates, set them aside and use them in projects for your gifts. You can add some journal entries to explain the stories in the snapshots. I think this is one of the best gifts you give because you will make people feel loved - people feel validated.

Also, consider saving some of the blurry pictures. They may be the only snapshots you have of Grandpa Smith and Aunt Martha. Keep them if they are washed out or so dark you can barely see the subject but capture a treasured memory. Besides, there may be an antiquated feel to the photo.

Daylight Savings Time Ends

The days will start being shorter and there will be less hours of light to peruse your pictures. Purchasing a magnifying lamp may be a wise investment. Look for them at local craft stores such as Michael's or JoAnn Fabrics. You can even find them online through websites such as Amazon.com or Ebay.com. The lamp helps to see fine details easily and clearly, reduce eyestrain caused by glare, and shows color more true to life. You would want one that provides hands-free illumination such as an armchair ( floor) lamp or a desk light that clamps to the table.

This might be a good time to write on the back of your snapshots such things as names of people, dates, and locations. I have thought over the years that I would remember and did not make any notations. I am amazed how much I have forgotten and much time is taken to chase after the details. It is easiest to start with the most current photos and work backwards. I usually enter captions in the computer to print out 'labels' for the upcoming albums.

Anniversary

Today would have been my parents' 61st wedding anniversary. Daddy passed away in March, 2002 and Mom died in April, 2007. I am so grateful to have most of my pictures organized because we can reminisce the wonderful memories that are captured in photos. In fact, the last thing Daddy 'read' the night before he died was a family album that I was assembling. This has helped us graciously survive the grieving period. I started to help other people organize their snapshots for this very reason and I feel a sense of urgency to pass history on to our children. I hope you will want to start your organization, too - I assure you that you will have a sense of accomplishment and be richly rewarded for your effort.

Themes- Halloween and Nature

I know you have been seeing common themes throughout your project. This knowledge will help you in deciding what kinds of photos you want to take in the future. Halloween brings out the kid in all of us. Most everyone has dressed up in costumes sometime during their life. You may want to create an album of various members of your family portraying a character over the years and continue with that tradition. I made costumes every year for my children and I have noticed the outfits have become more sophisticated than those made 50 years ago. You could reflect those differences in placing photos side-by-side to compare. I developed pages in my scrapbook to reflect different characters that were made popular by movies and cartoons.

The fall season is beautifully expressed in the changing colors of the trees. I am sure you have photos from all four seasons in your area. You could compare the different kinds of foliage in your area. Maybe you could capture different activities brought on by the four seasons: your child jumping in a pile of raked leaves in fall, children building a snowman, a group riding bicycles in the spring, a group of swimmers in summer. Themes are plentiful and unlimited by the imaginative mind.

Family Reunion

We had our first family reunion in beautiful Breckenridge, CO. There were 18 in attendance from seven different states representing all ages from 59 to two months. You know me - I took pictures galore! I think there were over 350 pictures taken but I won't bore you with them . . but, maybe a few! Now that I have current pictures, I will include them at the very end of my project. Even though all of these snapshots were taken with a digital camera, I will still physically develop some. Not everyone has a computer so it is a good idea to share actual physical ones with some and include them in your chronological project. You can make a small 'brag' book with you to show others.

Back to the reunion - this is a good time to tie loose ends together. There are photos of family members and places that you do not recognize but others in the extended family may know. You can also share memories with spouses and children who have come into the family at later dates. The parents of one family member were deceased and he did not have any pictures of his past so I was able to share some that I had. Creating albums for a family reunion can serve many purposes: You’ll get an opportunity to say what is on your heart. You’ll connect with your roots. Albums make a connection between who we are, what we do, and why we are the way we are. You’ll make people feel loved – people feel validated. You’ll enjoy family fun.

TImeline

Hopefully, you have organized 1000 pictures by this time. Now would be a good time to make a timeline. Use and date a form for each year (or decade if there a very few pictures). Focus your attention on one worksheet at a time. Within each box for month, write down major events that occurred within that time period – such as family birthday, ages, when children began school, name of school and grade attended, and where you vacationed. Use old journals, calendars, and datebooks to supplement information. This will take quite a bit of time so do this in small steps so that you are not overwhelmed.

