This is where my love of vintage truly began! My grandparents, Mummu and Vaari, inspired me in countless ways. They were full Finnish and they were the “it” couple. Vaari was born in 1915. Mummu was born in 1917. People used to say Mummu was as beautiful as Marilyn Monroe, a beautiful blonde bombshell. This adorable […]
When I was going through old photos of my grandparents, I discovered this picture of my grandma. I don’t remember my grandma ever playing guitar, but I do remember her playing piano and singing, especially yodeling! My Grandma Rose was the strongest woman I’ve ever known. I wrote this about her for her eulogy: “I learned […]
The tell-tale signs are appearing – a yellow, brown or hazy fog is starting to emerge. These are the inevitable symptoms of aging magnetic photo albums. And many families have an abundance of albums like these, languishing on shelves around the world. Magnetic photo albums were a popular storage method for photos throughout the 1970s, 1980s […]
It was only fifteen minutes into the cleaning frenzy when I came across her photo. It was a vintage, black- and-white portrait of a young starlet, her long, wavy hair pinned gently back and a demure smile resting on her face as she looked away from the camera. Across the front, her signature was scrawled: Patricia […]
Somehow you’ve ended up with boxes of photographs, slides and piles of albums, and now you’re the family historian! You might have some old family photos that still look good, some may be ready to scan and some may need some serious restoration. Before you begin the lengthy and sometimes costly restoration process, here are […]
I admit it. I’m a photo hoarder. In fact, I bet I’m not the only one. That’s right, I’m looking at you! But don’t worry, you’re not alone. Millions of people feel like they’re drowning in a sea of digital photos. So many of us are struggling to wade through our digital photos that there’s an entire organization dedicated to […]
We’ve all been there. The moment is simultaneously exciting and discouraging. Opening up an album that’s been sitting in an attic for decades feels a lot like discovering buried treasure. And like most buried treasure, your precious family albums may look like they’ve seen better days. Dust and grime can build up on photos when they sit, untouched […]
Family photo albums are in danger. In fact, curators and collectors like Erik Kessels have dedicated years of their lives to studying and saving family photo albums – before it’s too late. Many curators and collectors believe analog family photo albums are on the verge of extinction. The fact that every family’s photo album could be in danger has piqued the […]
All I want for Christmas is memories. Christmas morning, 1968. Here, my parents captured that magical moment when my siblings and I rounded the corner from our front stairs and hallway to the living room. When we stepped into the room, we saw that Santa had made his visit; erecting a massive tree, decorating every […]
My very first Christmas, 1954. Looks like everyone got rockers for their new babies. We were all baby girls and there were still two more yet to come! It was pretty awesome growing up in a family of all girls. My big sisters Chrissy and Patty were wearing their new Christmas dresses that my mother […]
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