redbugsullivan

If you have pictures of your ancestors, friends, family, please go and label them! Get Post-It notes and write who is in the pic and how they are related to you. Be specific! Don't assume anyone looking at your notes will understand and make connections.

Your children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and beyond will thank you for making their family tree more complete!

My sisters and I spent a good deal of today trying to figure out who was who in the pics included in our mother's cedar chest. Rather sad when someone who was so important to our loved one becomes a voiceless name...

ptquilts

Yes, Amen to this! We had DH's mother do this on all the family pics she gave us. Not sure anyone will care down the line, but who knows, and at least it is done.

burchquilts

Not long ago I found a shoebox full of fabulous old photographs... of some people who I have NO IDEA wwho they are! I assume they're folks I'm related to but your guess is as good as mine. It makes me so sad! So, yes... LABEL YOUR PIX!

joyce j

I did a Ancestry thing for both sides of my family . Found pictures I did not know, an to late to find out. but loved my journey of finding relatives I never knew. An where we came from . Thought my kids would love to know this . But they care less right now.Maybe some day they will sit an say that is where I began. joyce j

Tartan

The younger generation isn't really interested in their ancestors. Wait until they get older and they will be. Label the pictures you have and if you can, put them all on computer storage as well. Who even takes pictures and has them developed any more?

raptureready

I decided to identify all the pictures that mom and dad had--lot's from dad's side of the family. I kept finding pictures of young women from the late 1800's and early 1900's. I asked dad who they were and he said he didn't know. I told him that I was going to find out. He looked at me, grinned and said, "Good luck. Your grandpa, Uncle Will, Uncle Ike and Uncle Marion joined a lonely hearts club and women from all over sent their pictures to them." lol You just never know.

nivosum

I have done this. I also included the woman's maiden name along with her married name. Several branches of many great grandmother's family line is lost because we don't know their maiden name or who their parent were.

nativetexan

I agree. My mother had an armoire with a large drawer in the bottom that was simply full of black and white photos. I would sit looking though them at times. no notations on the backs of any of them.

mountain deb

I collected old wedding pics where ever I could find them for awhile. It was sad to see so many happy couples without names,dates.

JoyjoyMarie

Good advice! I am also glad to know I am not alone with the boxes of photos! I just wish I lived near my siblings so they could help me sort it out, and make some sort of digital collection for our children.

Some of you are right - the kids aren't interested---BUT neither was I when I was younger - just too busy to take the time to look at this stuff, but now, I so wish Mama had labeled the stuff. I have time and interest now. I hope to get all the photos put on cds or dvds. Maybe someday in the future, there will be good enough face recognition software that we can figure out some of the characters in the photos at least.