Play Detective

Let's get back to your organizing project. You may be finding stray photos and you have to decide where they fit in your chronological order. Some things to consider:

Count candles on birthday cake
Study Faces in background with magnifying glass
Guess at holiday by color and theme of decorations
In old black and white photos, people never smiled. Somber expressions were not a sign
of hard times, just a way to keep photos from blurring. Before film was invented,
the image set on photographic plates and the subject had to be very still so the image
would be very clear. Smiling for minutes was difficult so people chose the most
relaxed pose with the least expression.
The time frame that the family occupied a house
License plates on a car
Makes and models of cars change – appearance of cars can narrow down the year
Look for year on license tabs
Inscriptions of Wedding Rings
Styles of hair, clothing, glasses, and facial features (teeth, facial hair)
Fashions change frequently providing strong clues for dating photos. Pick up a book
On fashion trends and hemlines at the library
Hairstyles change often. Ask local hairdresser
Childrens’ looks – Height, weight, number of teeth
Room colors and furniture arrangement
Photos displayed in background
Nonfamily guest in photo
Compare undated photos with dated photos
Designs of telephones
Business and street signs
Signs and billboards may offer clues as to when and where the photos were taken
Size of trees, shrubs of other landscape features
International Flags
Landmarks
Identify youngest person – what is birth date
Ask extended family members if they have similar photo
Photographers mark or signature
Family pets

These suggestions can help you find where a photo belongs.

Gift Ideas

I mentioned before about gift giving and now would be a good time to be thinking about it since the holidays are fast approaching. I have made a list of ideas to include some of your photos:

Post photo and telephone number on pinboard
Put photo on clock
Dressing Table Set: tray, pill box, powder box, oval frame, brooch, locket, gilt casket,
Tissue box, trinket box, plain lampshade
Height Chart: Mount yardstick to wall, cut picture to a point. Or put photos in small
frames and cut cardboard to a point to mark child’s height
Key Rack: personalized peg rack
Souvenir Frame: glue assorted objects to frame and spray paint gold
Old Printer’s Tray
Cutlery Drawers
Collage: a composition made from many images
Decoupage: decorating with pictures
Decorated Tray
Letter Rack
Cigar Box: from tobacconist
Jigsaw Puzzles
Duplicate Pictures: Play Memory
Bookmarks
Calendars
Greeting cards: Use photos, doilies, pictures cut from magazines,
stickers, strings, ribbons
Handmade Paper: torn rather that cut
Handmade Gift Tags: put picture of giver and recipient on tag
Cover Books and Boxes with brown paper and decorate with sepia photos
Memory Boxes: Decorate with acrylic paints, fabrics, ribbons,
buttons, charms, decorative papers
File photos on CDs and tape voices of relatives to be included

You can probably come up with your own ideas to fit the occasion.

Requested Album

A request was received from one of my sister's friends:

"I would like to order an album of the photos that you took on your last trip to Chicago.......All my doggy photos, and party photos . . . "

Pictures were taken with a digital camera when I visited my sister in January and June of this year. Two simple flip 4" x 6" photo albums holding different quantities were filled with pictures developed from the memory card. I gave these albums to my sister as a 'Thank You" gift to help her remember the fun times we had.

This request gave me the opportunity to show you how to pick out albums. First, decide about how many photos will be included in the album. Next, your goal will be to determine the purpose of your album. Will it be for a gift, updating your family history, class reunion, etc? Armed with this information can help you to select an album. There are numerous types of albums:

Type: 3 ring binder, Post bound, Spiral bound, Strap hinged, Stitch bound, Artist's Pad

Sizes in Most Albums: 4” x 6”, 5" x 7”, 8" x 8", 8 ½” x 11", 12” x 12”, 12” x 15”

Criteria to consider: Archival safe and durable, add and remove pages, fit budget,protective covers, does it lie flat?, page dimensions suitable.

Choose an album or a scrapbook that suits your style, personality and individuality.

I purchase most of my albums from Hallmark, JoAnn Fabrics and Michaels. Sometimes I can find unique albums online through such outfits as Ebay.com and Amazon.com. There are many outlets that carry photograph albums and scrapbooks. My sister found some beautiful ones at Papyrus in Chicago. Check out your local scrapbook stores - they may have just what you are looking for.

