Monday, January 16, 2012

Yippee! I'm Getting Aunty Betty's Photo File!

Wonderful and organized Aunt Betty is giving me her digital photo file! I'm so very happy because she has Williams family photos that neither Mom nor I have and that will make my cache of pictures all the richer. I'm about to bust a button!

Hunting about for old photos is one of my passions in genealogy. To look in the face of a great grandparent or never-seen cousin of some sort is real magical to me. Is there a family resemblance? Do I have my GGF's eyes or chin? It's a WOW moment for sure.

As I treasure all these old photos I'm wondering about the best ways to get them shared to other family members, no matter how distant, who have even the tiniest interest in family history. How can they be set out on their way down to the generations to come? Technology changes so fast. What will things be like in 100 years and what's the best way to insure that these images are handed down?

Printed photos seem to suffer the most peril. But digital files suffer from techno-change. Remember the 8-track tape... or BetaMax? TIF files are really stable but JPGs are more exchangeable. Oh well, all will be revealed in the fullness of time, I guess.

Meanwhile, if you have any thoughts on this I'd really appreciate hearing your views. I would especially like to know of an online photo album hosting service (free or low cost, if you know what I mean) that can handle a couple of hundred images per account. And while I'm at it, let me say a special thanks to all who have helped me find my way in the past!! I just love you guys!!

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