For one reason or another, it may be necessary to remove photos from an album. I get that.
But the positioning of photos can contain clues and is information that should be preserved (scanning or digital camera/phone photos are fine). The photo on the upper right I knew contained my grandmother (holding baby) and her in-laws. From other pictures and based on his face, I was certain the boy standing up was my Dad’s older brother. I’m also reasonably certain the child my great-grandfather is holding is his second grandson my Dad’s first cousin.
Based on their ages and the fact that my Grandma is holding the baby, I’m almost 100% certain it’s my Dad she is holding.
And the picture to the left of it, must be my great-grandfather holding my Dad and apparently taken on the same day. If the photos had all been loose in a box, I probably could have figured it out in this case.
But the organization of the photo album helped.
I know that we all have photos that are loose. I realize that–so please don’t fill up comments with “but this doesn’t work when there are not scrapbooks. I know it doesn’t as I have my own boxes of photos.
But when there is a scrapbook and you are contemplating taking it apart…take pictures of the pages first…so you’ve kept whatever information there is in the organization.
This was recently shared on our Facebook page but thought it worth sharing as a Genealogy Tip of the Day.
3 Responses
This is great advice. Also important as time goes along: who did you get the photo from?
Now for another photo album question; a technical one. Just say that one has to remove an old photo that is glued in. And there are photos on the other side. Is there any way at all to remove the photos?
I SOMETIMES COMPLAIN UNDER MY BREATH ABOUT PHOTOS NOT HAVING DETAILS ON THE BACK ………… AND TRY TO DO MY PART WITH MODERN ONES. BUT HAD NOT THOUGHT TO ADD WHO GAVE THEM TO ME OR WHERE I FOUND THEM, ESPECIALLY FOR THE OLD ONES.
THANKS !
MANY THANKS FOR THAT SUGGESTION. TAKING A PHOTO OF THE ORIGINAL ALBUM PAGE IS GENIUS. I AM FACING THE CHALLENGE OF RENOVATING THREE VERY OLD BLACK-PAGE ONES WHICH HAVE SO MANY PAGES TORN FROM THEIR ANCHOR LACING. THOUGHT I’D ATTEMPT STRENGTHENING THE ENDS BUT THNK IT MAY BE BETTER TO INSERT THEM IN A NEW ALBUM OF A VERY SIMILAR DESIGN. I’D WORK PAGE BY PAGE BUT STILL LOVE THE IDEA OF PHOTOGRAPHING EACH PAGE IN SEQUENCE … IN CASE OF A MINI DISASTER. THOSE PHOTOS ALSO CREATE ANOTHER SAFETY NET.