Gift Albums

The holiday season will be upon us before you know it. One of the neat things to do with the photos is to include a few in a gift. Something given from the past can be so meaningful to individuals. Many times photographers have duplicates made when the film is developed and gift-giving would be an excellent way to make use of the duplicates. We have fallen on hard economic times when budgets are tight and this would be an excellent idea to make use of what you already have. I have been going to garage sales and thrift stores to find unique albums and special frames to fill with my photos. Gift albums also make wonderful and thoughtful thank you presents for parents, teachers, professors, college roommates, counselors, bridesmaids, groomsmen, siblings, nurses, doctors, children, firefighters, police officers, husbands, and coworkers

Labor Day Week

If you organize 100 more pictures, you will be up to 700! Wow! Isn't this fun! By doing a little at a time, the task doesn't seem so overwhelming and you will be more likely to stick with it. It is time to sit back and look at what you have accomplished. I try to give myself a little break at this point and do something else. I feel more refreshed when I get back into the project. Almost two months have passed and you can begin to feel that you have lost valuable time if you don't break. This is Labor Day week so this calls for a time of celebrating!

House Cleaning!

How are you coming along with your project? Are you finding more misplaced prints? This almost can be like going back to school. You are starting fresh for a whole new school year - new subjects are being learned and added to the foundation of past learning. In the same light, you are bringing out the past in photos and exposing them to new formats. Turning the house upside down in search of missing snapshots can be an exhilarating experience to find lost ideas and thoughtful activities. We have found it such a joy to remember people and places that we had forgotten about - pictures really can "speak a volume of words". Keep at it - organizing your photos - it is well worth the adventure.

Next . . . 100

Theme Ideas

You may start seeing some pattern in the types and styles of photos that are giving some thematic ideas. Start writing the ideas down on paper. For example, there may be lots of snapshots of Cousin Joe or Aunt Susie - how about an album of various activities surrounding that individual? Maybe many photos tell a story about a vacation that could be included in a separate album. How about making a holiday scrapbook for various events around the year? Special occasions could be marked by a separate book such as graduations, weddings, the christening of a baby and so forth. Themes - are you getting the notion? Remember, continue to organize all of your photographs first in chronological order. That way, you will have gathered all of your pictures and not miss important ones when separating. I have found it best to scan the photos I wanted to put in my sample albums and leave them all in order. Sometimes, I have included the same pose for several different themes. Now, onto the next 100 . . .

Back to Organizing Your Photos

Hopefully you have sorted through 300 pictures by now - one group at a time. Most of the photos in a disarray fashion are in shoe boxes that may still be in the developing envelopes. You might be able to tell what years the snapshots were taken by the date you wrote on the outside of the envelopes. When you have sorted through those, you may look through the rest of the house for other places prints have been stored. My family's pictures were in every nook and cranny of the house: drawers, closets, inside books, wicker baskets, the sewing cabinet, under the bed. What do you expect when you live in a house for forty-seven years! Single photos do not take up much space so they ended up everywhere. Other places pictures could be hiding: Cedar Chests, trunks, plastic tubs, attics, cupboards, mixed in with bills, garage, workshop, piled high on desks and counters, old photo albums, framed photos, old suitcases, picture lockets, old cigarette cases, magnetic albums, abandoned travel bag, safety deposit boxes, old family Bibles. I'm sure there are places I haven't even thought of but you get the idea. Getting all pictures in order will make the project of placement go smoother. So the next step is tying up 'loose ends'. . .

Beautiful Flowers In Chehalis

Wedding Album

I went to a wedding June 1, 2008, in San Jose, CA. Assembling a 'wedding album' from the photos I took during the weekend became the gift for the newly married couple. Memorabilia collected from the weekend activities and photographs taken by others were included. A few of the album pages are listed on the photo stream. You might be interested to view some of the pages for ideas to use for your own project. Please keep in mind the photos of the album are only 'snapshots' and have not been professionally taken.

Why Organize?

You may be wondering what in the world you got into! You may think that nothing about your family or your life is noteworthy and would be of no general interest. “How is your life any different from a thousand others?” That very similarity may be reason a historian would find yours of interest. History is about ordinary people far more than it is about unique and distinct individuals. Some of the things you have lived through, some of the work you have done, or the places you have been may be valid subjects for professional research.

