We’ve just started this process on our late neighbour’s papers. We knew she had “a rich life” until we started working through the piles of stuff it was hidden behind a virtual net curtain, glimpsed but fleetingly. There is no family line to take a reconstruction, so we’re digitising and putting stuff up on “local” FB pages hoping it may help fill in the gaps of other people’s stories. What is worth keeping will go to the local museum. There’s a further rabbit hole as she kept the papers of our late neighbour on the other side, again no family.
There are also newspapers back as far as 1815, that weren’t just acting as shelf liners. Why were these kept? Why is there a copy of the London Gazette detailing wills from the West Indies?
I’m glad you are happy to be exploring your family archive. I’ve inherited my own family archive and find myself constructing stories out of it all. A few lines in a letter and suddenly a family history falls into place. I can’t keep it all but aware that by curating it I’m putting my own spin on it. What to do?
Love this ! The photos and letters are absolute treasures and should definitely be kept.
Who writes letters nowadays or gets actual prints of all the 282651739 pictures on clouds or hard drives ( I make sure I get prints every month or at least every other month , I like holding them in my hands ) ?
I was given some great advice here about drawings, paintings, art projects etc. my daughters did when they were younger. Keep hold of your absolute favourite items - the ones that really matter to you (in your case, that ace photo for a start) and bin the rest. It’s worked a treat for me. Worth considering?
We’ve just started this process on our late neighbour’s papers. We knew she had “a rich life” until we started working through the piles of stuff it was hidden behind a virtual net curtain, glimpsed but fleetingly. There is no family line to take a reconstruction, so we’re digitising and putting stuff up on “local” FB pages hoping it may help fill in the gaps of other people’s stories. What is worth keeping will go to the local museum. There’s a further rabbit hole as she kept the papers of our late neighbour on the other side, again no family.
There are also newspapers back as far as 1815, that weren’t just acting as shelf liners. Why were these kept? Why is there a copy of the London Gazette detailing wills from the West Indies?
I’m glad you are happy to be exploring your family archive. I’ve inherited my own family archive and find myself constructing stories out of it all. A few lines in a letter and suddenly a family history falls into place. I can’t keep it all but aware that by curating it I’m putting my own spin on it. What to do?
Love this ! The photos and letters are absolute treasures and should definitely be kept.
Who writes letters nowadays or gets actual prints of all the 282651739 pictures on clouds or hard drives ( I make sure I get prints every month or at least every other month , I like holding them in my hands ) ?
Keep those old family memories safe ;-)
I love this article, Dad. Thanks for sharing it!
Please let me know how the jewelry chat goes with KT.
Much love. x
I was given some great advice here about drawings, paintings, art projects etc. my daughters did when they were younger. Keep hold of your absolute favourite items - the ones that really matter to you (in your case, that ace photo for a start) and bin the rest. It’s worked a treat for me. Worth considering?