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I finished the CD of slightly less than 2000 images, added a freeware family tree program with a file one of my brothers made of our family tree, and a freeware program to look at the images. I then mailed it to 20 plus family members.
First, WyoNewK - Excellent advice and information!
I took the responsibility on to scan almost 2000 images and make over 20 CD's. I even created a montage of old pictures for the CD lablel. I researched good freeware genealogy and image programs and added them to the CD with detailed instructions for how to use them. I then mailed them to all the relatives that wanted them and a few that didn't seem to care. I mailed a letter with them that described what was on the CD, how to install and use the programs and told them that the CD should be copied every 5-10 years.
The information, along with pretty much everything I have on our computers, is on our home server which is backed up to Carbon Copy.
I now pass the baton on to others for the copying of the information on to new CD's. I've done what I can.
Quote:
Originally Posted by bjh;21876689Digitial:
[B
Don't consider temporary storage to be the preservation. Put them on a hard drive and migrate the images every time you change to a new system. That's what museums and archives do.[/b]
I agree. If you are willing you should also use an online backup company to keep them safe. The yearly cost for this is minimal. If you don't use an online backup keep one off site. Having all you backups in a single fire, flood, tornado, etc negates having them.
Quote:
Originally Posted by EnricoV
I think the most important thing you can do with them, however, is to add a border to the image, and add a caption, identifying the photo with who, what, and where (as known), making it a permanent part of the digital image.
Good idea! I wish I had thought of this. I added descriptions, but in a different manner. I like your idea better.
Maybe I'll redo our CD. Being retired I have plenty of time...
While making an archival paper copy might preserve the image - it's still only one or two copies you have. If you make digital copies, and distribute them (either by putting them on the internet somewhere or producing DVDs for everyone you know) the chances of that image surviving are much greater.
I think the most important thing you can do with them, however, is to add a border to the image, and add a caption, identifying the photo with who, what, and where (as known), making it a permanent part of the digital image.
Good point, online images clearly have no back to write on. So a caption on a border of the image is a good way to go.
I scanned the majority of photos from early 1900's to present. It took me about five years to get them scanned and "cleaned up." I continually update the "family album" with digital pictures I take now. I found the most difficult part was to put them in order by date and identity. I have been adding text to them (identifying people and places), so future generation won't have to wonder who is who and where they were! I use a basic numbering system, which easily tells the date i.e. 2011 1100, 2011 1101 (year and month). It definitely is a labor of love and have had fun showing the grandchildren my grandfather and great grandfather.
I have inherited about 30 family albums from my grandparents with photos datign abck to the 1890s. When I was small, I recall the photos being stored in large flat boxes under their bed. When I was in grade school, Grandma made it a project to get them all put into albums. She placed each photo, mounted with double-stick tape (eeek!) onto those construction paper with acetate overlay pages (again... eeeek!!) into binders. Well, I guess it was better than the mechanical damage from rubbing together in the boxes. I'm about halfway through re-doing them all. I disassemble each page, carefully cutting through the tape. Photos are scanned and identified with who, where, and when. They are then mounted onto acid free paper using paper photo corners and placed into archival pages. A laser-printed label is then placed onto the outside of the page and all are stored in archival binders and kept in individual storage boxes. The images are catalogued using Thumbs Plus which allows me to store additional info in the image metadata - who/what/where, keywords, etc. I'm keeping this on my local drive, on an attached RAID array, and copy regularly to DVD and send copies to several family members.
On our family photos, since we've gone digital, I add who and when, (and sometimes where) into the image via Photoshop before printing. I like printed albums as there's something much more satisfying about flipping pages while sitting on the sofa as compared to hitting a space bar to move to the next image.
Also on the recent pics, I keep a separate folder with all of the images as they came from the camera. It's like keeping the original negatives from the film days.
I recently received several large boxes of family letters and other documents (work papers, school papers, medical records, etc.) dating back to the early 1930's. These will first be scanned and then I'll figure how to best preserve them as well.
Is anyone else digitally preserving such documents? What do you do with the originals?
Have you preserved your family photos digitally yet?
Or you going to?
Why or why not?
My brother is in the process of doing that with some family albums in order to share them with other family members.
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So a caption on a border of the image is a good way to go.
