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Original poster

What to do with old photos - suggestions?

19 replies

LaVolcan · 08/01/2014 15:23

I have inherited a stash of old photos dating from my grandparents and parents. I have been through them and thrown out the ones of unidentified people and unidentified places all taken goodness knows when, pre war and post war.

I have taken out a set of albums (6d from Woolworths, when 6d wasn't cheap) which my grandfather had carefully annotated.

Any ideas about the rest? My husband (Mr Hoarder) would keep them, or scan them, maybe, but there are hundreds of them.

(We have hundreds of our own, but at least they are in drawers and annotated on the back with who when where.)

OP posts:
Saminthemiddle · 08/01/2014 16:23

Will be interested in what others say as just started to do this myself. I am definitely going to throw away at least half and scan the rest. I really think my children will just want a few of their distant relatives and not the thousands I have inherited!

happydutchmummy · 08/01/2014 17:59

I'd scan the ones you like, then offer the rest to family members to see if they want any. If there aren't any takers, how about offering them to a local archive or maybe a primary school to use for a random history project (see what clothes people wore, what the city looked like, etc). That way someone will still be getting some use out of them.

Minion · 08/01/2014 18:07

Have you a small downstairs loo? If so, paste them to the wall, Modge podge/pva over them a create an interesting wall for people to peruse whilst they sit and ponder...

I plan on doing that with our travelling pics.

peking · 08/01/2014 18:18

Wow, jealous...I have only one photo c.WW2 era of a relative - wish I had more.

Remember if any of your descendants want to do some family history or archiving, they probably won't be able to see the image in electronic format - unless you store it in a local history archive or something.

Original poster
LaVolcan · 08/01/2014 21:05

They have been offered around, but seem to have ended up with me. DD wants to keep them, but doesn't want the bother of storing them and sorting them.

Is a school likely to want them? The problem is that most are undated but I imagine that a good few could be from the 1930s.

There is one of my grandfather in a sports team of some sort, possibly his regiment from WW1? Could be, but there's no names on the back. It's most frustrating.

There's a studio portrait of a distinguished looking woman - but again, no name, no date. Agh!

OP posts:
BoffinMum · 08/01/2014 22:19

Get an archive box from a library suppliers, stick them in there, put them somewhere clean and dry and postpone the problem!

Original poster
LaVolcan · 08/01/2014 22:32

BoffinMum - Hmm That has been the approach for the last 70 years, but I now think it's time to put a stop to that.

I will probably keep some, and bin a few more.

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betterwhenthesunshines · 09/01/2014 20:27

Don't bin anything that's WWII or before! I would imagine there is a huge market for unidentified old photos. Look on eBay, sell them at a local auction house, go to Greenwich market (or antique market near you) and see if a dealer wants to buy them.

I've bought some in the past at markets, along with old maps, tickets etc

BoffinMum · 09/01/2014 20:54

Turn them into art and flog them??

Make photo gifts

CashmereMouse · 09/01/2014 21:20

Oh don't just bin them, that would be such a shame, there's plenty of people who would be interested in them even if they have no idea who the subjects are.

How about seeing if an auction house or archives would be interested? Or put them as a job lot/s on ebay/freecycle/gumtree. I've seen lovely clever crafty things etc made with old photos, would love to try something myself.

Or even give them to a charity shop.

I've just done a google search for "ideas for displaying old family photos" and there's some fab ideas and examples of what others have done. I would link but it won't let me c&p for some reason.

Original poster
LaVolcan · 09/01/2014 23:09

I've just done a google search for "ideas for displaying old family photos" and there's some fab ideas and examples of what others have done.

W e l l - I could wallpaper the whole house with them, but really there is a limit as to how many walls I want of people walking along piers and promenades, which seems to be the subject of most of them.

Would auction houses really want them? I would be astonished if they did.

OP posts:
500internalerror · 09/01/2014 23:17

Gosh, if you're going to bin thrm I'd have them like a shot! I can't bear seeing history and records of life being thrown away Hmm

LadyMetroland · 10/01/2014 10:09

Put them on ebay for 99p starting bid and see what happens

Agree with others it would be a real shame to throw away these glimpses into our past

Original poster
LaVolcan · 10/01/2014 11:16

I hadn't thought of e-bay, but had a quick look. There's pages and pages of old photographs! Most of the ones which get bids are either named people or interesting places e.g. Indo-china.

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Original poster
LaVolcan · 10/01/2014 11:19

In fact: 288,509 results in Antique (Pre-1940) i.e. more than a 1/4 million!

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CashmereMouse · 16/01/2014 09:29

But even if they only made you £5 and they went to somebody who would enjoy them, that's got to be better than throwing them away.

Just look at how many people on this thread have send it would be such a shame to chuck them in the bin.

Yes I think an auction house would certainly be interested as a job lot, you could ask them what they think a realistic reserve price would be. Or put them in with no reserve and see how much they go for, just to get them off your hands.

If you really can't be doing with the hassle, then just take them to the nearest charity shop. My local one has a box of bits; old postcards, photos, maps, stamps etc and it's 10p an item and there's always somebody choosing something from it.

I just hate to think of history being thrown away when someone could get pleasure from it.

Original poster
LaVolcan · 16/01/2014 13:08

Well, I have got a friend who volunteers in Oxfam, so I will sound her out. (It's been useful talking to her in the past asking just what they will take and won't take.)

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specialsubject · 16/01/2014 14:08

ask round if anyone in your family is researching the history. I have been searching for 20 years for a photo of my great-grandmother because they were all thrown out!!

I agree that you don't need to keep loads, but do keep a few of each person.

as for the rest; do you have a local museum? Does your family belong to an ethnic group or trade that would be interested? (if you are Jewish there are plenty of museums/historical societies and I'm sure other groups must be similar)

itstheyearzero · 20/01/2014 11:22

If there are any of Blackpool I would love to have them!

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