Utter frustration!

[Lal]

I borrowed my parents' stack of photos and documents to scan them, they know they're in safe hands because I'm a hoarder like they are. I have a huge bag full of folders and albums and in return I've bought some nice boxes for them to be stored in when I give them back. There's only me and my brother so no danger of the collection being split up. The one thing I couldn't borrow was an enormous 4x3 portrait of my great-great grandmother, I'm just going to have to photograph that.

[candleflame]

Thats one big portrait Lal!!!

[vic1]

My great aunt Who is in her 80s , not only gave the family photos she had to my mum as her daughter has no interest andhad told her to throw them out . BUT annotated them as well . I have photos dating back to at least 1878 may be before. it can not be after that date as the youngest died and there are 5 girls on it  the youngest looking age 5/6 .the youngest died the year before my gg grandmother and they are both buried in the same grave - my ggggrandparents lost two children and gained custody ( at the asking of the  boys father) of two grandsons in two years. i can only imagine how much that photo must have meant - as from then on they get rather fond of the camera.

[mrs.tenacious]

My great aunt Who is in her 80s , not only gave the family photos she had to my mum as her daughter has no interest andhad told her to throw them out . BUT annotated them as well . I have photos dating back to at least 1878 may be before.

You lucky thing!

Still sitting on my hands 

Mrs. T.

[Lal]

Thats one big portrait Lal!!!

It certainly is big, so big there's nowhere to hang it at the moment! And it must have cost someone a lot of money to have done, I've a feeling my great grandmother paid for it because it was found carefully packed away in the loft of her old house. And it's still packed away even now

[traceypat]

Its so lovely to discover family photos you never knew existed. 

My parents died young (64 and 58) and we never had a family photo of all four of us, parents and me and my sister. That really upset me. Then my auntie found an old film and got it developed, and there was a photo of us.   To all of you with children, please get a photo of you all so you have it.  It was often the case of either Mum or Dad took the photo so one of them was missing. I'm cheeky and ask strangers can you take one of us when I want a group photo.

Also when we were clearing the house out I found two photos. Took them to my auntie who said they are your great grandparents and told me all about them.  She never knew these photos existed either, was so exciting.

[mrs.tenacious]

 To all of you with children, please get a photo of you all so you have it.  It was often the case of either Mum or Dad took the photo so one of them was missing.

What an important message, Traceypat, and a very poignant one for me personally.  I mentioned when I posted this thread about our family gathering to celebrate my parents' 60th wedding anniversary, and how we got a great family photo, spanning three generations; my parents, their 3 (out of four)children, spouses/partners and grandchildren. My brother took the photo with a time delay setting, so he was included.

But there were a few hugely important people missing: my sister, her son, his wife and their son. They all live hundred of miles away and couldn't get there. My sister has MS, is disabled and housebound. It proved impossible to get us all there under one roof on the same day.

My Mum & Dad treasure the photo they have, but we all know there's a big gap. My brother thinks he can superimpose photos of my sister and family, so that the whole family is "complete". It would mean the world to us all if it works.

To reiterate Traceypat's sentiments: whenever you may get the opportunity for a proper family photo - grab it. 

Mrs. T.

[Deb D]

Mrs T, if the job of combining photos gets too tricky for your brother, there are always lovely people willing to give it a shot, on the Photo Restoration & Dating board 

[mrs.tenacious]

Thank you Deb D.

They will be the first people I turn to if my brother's efforts need some help.
I've been lucky enough to reap the benefits of their expertise already!

Mrs. T.