I'm starting to make a new album of photos of my father, who was born in 1908 and died in 1987. The first half of his life was quite interesting and varied: his mother was unmarried, they lived in inner London in considerable poverty, he left school at 14, somehow learned to play the double bass, and earned his living in the music business for about 30 years, travelling extensively in Europe, India and Malaysia.
I have plenty of photos, and even business cards, concert party programmes, press cuttings - but not nearly all the stories. Why didn't I ask him? He was a difficult man, but I wish I had taken the time. Now, I'm staring at photos as if, if I look at them long enough, all the gaps will be filled, all the secrets revealed.
Moral of the story: ask all the questions you can think of while your parents/ grandparents etc. are still alive!