A house fire or natural disaster could easily explain why your branch of the family has few pictures or other family ephemera. In one case, I am lucky that there are many things as there are given a house fire in 1924.
Situations such as this make it all the more important to contact members of your extended family to see if they have copies of pictures or other items—and to preserve information you have as well.
One response
In 1934 my grandparents left New Mexico for Arkansas with their nine children. They traveled in two covered wagons. Most of the family possessions including pictures and mementos were left behind because there wasn’t any room. Fire isn’t the only reason for lack of family pictures. Thank goodness they left behind a large family and they still have pictures in their families.