Bringing the Past into Focus

Have you inherited a box of old photos or a family heirloom? Not sure what to do with them? A lot of historical information can be gleaned from these precious glimpses of the past. Instead of just leaving them in the box or placing them unidentified in an album, try the following helpful ideas:

• Enlarge photographs. My parents and grandparents had many small black-and-white photographs that were taken in the early to mid 1900s. I enlarged them all to eight-by-ten inches to better see the historical details in the background.

• Identify photographs. It is important to identify not only the people in the photographs but also the location. Perhaps there is even a story behind the event being photographed. Talk to anyone who may have helpful information if you don’t know it firsthand.

• Photograph ancestors’ personal items. When my grandmother died, I inherited her silverware. I wondered when she bought it, how much she paid for it, and on what occasions she used it. Luckily my mother was able to answer many of my questions, and I included that information when I put my photo of the silverware in a heritage album.

Marlene Cameron Thomas, Pellissippi Ward, Knoxville Tennessee Stake