Genealogy Chat

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Found some old photos this morning at the car boot with the old album separate. I couldn't leave them and see them thrown away so bought the lot. Quite a treasure as far as I am concerned. My husband thinks I'm mad but I am in clover. Would love to reunite them with the families but alas nothing on the reverse, had to share my treasures with you all though! Elaine

Hi Elaine, I know what you mean, I went to a junk shop a little while ago and there were boxes and boxes of old photos, without a home, and i felt a bit sad that those moments in those peoples lives were just sitting there and no-one knew who or what they were. But there were too many for me to buy, but I wish I had now. Lindsey

I'm glad someone feels the same. They are magnificent to look at and from several areas of the country, guess I better look into dating them, something else to learn cause this hobby sets you off on all sorts of avenues Elaine

Found this little poem that is quite apt, thought I'd share it, I have a few like this, of my grandfathers family, know they are related but cannot put names to them. STRANGERS IN THE BOX Come, look with me inside this drawer, In this box I've often seen, At the pictures, black and white, Faces proud, still,serene. I wish I knew the people, These strangers in the box, Their names and all their memories Are lost among my socks. I wonder what their lives were like. How did they spend their days? What about their special times? I'll never know their ways. If only someone had taken time To tell who, what, where, when, These faces of my heritage Would come to life again. Could this become the fate Of the pictures we take today? The faces and the memories Someday to be tossed away? Make time to save your pictures, Seize the opportunity when it knocks, Or someday you and yours could be The strangers in the box. © 1997 by Pamela A. Harazim. All Rights Reserved. May be used in unchanged form for non-commercial purposes if accompanied by this copyright message.

Apt or what, if anybody ever buys my house I am going to sort my photos, as I have promised myself and write on the back of them! Elaine

Use pencil or labels, write then stick! hopefully no imprint or damage. Others may say different! Cas : )

Thanks everyone Elaine

Elaine, there was a lady on here a few days ago who had set up a website for old photos. She said people could send her theirs to see if anyone recognised the people in them. unfortunately I can't find the thread!

Elaine, I had exactly the same experience as you and it was genuinely a moving experience. I succesfully reunited a box of old photographs with a descendant of the person who left them in a loft 60 years ago and in the process revealed a sad story of a woman widowed young and having to put her children into a home. Can you imagine the experience of sitting in a pub with a man who tearfully thumbs through pictures identifying person after person thanking you over and over again? Stick with it. The first thing you must do is put them into some order. Some of the pictures will have been taken at the same time and you should group them together. I spread the whole lot over the lounge floor and gradually put them into chronological order. Look for details in the background. Make a note of what's written on the backs of the photos because once they are grouped together you can work out other things. For example, you might see a picture labelled 'Madge 2/9/36'. Another picture might show the same person in a group saying 'The Sandersons outside Rose Cottage' . Straight away, you will know that her name was Madge Sanderson. See what I mean? The really tricky bit is identifying people throught the passage of time, but if you are not sure if you are looking at the same person in pictures 50 years apart, look closely at their ears. Seriously. While our faces change, our ears remain much the same whether we are fat or thin, young or old. If you see that the ears are different you know it won't be the same person.

Just been looking at threads and found one . Was redirected to this http://www.reminiscene.(co).(uk)/page21.htm Thanks everyone but must go before my daughter throws a wobbler (just in case I don't get back to you soon) such grief from one about to start exams! Good job she isn't reading this! Elaine

Thanks Lyla Will look into that one Elaine

Elaine Looked in my files, and the lady's name was Jackie Mau x

Thanks everyone, will let you know how I get on Elaine