Finding Hidden Treasure Among the Piles of Old Family Photos...

Finding a sweet, never-before-seen photo of myself was just one reward for finally starting to digitize my own family’s photo collection.

As a photo archivist, it’s a little embarrassing to admit that my own family has a huge pile of disorganized old photos and keepsakes. I’m talking slides, photo albums, VHS tapes, loose prints, framed photos, sleeves of negatives, audio tapes, antique scrapbooks…you name it. And with such a big family, the sheer volume is overwhelming.

Years ago, I digitized everything for my own little household, scanning, labeling, and backing up (in multiple places!) my own photo collection. It was a big project, but it was rewarding to replace bulky albums with neat archival boxes and digital images I could easily view and share.

But my extended family’s collection was a different story.  We all talked about the importance of preserving these memories, but no one ever took that first step. Finally, I decided to pick a spot and just start. I grabbed a carousel of slides and some vintage photo albums and began scanning.

Here’s what I discovered.  Unlike my own collection, these extended family photos were full of people I didn’t know, images I’d never seen, and stories I hadn’t heard, all playing out on the pages of these old albums. It was a completely different experience than scanning my immediate family photos. I discovered photos of my stylish young parents before they had (8!) kids. I saw pictures of my siblings playing with treasured childhood neighbors. And one of my very favorite finds was a picture of 3-year-old me that I had never seen.

I uncovered historic treasures too, the Space Needle being built, water skiers inside Memorial Stadium, and a family trip to the Seattle World’s Fair.

Every photo told a story—some made me smile, some brought nostalgia, and some revealed new family history. Many made me want to send them straight to my siblings to share the joy of my discoveries.

Here’s the thing: getting started was the ardest part. Once I did, I was motivated by my finds to keep going.

This experience reminded me why I love what I do at Signature Photo Organizing. Helping families take that first step, digging into their piles of memories, and bringing those photos back to life—that’s why I love my job.

If your family’s photo collection feels too big, too messy, or too overwhelming to tackle, let me help. The reward of seeing your memories beautifully preserved and easy to share is worth every second.

The first step is just starting—and that’s what I can help you with.