Telling the story of a heritage photo is probably the most difficult. What exactly is a heritage photo anyway? Old....really old. These photos are especially important as our children are growing up. That dreaded year of elementary school is bound to come. Your child will arrive home and say, “I have to draw a family tree.
Now, let me just say that my mom's family, had a very interesting history. I've just recently discovered that the first boat sank that was bringing my grandmother and her three children to Canada. Luckily, they were rescue by another boat because my mom was still just a twinkle in my grandfather's eye. Unfortunatey my grandfather was only told that the boat sank and was not aware that his wife and children were still alive until they arrived in Canada. I can only imagine his thoughts and feelings during this time, from deep sorrow to overwhelming joy...and of course, wonderful surprise.
Well, you didn’t live with those ancestors from generations ago, and neither did your kids...maybe even your parents didn’t live with them. Those ancestors have the core traditions and background that your children will be looking for as they mature and look for their own identity. You can piece together the stories of these generations-ago family members, but you’ll need your spyglass and pipe! Not really, but you will need tenacity. Pull as many pictures together as possible. You’ll want to refer to them collectively, yet sort them by era (use people in the pictures or backgrounds to help determine the facts of the picture). If you’ve been blessed by another family member with a collection of already proven facts, use those as a reference for building on for the unknown stories of these pictures.
Record the facts as best you can. Talk to living relatives about the pictures. Ask questions about the people in the pictures, locations, and anything they may have been told by their parents or grandparents about those people and places. Ask especially about how events were celebrated or marked within the family. Did they graduate from college? High school? Did your mom grow up in a Hutterite community in Alberta and later leave this community when she was 18 years old with her older sister? Oh, wait, that was my mom. Record this information so that you can keep it separate but put it with the picture later should you determine it holds merit.
Do I have a picture of my mom at 18, or the Hutterite community where she grew up? No. But the story is amazing and I want it recorded so my children, siblings, and friends can be amazed and inspired by what she did. So as you’re collecting information, recognize that those stories, even without a picture, can be as powerful as the photos you’re preserving. All the stories of your family are important to your family’s history. Remember, if you enjoyed hearing the story, future generations will too. Now...where is that picture of my mom and dad on their favourite beach in Jamaica?
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