My late father-in-law, Edgar James Wood (1903-1986), was a lifelong photography buff, leaving behind hundreds of negatives, photos, and slides. Starting at the age of 14, he photographed his family, his home, his travels, and more.
As I reorganize Ed's collection in preparation for storing in archival albums, I'm scanning some of the negatives he never printed.
Turn negatives into photos
There are a number of apps that will do this (see Elizabeth Swanay O’Neal's Heart of the Family post here).
Or do scan the negative, then invert the image using photo software (as I showed in my blog post here).
Once the negative is displayed electronically as a positive, it's much easier to enlarge and figure out who or what was photographed. Otherwise, the family history might remain trapped on the negative--which may deteriorate before too long.
Enlarge and look for clues
The photo at top, from a negative I scanned and inverted, was taken about 1919 by Ed Wood. It was sandwiched between photos of his brothers, which were dated that year (this particular negative had no date).
Enlarged on the screen, a clue stood out. Reflected in the mirror is the headboard of a bed. My husband and I recognized its distinctive shape instantly, because one almost exactly like it was part of the Wood family's household for decades. Perhaps Ed's father, a busy carpenter and builder, made the headboards for the family?
With this clue in mind, I strongly believe we're looking at the bedroom of my husband's grandparents--the parents of the teenaged photographer who snapped the photo circa 1919.
My hubby noticed that there's no doorknob on the door, only an old-fashioned latch that lifts, with a bolt for locking. I'm charmed by the wallpaper and the fabric covering the shelf, plus the graceful chair--a glimpse of how these ancestors lived.
By turning negatives into viewable photos and enlarging the images, it's easier to notice and share clues like these--tiny insights into the family's past.
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For more ideas about preserving the family's past for the sake of future generations, please see my recently updated book (available in print or as an ebook), Planning a Future for Your Family's Past.
It is a lovely period piece. Glad you can preserve it.
ReplyDeleteYou are fortunate to have these photos of the interior. Back in the day, most photos inside needed a flash, which were expensive. The bulbs were only used once. Most of our photos were taken outdoors.
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