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After scanning old photos, archive in a box or trash?
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Jul 11, 2018 13:18:18   #
Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States
 
What do most people do with old photos that they scanned? Archive them in a box or throw them out?
I have many that are over 50 years old that I will be scanning. Scans are backed up in three places and in the cloud.
My primary reason for scanning them is to have a digital copy and also make them available to family.
It appears that they all will fit in one copier paper box.

Thoughts and opinions?

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Jul 11, 2018 13:29:35   #
Hedge neighbor
 
I don't think there is a right or wrong answer to this and maybe I am from the old school but to me there is still something special about holding and sharing an actual printed photo. If I have the space I would keep the originals. And if you have the time and are interested I would also make a note of the digital file name on the back of the print (using photo safe pencils or pens) to help keep them organized.

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Jul 11, 2018 13:31:18   #
lbuhle Loc: Media, PA
 
I keep them. Scanning equipment does get better, my retouching efforts get better....and returning to the "original" remains an option. With that said, priority goes to the original negative/positive (in the case of slides) over prints. I don't mind parting with prints if the negative/positive is in good condition.

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Jul 11, 2018 13:34:24   #
robertjerl Loc: Corona, California
 
Longshadow wrote:
What do most people do with old photos that they scanned? Archive them in a box or throw them out?
I have many that are over 50 years old that I will be scanning. Scans are backed up in three places and in the cloud.
My primary reason for scanning them is to have a digital copy and also make them available to family.
It appears that they all will fit in one copier paper box.

Thoughts and opinions?


Only one file box? Then if I were you I would keep them, you can use the box for a book end or something.
I have about 10 file boxes of photos, slides, negatives etc. "Jerry is into photography, give him all the old pictures and cameras of the whole family, both sides."
I plan on keeping the negatives and slides and only the prints that don't have negatives with them. In addition to the boxes I have about six large 3 ring binders of negatives, some with proof sheets, from classes and field schools/classes where I was the unofficial photographer back in the early 70's.

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Jul 11, 2018 13:35:46   #
Stardust Loc: Central Illinois
 
If you have any amount of family store them, let them have fun going through them after you are gone. They can than toss 99% of them. For me, with just one son no grandkids, I scan if I want to keep then burn. Of course there are packrats that have kept every bad snapshot ever taken.

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Jul 11, 2018 13:44:53   #
wayne barnett Loc: Grants Pass, Oregon
 
Only one addition. If you keep the photos, in addition to a connection to a file, put the name of the person, event, place. I have many with out any ID on the back so become worthless as no one knows who people in Pics are.

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Jul 11, 2018 15:29:46   #
Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States
 
wayne barnett wrote:
Only one addition. If you keep the photos, in addition to a connection to a file, put the name of the person, event, place. I have many with out any ID on the back so become worthless as no one knows who people in Pics are.


Yea, I have a bunch from Ontario circa 1950, no names, no one to contact, but I know they are family.......

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Jul 11, 2018 16:01:14   #
rpavich Loc: West Virginia
 
Longshadow wrote:
What do most people do with old photos that they scanned? Archive them in a box or throw them out?
I have many that are over 50 years old that I will be scanning. Scans are backed up in three places and in the cloud.
My primary reason for scanning them is to have a digital copy and also make them available to family.
It appears that they all will fit in one copier paper box.

Thoughts and opinions?


I would never toss pictures and keep scans.

Pictures exist in the real world, scans are just vapor.

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Jul 11, 2018 16:15:22   #
Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States
 
rpavich wrote:
I would never toss pictures and keep scans.

Pictures exist in the real world, scans are just vapor.

Interesting analogy!

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Jul 11, 2018 16:44:09   #
FreddB Loc: PA - Delaware County
 
Who/what are they photos of?
Military units? CCC camps? (If you don't know what they were, Google it). Old school pictures, even wedding pictures.
Sell them - yard sales, amazon, etc. Someone will buy them and hope/pretend/convince themselves that guy in the back row might could be their grand- or greatgrand- father. People do buy nostalgia. Sad but true.

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Jul 11, 2018 16:51:14   #
Stardust Loc: Central Illinois
 
rpavich wrote:
Pictures exist in the real world, scans are just vapor.
Are you sure since that thought was just vapor in your mind? Besides, if you have the scan you can always re-create the paper picture if needed or desired.

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Jul 11, 2018 16:52:59   #
JohnSwanda Loc: San Francisco
 
If you want to keep the scans for family, why wouldn't you want to keep the prints for the family? Future generations might value the original photographs more than an electronic copy. But, as someone else said, write identifying information on the back while someone can remember it. And also enter that information in the file information of the scans.

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Jul 11, 2018 17:55:57   #
JD750 Loc: SoCal
 
Longshadow wrote:
What do most people do with old photos that they scanned? Archive them in a box or throw them out?
I have many that are over 50 years old that I will be scanning. Scans are backed up in three places and in the cloud.
My primary reason for scanning them is to have a digital copy and also make them available to family.
It appears that they all will fit in one copier paper box.

Thoughts and opinions?


You said: "My primary reason for scanning them is to have a digital copy and also make them available to family."

There is your answer.

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Jul 11, 2018 19:38:50   #
Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States
 
JD750 wrote:
You said: "My primary reason for scanning them is to have a digital copy and also make them available to family."

There is your answer.

I know it's embedded in there somewhere, but I can't find it.

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Jul 11, 2018 19:54:03   #
Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States
 
Thanks everyone, you all confirmed my initial thoughts about keeping them.
(I have a hard time getting rid of books also.)

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