Notes on the back of old photos

I have a Hayling Island snap from about 4 years later I think.

What a lovely find. I see so many posts on genealogy groups from people who sadly have photo's that they don't know who they are of or where taken.

I always think how much people are going to miss out when so many people no longer have actual photo's and just store them on phones or computers. There could be nothing for future generations to see. I am lucky enough to have images from my paternal GGGrandparents onwards and maternal GGrandparents.

no many years ago, my O.H got all our photos, and we have lots,,,and he wrote the names on the back of all of them.
I'd love to have photos of my GGrandparents, I do my family tree, and I keep hoping to find more..

I write on the back of my old photos. My dad used to do the same, sometimes with lovely Bible verses too. It shows me we and others were very loved by him.

I was also in holiday on Hayling Island in 1956 foxglove. It was my parents choice for our annual week at the seaside. . Mr C and I have had several holidays there too. It’s not changed so much.

I remember it being VERY WINDY!

pably15

no many years ago, my O.H got all our photos, and we have lots,,,and he wrote the names on the back of all of them.
I'd love to have photos of my GGrandparents, I do my family tree, and I keep hoping to find more..

During a boring weekend a couple of years ago, with rain belting down I settled myself comfortably with a big pile of old photos and did the same.It may be interesting for grandchildren and great grandchildren in the future to look at.

https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/202509/medium-8ieno-img-0618.jpeg https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/202509/medium-7kxwua-img-0608.jpeg

I found an old photo at my mums after she died. A large group of Edwardian people. I’d never seen it before. Thankfully her cousin was still alive and she put names to all of the faces and told me the history of some of them, too. I’ll be forever grateful to her. The footballers were in a charity shop; I somehow managed to find out who they were ( someone on the internet probably knew; one of the upsides of the www).

Going through my mum's photos was good as they had the names of the people on the back until we got to the one that said 'no idea'.

We have a few old photographs from my family and DH's, but it's so annoying when some have no names on the back. There's one of his dad as a little boy, with four ladies. His mum had three sisters, but we've no idea which woman is his dad's mum ! If only they'd written names on the back.

I hate being photographed and always have. I recently found a photo of me aged 2, which my mother had sent to my father who was in the army in India. The picture showed me holding my favourite doll facing outward so her face could be seen. On the back my mother had written ^This is NOT a photo of M0nica, it is a photo of Doll-lol-lol. My dislike of being photgraphed goes back that far.

Like some others, when I found my parents’ photos after their death, I found that there was nothing on the back of any of them to say who and where they were.
I have got boxes of photos which are from my marriage in 1966 . Unfortunately, I went down the route of having some of them on the computer and didn’t print them off. Thankfully, I still kept the originals so when the computer died, I lost nothing. I have learned nothing from that though and the photos I take now are on my iPhone. As far as I know, I couldn't print them off if I wanted to, so if and when that dies, they will all be gone.
My children and grandchildren only have the photos that are on their phones. I feel sad that future generations won’t have photo albums to look at and won’t see how things were at this time. Half the fun of researching family tree stuff on the computer is seeing photos of times gone by. Future generations won’t have that and it’s very sad. How will they know what we wore, the houses we lived in, the furniture we chose? I find that heartbreaking.
What do others think? Am I being a dinosaur?

I found a picture of a new baby amongst my late mother's things which had this written on the reverse:
" Cathy Kelly's baby. Please send it back". It made me laugh.

Some of the comments my DF wrote much later on the back of very old photos (1920s/early 30s) did amuse us.

One seaside one read something like, ‘Great Aunts Gertrude and Elsie, dressed in the fashion of staid ladies of their day.’

His memory decades after the events was remarkable. Some relatives had a farm, where he’d stayed s a child, and there was once pic of a magnificent shire type horse, all smartened up for a show - he even remembered his name, Boxer.

A few years ago I had someone to colorize a wedding photo of my husband and me..it turned out beautiful, true to colours too.
I was so pleased I shared it on my Facebook. I have 2 great grandchildren..seeing my wedding photo I was asked by Mummy if I'd get a copy for the children, and any other older family pictures, asked to write on the back. I,was delighted to do so as I'm very much into the family tree.
I not only had them printed but placed them in a nice album..
Last year when the family moved house the album was returned.."I believe this is yours" as it was handed to me..my heart sank. It's stil here if they want it, when clearing my home..

grannygran
I can see that someone didn't keep your photo/photos which must have been both sad and irritating...but who?
Your mother?
I'm a bit confused.
Sorry.

This (labelling old photos) has been on my 'to do' list since I moved into my flat 14 years ago!! Both adult children have been to visit me - from the US - this summer, and I have been encouraged to get on with it!!!

grannygran

A few years ago I had someone to colorize a wedding photo of my husband and me..it turned out beautiful, true to colours too.
I was so pleased I shared it on my Facebook. I have 2 great grandchildren..seeing my wedding photo I was asked by Mummy if I'd get a copy for the children, and any other older family pictures, asked to write on the back. I,was delighted to do so as I'm very much into the family tree.
I not only had them printed but placed them in a nice album..
Last year when the family moved house the album was returned.."I believe this is yours" as it was handed to me..my heart sank. It's stil here if they want it, when clearing my home..

Recently a cousin of DH's sent him some video footage of his parents in their 20's when they were courting. It was really funny to see them fooling around when he remembers them as much more sensible parents. We also realised how much like his Grandad my youngest son is; we'd never realised. I also got to see my husband as a toddler too. It was wonderful.

I have 2 large plastic boxes of old photos and I keep thinking of putting them on the bonfire. I can't see anybody actually wanting them after I've gone and want to avoid them feeling guilty about throwing them away.

For the last 'tech' times - since about 1993 I have realised that digital photos will mainly be lost to future generations.
I wish there was a depot for all this social history.

I wonder if it is possible to upload photos of the originals onto genealogy sites? Watching Who Do You Think You Are, people are so happy to find photos of previous generations.
Mostly younger people are not interested but as soon as they hit 50ish, start to get more interested.

FoxGlove77, could you afford to have them all digitalised - with the notes on the back, that is much easier to pass on. A sort of time-package for children or grandchildren etc.?

knspol I feel like you. We have loads of photographs, even though I have thrown away a lot as well.

I found it distressing sorting out my Mum's and Dad's personal effects. I don't want to leave all that for my son to do so I will try and get rid of a lot more stuff over the next few years.

Crossstitchfan

Like some others, when I found my parents’ photos after their death, I found that there was nothing on the back of any of them to say who and where they were.
I have got boxes of photos which are from my marriage in 1966 . Unfortunately, I went down the route of having some of them on the computer and didn’t print them off. Thankfully, I still kept the originals so when the computer died, I lost nothing. I have learned nothing from that though and the photos I take now are on my iPhone. As far as I know, I couldn't print them off if I wanted to, so if and when that dies, they will all be gone.
My children and grandchildren only have the photos that are on their phones. I feel sad that future generations won’t have photo albums to look at and won’t see how things were at this time. Half the fun of researching family tree stuff on the computer is seeing photos of times gone by. Future generations won’t have that and it’s very sad. How will they know what we wore, the houses we lived in, the furniture we chose? I find that heartbreaking.
What do others think? Am I being a dinosaur?

Your children and your grandchildren’s photos are in the cloud. Future generation after generation will be able to look at them.
As for the photos on your iPhone there are shops / supermarkets everywhere where you can get your photos printed off.

A lot of old photos will end up at the dumpI suppose.There are only so many times you can look at Great Aunt Ethel on a rock in Cornwall or Great Grandad Maurice on the Pier in Southend circa 1910.😁