Preserving old photography

Today I have been scanning negatives of the children's fifth birthday party and a teacher's wedding they attended with their class from about the same time in 1997.

I always kept a diary until I had my children, then with three babies arriving all at once this stopped! I did however start taking many more photos than ever before. I tried to be organised enough to get them into an album, adding written details as soon as each developed film dropped through the letter box. The negatives were all kept but not in any organised form. Although some time later I put these in negative files, and where I knew details added them for later reference, however many were not labelled.

Andrew, Catherine and Emily ready to blow out the candles.

Several years ago Mum and Dad has a sort out and found a big box of slides. I had seen an advert in a local shop to have negatives scanned onto CD. I paid to have some slides from the box put onto CD for my family as a Christmas gift. This went down really well and everyone was pleased to see these old photos again. I was however disappointed with the quality and some were not straight or had marks on. No attempt had been made to clean them or straighten them. A few years ago we got this lovely Cannon printer and scanner and I started working my way through the colour and black and white negatives. One day I plan to rescan the slides I paid to have scanned too!

Andrew in the Hammock

I wanted to show the photos I had found with family and friends involved, and thought of emailing some. Then I hit on the idea of adding them to an album on Facebook. This was very successful as the children in the photos were thrilled and tagged themselves and added comments. I have also become friends on Facebook with several parents of these children who I had lost touch with over the years.

Catherine with her shoes on the wrong feet!

Learn Something New Every Day:

I learnt the value of scanning old photographs, negatives and slides and preserving them for the future.

Emily bouncing round the garden on a birthday present.

I also learnt the value and reward of sharing these old memories with family and friends. A new way og getting in touch with old friends.

Year 1 teacher Miss Hunt, becomes Mrs Fox. All the children went along to the wedding.


My page for today.