Roadrunner Loc: Quebec, Canada

The Visual History of Life

Through our adult life we occasionally use a phrase which pretty much means in essence, ‘when I get around to it’. Oh, it could be a rainy day project or a winter ‘’must do’’ or just a thing that we are plainly tired of putting off and we sit ourselves down and roll up our sleeves and dive into the task.

This happened to me lately as I set up an accumulation of photos which had occupied various drawers, boxes and even bookmarks and a special pile that was set aside to do something special with, if only I could find something special to with them.

So I was sitting at my jigsaw puzzle table which has now become a museum of visual life with photos dating from over a hundred years up to the 1950’s. This is because all the older albums have finally given up after years of falling off of shelves, being moved from one address to another and four generations of oohing and aahing as their pages were turned and parental anecdotes were added. A shame that these notations have gone forever with the person who shared them.

There are over two dozen albums all lined up on a shelf like books, so we may call it a visual library….that’s nice I think. The collection, of which I am proud of, will make an interesting inheritance for those who follow me. My kids can see their great-great grandparents in black and white. Isn’t that wonderful I thought!

But then I got to thinking a bit harder. The visual history project is a nyah-nyah deal in that it gives a pictorial resumé of the family and friends and home and the nucleus of my life, however it is saddening to put four corners on these photographs and realizing how much time has passed us by and how many people we shall no longer see or talk with as well as their homes and their ways of life. The first grandchild costs a fortune in film. The second one, ~ quite a few less and the third one, oh my gosh…. Anyway, I was pasting a pic of myself taken in my grandmother’s flower garden, by my grandfather with is fold out Kodak camera, and I began thinking of how happy they were that their daughter had a first born and how proud they were of me and I can still imagine their smiles when the film was processed and they shared the results. As I sit here, I ask myself if they would be as proud of me today as they were in 1939 when I took my first steps. After thinking about that and about why they should or should not be proud with the maturing of the finished product, I closed the album. Am I a softy or one who dwells negatively on the past? I asked my brother, and surprisingly he told me that he does not do family albums….and he is definitely not a softy. Then I remembered a small photo taken of my great-grandparents in Orient, Long Island, N.Y., and how my grandfather had his mother’s facial expressions. Their photographs are next to each other as it seemed fitting in my mind that Everett Vail should be with his mom and dad in this album. There I go again getting nostalgic.

As I trudge through my project, almost reluctantly now as I see things through a different window, I have discovered why my personal photos never include people, but rather places. Luckily my son and daughter do people, I cannot. I can do scenery, places and make notes of why they were captured by my camera. To me they represent a miniature segment of my life, although they remain almost abstract to another viewer.

Tom really wants to meet Everett Vail, an exacting person who would have a great time with my brother who is also a finder of haystack needles. On the other hand I would like to sit down with George Youngs, my mother’s maternal grandfather. He was an adventurer, Canadian born Civil War Vet, traveler and just maybe a freight car rider at one time in his life. He was born in a covered wagon they say. I have no pictures of this gentleman, however his wife I remember very vaguely and do have several photographs in her waning years.

The Visual History of Life is cruel actually, but it is also a reminder that we have/had people who loved and cared for us, and instilled in us the ability of loving and caring for others as we knew it in our youth. It is comforting to know that folks were there for us and maybe it is good in some instances that they are no longer here to witness their dream for us which may not have come about.

willet

When you really think about it, we non-professional camera clicker are recorders of personal and family history. Some of us are into it more than others. I for one am always interested in mine and other peoples family history which include people and places, and if we are lucky the picture tells the story of both. The issue of who care about this photo documentation other than myself has crossed my mind, and I come to the conclusion that it's not my problem who cares. The real issue is I care, and am maaking this availble to "who ever" during and after my journey on earth has ended. One of the real challenges we have is how to present this documentation into a package, book or wall hangings in a manner that is intersting to us, the producer, and the person looking at these pictures now and in the future. This take a bit of thought and skill..some us have it and other do not.....but we can only try.

Good luck in you noble project.

RiverNan Loc: Eastern Pa

When my parents first grandchild (my nephew) was born, I was around and available to take lots of photos. I assembled them in an album adding to it as photos were taken. When that child turned 21 I could not hold off any longer as he was begging me for this album for years already.
Roadrunner...it is a giant task that I am putting off for another day myself. I am glad I already passed some on.

suznmari Loc: Woodstock, IL

I too have thousands, maybe more, of photographs in boxes and on my computer. It's overwhelming, but I want to put them into some kind of visual history for people to get their hands on some day - I am a mother to five and grandmother to five...Anybody have any ideas how to even start organizing this?

My grandmother Blanche Jewell who lived to be 102

suznmari Loc: Woodstock, IL

willet

A big pile of anything is too much to handle. Set simple goals and it will help direct you to a final product. As you dig in you will find that you will have something you "can do" other than not do anything.

RiverNan Loc: Eastern Pa

chronologically. One photo at a time.

Roadrunner Loc: Quebec, Canada

What you could do, time permitting is to make up a private You Tube for each one, add music and comments. A private Y.T. means that no one else has access. I've done that, the kids liked it

suznmari Loc: Woodstock, IL

Sort of like "Bird By Bird" book by Annie Lemott. One photo at a time. Give me some time!

suznmari Loc: Woodstock, IL

I've never heard of this - Thank You! Great idea.

Billybuzz Loc: Whiteford, MD

I recently started the same type of project and realized that I was actually creating a visual family tree. I found photos of relatives going back many more generation than I knew I had. It has also given me the opportunity to learn to retouch old photos. Quite an undertaking.

suznmari Loc: Woodstock, IL

Yes, me too! I even found a new half-sibling family that my dad never knew he had and lots of photos of them through research. Yowsers!

willet

Our individual families are much better than any reality show, and many time much more interstting. Get out those old pictures and start saving, scanning, mounting the best that tell "your" story. It may take a little time but this investment in time will give you and other great joy. Try it you'll like it. You will be making a contribution to your family history and only you can do that..............

Billybuzz Loc: Whiteford, MD

I found the same thing. I don't know any of thier names or dates of birth so it's a real undertaking trying to track family members down whose memories and family knowledge go back that far.

suznmari Loc: Woodstock, IL

Yes, I like this...time to get going!