Creating a Family Memory Archive
Just over a hundred years ago, George Eastman invented the Kodak camera and promoted it with the catchy slogan: “You press the button, we do the rest.” In one fell swoop, he not only made it possible for anyone--man, woman or child--to take photographs, but he also provided a service that processed the film quickly and economically. Right from the start, people loved this new gadget--we still do. But Eastman made it all so easy that now most of us have more snapshots than we know what to do with.

As we continue to document every aspect of our increasingly complex and busy lives in pictures, the more they tend to pile up--sometimes for decades. Usually they are just thrown helter skelter into boxes. Adding to the chaos, are the old family albums we inherited or the ones that were made when we were children. Unfortunately, few of these albums or boxes are safe environments for photos or mementos because they are made with highly acidic materials that lend to the item’s deterioration or fading. Typically, we feel overwhelmed and procrastinate further until the pile takes on the dimension of a Mount Everest that feels impossible to climb.

Sadly, the more we procrastinate, the more these precious documents of our family’s history are in danger of being destroyed or lost. However, the good news is that we now have within easy reach all of the information and products necessary to ward off disaster. Responding to our collective need, a huge industry has developed around the manufacture and marketing of archival photo albums, supplies, and framing materials. We still have to ask ourselves the hard questions like, “Do I really need fifty puppy pictures of my now ten-year-old dog, or would two or three say the same thing?” but in answer to this latter dilemma, yet another industry has come into being--that of the personal archivist.

My background as a visual artist, curator, photo editor and art consultant has provided me with a wide range of knowledge and skills pertaining to the arts. After more than 20 years of working in art galleries, installing exhibitions, and preparing museum-quality works for exhibit, I acquired useful practical knowledge about the archival care and display of art, especially works on paper. I have also been actively involved in a movement to encourage wider appreciation for the anonymous snapshot as an artifact that is worthy of being collected. This latter work has led to museum and gallery exhibits, books, and the curating of individual collections. I have also been working as a family photo archivist for many years. As a result, I look at thousands of photographs on a regular basis, and am able to quickly assess an image’s merits.

The primary goal of any archivist is to protect the document. In the case of the personal family photo archivist, another important goal is to provide a unique and beautiful means with which the client can enjoy and share the family’s visual history in the form of albums and framed installations. Following a preliminary consultation, the hands-on process might take a few days, many months, or even years depending on the project’s scope--the quantity of material that requires editing, restoration, framing, etc., along with whatever else the client’s needs might dictate. My services include: consultation on album selection, editing assistance, album assembly, computer scanning for reproduction purposes, matting and framing, and installation of framed photographs. In the beginning, I can only give an estimate of how long it might take to complete the project, but I do guarantee that major organizational progress will be accomplished and that the top of Mount Everest will at least be within sight.