Genealogy Chat

It has been a practice of mine to write on the back of photos - who, when & where etc.

A relative has loaned me some photos, which I've 'scanned & saved' and will eventually transfer to a CD - how do I keep the details of the photo, with each photo?

I hope that makes sense?

M. Steer

Thanks Jolly Sailor.

No I use pen (it lasts longer than pencil) but I'm very careful not to press too hard. I know I shouldn't really do it but there's nothing worse than finding an old photo and having no idea who it's of.

Such a simple solution! Thankyou very much.

M. Steer

Put the photos in transparent covers and write on the covers.

Jolly Sailor,

I appreciate what you're saying but pencil soon fades. So what to do, if you have an actual print?

I have some photos that are between 70 - 100 years old. Maybe, in 100 yrs. time someone may come across a photo of me but have no idea who it is.

M. Steer

If you are going to transfer to cd then you just need to give each pic a file no and then put an index card in cd case. Alternatively you can give each scan a file name which indicates who it is and when. When I save a census image I give each file the person's name and year of census, that way they are easy to find.

Pencil is the best as Jolly Sailor says. Pencil lasts for many years and I have many with pencil that have lasted 100 years so far and still going strong.

No genealogist worth their salt would ever suggest use of pen. You may find your pen had not leaked but todays inks are very poor in comparison with yesterdays inks and I will say that you have been very lucky not to have a leak.

I had one "greenhorn" to Family History who used pen on an old photograph with devastating results.

If you really value your old photos then use pencil, but if you are not bothered then use what you like.

Janet North London Borders

I have some old photos sent from England to my gt grandparents over 100 yrs ago. The senders wrote in ink on the back and they are still fine. They are mostly carte de visite with 2 or 3 cabinet photos, all on thick card. Those which were not named I have written on in pencil.
A relative scanned my old photos, he scanned the backs as well, labelled the photos 1a (etc) and backs 1b (etc.)

Hi
I agree with Margaret it is worse to have a photo and not know who it is than to have a slightly damaged photo. I have a few old photos and not know who they are.
Julie

Julie

I do not think anyone that I can see on this thread has disagreed with Margaret over having names on the backs of photos.

What we are differing on is whether or not this should be in pencil or ink.

Having been to many lectures on Family History, this old chestnut is constantly cropping up, and all the experts that I have come across say that any writing on the backs of photos should be in pencil, and soft, not hard pencil, as a hard pencil will also show through. on the photograph.

As many of my photos have pencil names on the back and are 100 years old, I am also saying that pencil does stand the test of time and it has not damaged the photograph.

Janet North London Borders.

Paper Conservators that I know are very worried about so called "Acid Free products" which have not yet stood the test of time.

Janet NLB

Thanks to everyone for their replies.

I now have a good idea of various methods of saving the info (from the back of photos) onto a CD, to which I have copied said photos.

I must be honest, though. I haven't written on the back of a photo for some time. Mainly, because there are no photos anymore. Many years ago we started using slide film then we went digital. It's not the same - there's something special about an actual photo.

As for 'storing' my photos - I do it the same way my parents (and probably my Grandparents) did - all together in a small suitcase!

M. Steer

Margaret,

Many of the old fashioned ways of saving your precious records are still the best, as they have stood the test of time and most people who conserve papers today will tell you that the best way is to keep your docs in the dark in a cardboard box or even a suitcase! Just be careful of putting things together with metal paper clips as they are lethal!

If you are scanning photos into computer remember to scan the back as well as the picture because the back will often date the photo for you and is as important as the picture!

Janet NLB

In regard to pencils, H stands for hard and B for black, so HB is hard black, H is hard, also 2H, 3H etc while B is black also 2B, 3B etc. The Bs are softer and the higher the number in front the blacker I think. Most choirs insist on using only 2B or 3B for marking scores. It is easier to rub out afterwards.
Perhaps if you have some not-too-good photos you could experiment with different pencils.