Going through old photographs

collection of old family photos

I found a box in the bottom of my wardrobe - Spring cleaning, by the way. These photos go back 50 years, mostly family and friends. As I go through them I can't believe how many of family and friends have gone to greener pastures. Now the problem is, do I throw out these photos or keep them and let my boys discard them when I kick the bucket. I put my son's photos into two different bundles and Mum and Dad and sisters into another bundle, nobody else will remember all of my friends. I must admit I have torn up a lot and still have quite a few more to get through. 

What do YLC members do with your old photos?

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I have scrapbooked many old photos but still have boxes full as my dad left me all of his too.

I do a lot of scrapbooking too.  I have also given old family photos to the people concerned rather than keep them myself or toss them.  Finally I only keep the best or most sentimental photos and shred the rest. 

I have a good memory and recall many of my very old relatives and friends of my parents.None of my siblings remembered them and of course my own children wouldn't have a clue.They will probably throw the whole lot out when I am no longer here

I scanned all my old photos into my computer a couple of yers ago. I did have a computer crash last year and for some reason the scanned photos did not go up to the Cloud so I have lost them.(They were saved as jpegs) I now have disk back ups of all my photos and I have given copies to each of my children. As you say doubt anyne else is really interested in them

 

 

..... yep - sad really .... I asked my 28 year old GenY (and only son ....)  "hey would you like me to do something nice with all these photo's "??? He said "Yeah Mum throw them out"!!!   Really? 

I asked him -    "but ....  don't you want to know your heritage/your past ...  blah blah...."'?  He said  "No not really - the past is past - deal with what is happening in the world today -  tomorrow and in the future! - I never knew any of those people anyway - so why keep an Album of "dead people"?      Arrghhhhh .............???"

I was gobsmacked!  He is the most wonderful and caring son - BUT .......   ?????  Maybe he is right - I need to "move on"?   Get rid of baggage?   Hmmmmm ....... different values today???  Dunno anymore ........

Funny thing is Foxy mine were the same but when they reached their late 30s suddenly they became interested, and started to go through photos asking if they could have copies, maybe an age thing.

 

.... you are possibly right Viv.  I am not throwing them out...some of them are in the old "watercolour" tinted like pics on thick card?  (like 80 - 100 years ago!) I don't know - but they were handed down to me from my Grandma and Mum (both long deceased.....) ......

...when I "cark it" - he can decide what he wants to do with them! I know "kids" can't keep or want everything we want to hand down ......but - like most of us "Mums" I have incredible "stuff" that to ME is of quite sentimental value?  Like my Grandma's decorative pure silver and mother of pearl handled "Butterknife" - that we still use at Xmas etc. with pate's/butter.  all kinds of things like that  - I have told him - "you need to keep these"  - least he has agreed to that - lol ......... oh well .............     :-) 

I think the old photos are very special - maybe best thing is to keep the best, document who is in the photos and the circumstances.

Old photos and letters are special - a visit to historic villages such as Queensland's herberton village (atherton) is testament to the importance of old articles such as photos, letters, reports .

i have a whole suitcase here of old photos from my mother in law,     when she died and hubby had to go to geelong to clear the house out,    it was surprising what he found,     but all the ones in the case were of he and his older brother and sister,   some of his old granfather,  [they were a hoot]   and his mother with the kids,   i was going to throw them out,   but he is the senimental type,    so they sit on top of one of his wardrobes,      my eldest daughter keeps photos,   but the younger one doesnt,    my son never worried about them unil he had a family of his own,   now his house is full of photos of the boys,     i do have ones of the kids as they grew up,    but not many,     a lot got lost in the moving process, 

Thanks everyone, with all the helpful information, I now have the urge to hunt for those old tin boxes filled with black and white photos and have another look.

I think it is a great pity to dispose of family snaps. I made an album for each child with a selection of family photos showing their childhood. I have an album of old family photos. they were invaluable to me as I have been documenting our family tree and wish I had more.

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