gessman Loc: Colorado

As one of 4 kids, our family photos were "split up" and nobody was satisfied how it was done. I collected all of 'em up, scanned or whatever and put the collection back together and on cd. With 3 sons of my own, I've scanned in all of the early pics and provided each multiple copies of cd's so each has it all. The paper versions will go to the one who is most trustworthy of the 3.

I told this story once before on here but this is a good place to share it again. One day in Tucson, in a thrift store, I found 9 - 400 foot reels of 16mm film, the life story of a family from Connecticut that dated back to 1928. "Pa" had retired there, passed away and his estate wound up in that store. I, an old movie projectionist when younger, just happened to have my jeweler's loupe in my pocket and inspected the film. I saw that it was involving a family with a boy, a girl, and their dog. I bought the film and found that the boxes that it was sent for development to Kodak were there also so I had names and addresses to work with. I bought a projector and viewed the film. There were vacations at the beach, mom's graduation from prestigious women's college, Smith College in upstate NY. There was footage of a pre-Presidential campaign speech by Franklin Roosevelt, footage of the first Macy's Day Parade, footage of what looked like the Hindenburg blimp flying over NY City, and other stuff.

I decided to locate the people if possible and put that film back in their hands. In the event I couldn't locate the family, in the interim, I contacted Macy's about the film and they were missing that "first parade" and wanted it for their archives. The Roosevelt museum wanted the footage, etc. I agreed to make them copies but only after I had given up on locating the family which had moved to PA, MO, NY, and other places over the years with father's job which was a college professor. Not being able to focus on the girl due to name change via marriage, I concentrated on the boy. I put out feelers in genealogy forums, did direct mail, etc., and somewhere between 5 and 6 years out it paid off. I found the boy, now a lawyer in NJ and his sister, a school administrator in upstate NY and put the film in their hands, a very gratifying achievement, I must say. We need to watch out for each other and maybe go out of our way a little when we see a need to do so. Some folks won't care, others will be eternally grateful.

BrandyVSOP Loc: Oregon USA

I certainly think this video taping was a grand idea...!
I so wish I had had a video camera 20+++ years ago when my Dad did the very same thing at a family reunion... Now, all but one of those relatives, is gone. What a treat that would have been to have...

When, my wife's Daughter's Dad passed, he had taken pictures, (slides) most all his life... she pulled out the ones she wanted and tossed the rest. I could not help but think of the countless hours spent taking them, and in a few short minutes, the bulk of them all met the fate of the eternal dumpster. I too, could not help but feel a little sad, and thinking too, of all of my own pictures taken so carefully over a lifetime, someday meeting up with the eternal dumpster.

BrandyVSOP Loc: Oregon USA

What a truly heroic effort and fabulous outcome! A wonderful story with a very happy ending. Thanks for sharing it again as I missed it the first time around...

Coloradokook Loc: Colorado

It does make me sad ...when my grandmothers house burned to the ground all of the family photos were lost and I really love old photos.....even if I don't know the people in them. Recently I picked up an old photo album from 1914 at the flea market in a box of old books, that belonged to a girl by the name of Virginia Rae Wright with photos of her and her brother. From the captions I know she was born in 1915 and her brother David was born in 1913. I also know the were raised in Denver Colorado. I have tried to find relatives of these people but haven't been able to so far. I really wish I could return theses photos to decendents of Virginia or David.

Nevada Chuck

Agreed.

gessman Loc: Colorado

At the library, they have old City Directories where everyone was listed alphabetically by head of household and many, if not most, have all members of a family listed. With just over 100 people named Wright with telephones in the Denver today, it is likely that there would have been far fewer back in the day when those kids were little. If nothing else, start cold calling Wright phone numbers. Chances are you'll reach a relative as the family has spread out down the years. Don't give up on 'em. I made a bunch of calls nationwide to put that film back into the family's hands. Somebody here knows who they are. I'd be happy to split the call list and give you a hand if you're limited for time, or even do all the calling if you aren't able. email me @ gessmansr@gmail.com

pbotterweg Loc: Phoenix, AZ

When my house was broken into about 26 years ago, my exwife was more concerned over the stolen VCR than the quarter carat diamond ring that was left to her by her grandmother. It is very sad that there are people who are uncocerned about cherishable items. When my grandparents were pressured to leave their homeland, they at least made sure to pack their photos. My parents still have those photos and when I get the opportunity I will scan everyone of them and give out copies to my brothers and my blood cousins. They appreciate the value of history and memories.

