Some Heritage Scrapping advice needed

[faerywings]

As a bunch of you know, or anyone who has seen my gallery in the last week or so, I am working on a heritage album for my mom for Christmas. I have a huge box of photos and negatives from the 1940's. Some of the neg's are in small packets with dates and places labeled, but most are just flyin' around in the box.

A couple of months ago, my mom helped me fill in some names and aprox. years on the neg's I had scanned. But most of them I have no idea on when or who or where. Aside from my mom, I don't have anyone who can helo me identify them. I could have my mom come up, excpet I am feeling a bit pressured on time.


So-- a lot of these pages don't have any journaling. Do I keep plugging along and go with what I have?

I was also considering leaving blank text boxes to have my mom hand write in the info after she gets in. But, I know that she won;'t do that. She will want to leave it exactly as she got it.

My last thought (this just came to me as I am typing this!)should I leave the last page of the album as an Index? That way she won't feel like she is defacing the photos but will give her a place to write in the info?

How have you all dealt with this or have seen is done?
TIA!!

 

[Ellen]

I do have loads of family photos too where we don't know who or where they are.
Funny whilst I was halfway through reading your post I thought why not add an extra page where the details can be filled in if ever found.
At least you know that these photos will be preserved safely in a book, plug on regardless it's fun to see them .

 

[clarabear]

Why don't you leave the boxes blank and give her printouts of the book. Ask her to fill them in so you can have the book printed. Or ask her what to write and you fill in the boxes??

 

[LaurieW]

Does she do internet? You could upload to a private album the photos and ask her to leave you comments

 

[Scrappie Irene]

I made a heritage book last year and didn't know all the names. Lucky me I found parts of the family tree on the web and got it contact with some far far far family members.
The grandmother of my mother in law was the sister of his mothers' grandmother.
We could exchange photos with each other which was really nice, especially when we both had half of a photo card that was cut into 2 pieces in 1938 and could digitally combine them again!

But also after these contacts I still didn't know all the names, we just weren't sure of them all. I did use the photos in the album but didn't write any names.

You can see mine here:
http://www.albelli.nl/onlinefotoboek-delen/1828f359-c2a8-4285-b169-bce20d9cf672

 

[LSlycord]

Chris, what you know is better than knowing nothing and leaving the pictures in a box. Keep going!!!

 

[tanteva]

Maybe nothing you can use ... but I came to think of this poem:

The Strangers In The Box
Submitted by: Kahtain
Author: Pam Harazim

Come, look with me inside this drawer
In this box I've often seen
At the pictures, black and white
Faces proud, still and serene.

I wish I knew the people
These strangers in the box
Their names and all their memories
Are lost among the 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 would have taken time,
To tell who, what, and when,
Those 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.

http://www.scrapbook.com/poems/doc/6790/174.html

 

[faerywings]

These are all fab ideas!!!

I am thinking that I will use Eva's poem as a "Prologue" and an Index page in the back as a way for my mom or anyone else to add notes/names etc.
Not to mention-- 2 less pages for me to scrap!

 

[Ellen]

Eva what a great find, thanks for passing it on.