I have listed some of the reasons to organize your photos:

1. Historical account - the importance of people and dates is passed on to younger generations
2. To pass on family stories to family
3. Interview grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, family, and friends
4. Document family choices and how lifestyles evolve
5. Have people write down what they remember and place directly in albums
6. All your pictures will be in scrapbooks or photo albums where they will whisper to you
each time the books are opened and enjoyed
7. To review one’s life to understand it better
8. For the pleasure of reminiscing
9. To give an honest account of one’s life
10. To remember items that may become ‘extinct’

I hope you will continue with your project. I know the project is such a daunting task but you will be very grateful when you have finished. If you have done 300 photos by now, you are well on your way!!! Now, next . . .

You have made quite an accomplishment if you have sorted 200 pictures so far. I am going to talk today about other things to look for.

Many times photos will be out of order or pictures of the same landmarks may be taken from different trips. Pictures may be found in numerous places and create such a disarray that it may be difficult to put them in any sort of order. Sometimes the negatives have been misplaced or separated from the prints. I have found it helpful to combine groups by studying the printing materials. Look on the back to identify the printer of the paper and the symbols that were used. Sometimes the date when the pictures were developed may be stamped during printing. Snapshots printed on paper designed by the same company can be grouped together. The symbols used with the company name may indicate the approximate time period of development. For example, Kodak was an official sponsor of the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, GA, and were allowed to use the logo of the five rings on their printing materials. Sometimes, the printing paper could have the country listed such as Germany that could tell you the events were overseas. Prints and/or negatives might still be in the original developing packets. Look for the date individuals wrote on the packets the day they turned their developed film in for processing. Keep in mind, the events may not have taken place anywhere near the time the film was developed. Years could pass before a roll of film is converted to prints or slides. The age of the film could be a detriment to the quality of the pictures and could make snapshots look more dated than they really are. It is important to develop the film into prints or slides quickly to maintain good color quality.

Some cameras stamp the date on each negative when snapshots are taken. This can be of tremendous help, but then again, the calendar on the camera has to be properly set to give an accurate date.

Are you ready to tackle the next 100 photos? Ok, let's get started . . .

With those first 100 pictures, you may be developing an idea when the snapshots were taken. There are many things to look at that will give you a clue as to the approximate year and place. Ages of people can be determined by counting birthday candles on a cake. Time frames can be cut out from fashions and hair styles. Locations and landmarks indicate particular places. Even automobile models and technology can determine a certain time period. The telephone is an excellent source to indicate the change in history. Seasons are marked by the landscape or holiday photos.

I use one of those long plastic storage bins to store and sort the pictures. Dividers are marked by years, then used to separate the photos. You can use index cards, manila folders, cardstock or anything bigger than the size of the pictures. Blocks of years are combined at first until you get all of the pictures together. Just getting started is a big accomplishment. You can then go back and organize the photos in more detail. Now . . onto the next 100 pictures.

Getting Started

So . . . you would like to organize your boxes and files full of disorderly pictures. These are actual physical pictures most likely taken the hundred years before the 'digital age'. Before you delve into the boxes, find a pair of thin protective gloves, either cotton or plastic, to keep dirt and oil from the photos and negatives. It is so much easier to create individual albums after you have managed to organize your snapshots chronologically. It helps to be able to sort in a room where you can leave your project set up. If you have the negatives, use a light box for viewing and place in negative sleeves. You can then put the photographs in order to match the negatives. Now do 100 at a time and then take a break to keep from being so overwhelmed. This will take quite a bit of time but the rest of your organization will flow smoothly once you have jumped this hurdle.

Ostrom Wedding

Bill sang 'Can't Help Falling in Love' (written by George David Weiss, published by Gladys Music, 1962) to the newly married couple.

Grateful

Thank you, Jaris, for setting up the blog!!!!

This is where the first "post" on your new blog would be.


You can write about anything you want... it can be in a journal style, or even in a tutorial-like style.



Feel free to edit it how you wish. You can add "widgets" to the side of the blog.


Remember, you can also add pictures to your posts, so if you want to do some explaining on a specific hint or tip, you can take a picture of it with your digital camera, and then upload it to this blog. I can show you how to do that a little later.