Ann B Loc: Northeast Indiana

What a grand offer Gessman! I've had some very heartwarming things happen through my genealogical research including finding shoe-string relatives who were also researching. There's lots of help out there.
And believe it or not, my grandkids are somewhat interested. I expect that will continue, especially with my 10-year-old granddaughter. She's like one of the previous posts on this thread, interested in the history of our area. Since we live in a small rural area, it's likely that there is a connection to at least half of the people here in our family history. She is the fourth generation to attend her school on my mother-in-law's side and the fifth on my father-in-law's side. My husband's class was a whopping 19 strong & that was a big class. Now with the consolidations, the classes are much larger. I've collected photos of lots of them & even have the newspaper with his great-grandmother's valdictory address printed in it (from the early 1900s). About half of that class factors into his ancestory. His mother's side dates back to the Mass. Bay Colony and on back to England through the King Edwards. What a find that one was! My grandkids all think it's fun to look at their line on my database -- I have back to their 40th great grandfather, Eahlmund, King of Kent. Thanks to another researcher we have all of the documentation records going back to the 700s. Yes, I can attest, it is thrilling to find something like this in your family history. The English kept very good records of the royal line. But I diverse -- finding photos is also a grand feeling. I've been after my mother to mark who all of her old ones are & have been writing down notes in my program so they will be there if anyone is interested.

gessman Loc: Colorado

I discovered in my 3 years in England, courtesy of the USAF, that they are a much more mature and civilized people than we are and have had their stuff together for a few centuries. Of course they shipped all their nut cases to here and Australia so they weeded out their rogue dna and we're dealing with it today, here. My wife got into genealogy and lead me into it so I'm my family's genealogist also just so you'll know to whom you're talking. Unfortunately, a lot of British records were destroyed by Hitler's bombing but they still have much better records than do we, thanks mostly to the Civil War. I did a lot of research onsite in the eastern part of TN along the sub-Appalachian migratory path and found that most places where I needed information from had been ransacked, pillaged and burned.

I apologize - I didn't look back up and thought I was responding to the lady from Colorado who has the photo album. Should some of my comment fail to make sense... Sorry :oops:

jackinkc Loc: Kansas City

[quote]Yes, but what are you going to do? My will suggests that my pics should be hidden in a tin trunk in the far corner of an attic, in a tin trunk, in the hope that no-one will find them for decades. I have no children, but I have a sort of adopted daughter (the daughter of a very old friend, to whom I am a sort of deputy father) and there's no reason why she (or my actual nephews, nieces and great-nieces) should really be all that interested.

Sometimes a town or county historical society is interested in old family photos. It is REALLY important that persons in family pictures be identified.

Coloradokook Loc: Colorado

Thank you so much for your offer....I noticed you are from Colorado too....I will check these solutions out and if I need help I will ghet in touch!
At the library, they have old City Directories where everyone was listed alphabetically by head of household and many, if not most, have all members of a family listed. With just over 100 people named Wright with telephones in the Denver today, it is likely that there would have been far fewer back in the day when those kids were little. If nothing else, start cold calling Wright phone numbers. Chances are you'll reach a relative as the family has spread out down the years. Don't give up on 'em. I made a bunch of calls nationwide to put that film back into the family's hands. Somebody here knows who they are. I'd be happy to split the call list and give you a hand if you're limited for time, or even do all the calling if you aren't able. email me @ gessmansr@gmail.com[/quote]

gessman Loc: Colorado

[/quote]

Yes, I live in the Denver metro area. Keep us posted as to your progress and hang onto that email address in case. I admire you for rescuing the album. Have a good one.

hamtrack Loc: Omaha NE

Are you by chance an ex patriot of Green Valley AZ and the GV camera club?

catcher T Loc: Detroit

thats amazing to me that they would be left possibley on purpose. I took all the photos from my auntie mom's when her and my uncle had passed, then I passed out the photos to the person that was in them. Same with my sisters when our mom passed, we're just starting the process of building one of those hardcover books online, each one of us can have a amount of pages(they decided to limit the pages, they know i could fill up 20 in no time) we scan the photos and drop them in. We wouldnt leave them for the world! Its the same when I go to those second hand shops and see a whole family from an era for sale on the wall, if those photos could talk!!

gessman Loc: Colorado

Would you mind identifying who you intended to see this? In the future when you want to respond to a particular person, please hit the "Quote Reply" button rather than just the "Reply" button so the other person's post is in you and everyone will know who you're talking to. Thanks.