Take a hands-on approach to archiving your personal treasures
Days before my grandmother’s funeral, my eldest aunt — a true hoarder of memories — unleashed some of my family’s most precious history on the dining room table.
Sprawled across the place where we shared many dinners were nearly a century’s worth of photos; a journal with my grandfather’s last scribbles; and the many love letters my Nana had written my grandfather when he served in the Korean War.
I gently took the letters out of a Ziploc bag, unfolding them to read Nana’s penciled words.
“My Dearest Darling, Just a few lines to let you know that I am well.”
“I can’t wait for you to come home. It seems like the days are just dragging by.”
“Honey, don’t laugh, but I am sending you two dollars. I know that isn’t much but it’s better than not having anything (smile)”
I chuckled at what was my grandmother’s 1950s equivalent of an emoji. I took her letters home with me, vowing to preserve them or to make a display that would make them easier to read.
Since I was little, I’ve done my best to hold on to memories.
What started as a shoebox in middle school has evolved into two large plastic bins full of mementos. There are birthday and Christmas cards, love letters, encouraging notes, embarrassing journal entries, reporter notebooks, movie and concert tickets from nearly two decades ago, and photos I always seem to forget about.
Sifting through this unruly, unorganized collection of memories is always reviving. It reminds me of where I’m from, where I’ve been and the things I’ve done. In my darkest hours, it reminds me of the important things — what I cared about and who cares about me, the history I’ve witnessed and the history I am: I have my own history. I am a small, live piece of history.
Over time, though, I’ve gotten lazy about keeping these treasures in one place. So many of them are scattered and shoved in dresser and desk drawers around the house: my own love
letters to my husband and my grandfather’s obituary buried in unopened mail; valuable pictures and videos hidden within the depths of my phone.
I’ve made the effort in recent years to print out photos, creating a collage of loved ones I pass by as I wander around my house, but major life events within the past two years — a global pandemic, multiple funerals, my wedding — have had me thinking: Are my memories safe? How will I show and share what is happening in my slice of the world with the future? And the next time I pour through my memory box, will it be a disoriented, frantic search for comfort after losing another person I love?
I don’t want that to be the case, and fortunately, it doesn’t have to be.
Several resources within the state — from the Houston Public Library to the Texas State Library Archives and Commission — work to educate people about the benefits and methods of archiving, organizing and preserving our personal histories. And according to Miguell Ceasar, lead archivist at the African American Library at the Gregory School, and state archivist Jelain Chubb, it’s never too early to start.
Make your memories last with these tips:
Figure out an organization system.
“Knowing how you’re going to organize the material is helpful. Are you organizing it by family member, by date, by activity?” Chubb said. “You may make some changes later on, but it’s good to have an organization scheme to start with.”
Download your digital documents and organize them.
If you’ve captured precious moments on your phone,* here’s your reminder to download them and/or back them up to the cloud. Chubb recommends going the extra mile to organize and identify them, which will make searching for certain documents easier in the future.
Digitize your photos and documents, and make several copies.
At-home scanners and even cellphone cameras can simplify making digital versions of your most prized photographs or documents. And this is especially important in Houston.
“You never know when the next flood is going to happen,” Ceasar said. “Something always happens here, and you could lose stuff in a blink of an eye.”
Most recently, I used the mobile app Genius Scan to digitize pages in my grandfather’s journal. Once you digitize, Chubb said it’s best to make several copies and save in several places — like your computer, on the cloud and on multiple USBs or hard drives that can be stored in different places. Chubb said she’s used this method, too — scanning all her photos and backing them up on her computer and a thumb drive that she keeps in a zip-top bag should disaster strike. She shares additional copies with family members for safekeeping.
Be mindful of how you store your documents, and avoid sticky tape and glue at all costs.
It’s not uncommon to see families with photo albums with pictures adhered to the album using something sticky, but Ceasar and Chubb said that’s a huge no-no. Often, chemicals in the glue or tape can eat at archival material — doing more harm than good. Instead, seek out archival-rated materials, like acid-free folders or photo books that allow you to place your items in plastic, protective sleeves. Chubb advises avoiding magnetic photo albums for pictures.
Wear gloves.
Handle your memories with care, Ceasar said. Wearing gloves can protect fragile items from harsh chemicals or anything on your fingers that could contribute to items quickly breaking down.
Talk to your elders.
Speaking with your family can be crucial to filling in the gaps or getting more detail about your archival materials. “Family conversations are absolutely essential to really getting something about the people in the photos. Who were they?” Chubb said.
Document the details.
“Make sure that as you collect photographs, you document where you got them, who they are, when it was taken and who you got it from,” Chubb said. “As much information as you can gather about photos is helpful.” Chubb advises opting for pencils over ink when writing details about your archives. Using ink pens, which often require the user to apply pressure, can run, leave an indent or crack the photo’s emulsion. Lightly writing with a soft, No. 1 pencil is the best option for both photos and paper, she said.
Keep any prized possessions or archives in a controlled environment.
In Houston, heat, sun, humidity, flooding and critters can threaten any valued family possessions — especially photos or paper. Be sure to keep your archives in dry, dark and cool spaces without too much light exposure, Caesar said. This means choosing somewhere other than the attic or garage.
Bring your memories to a trusted institution that will archive them.
If you think some of your materials might fare better in the hands of a library or archivists, or you have a hunch that it might add some historical context to our understanding of the world, consider donating your items to a trusted institution. Local libraries, such as the African American Library, the Houston Public Library and many universities, including Rice University and University of Houston, have their own archives that accept submissions from the community.
“When people come to donate, there’s a myth that we’ll take your stuff and you’ll have no rights or control,” Ceasar said. But many archivists give options. At the library, for example, those willing to donate their items will get details on how the items are kept and cared for. Some institutions offer digital copies in exchange for digital archives, and for those who might be reluctant to part with their photographs or other documents, some institutions with settle for a digitized copy to add to their online collections.
“Bring it to us and we’ll help you out,” Ceasar said.