Join in the Dialogue: Organizing Photos

Miriam Robbin Midkiff, who writes a blog called AnceStories: The Stories of My Ancestors, also hosts Scanfest, a monthly online scanning session held the last Sunday of every month. She’s invited all of you and your friends to attend. Miriam can send you instructions on how to join in on the chat session to keep life interesting while placing photos on a scanner. Learn more about Scanfest on her blog. Mark your calendar for the next Scanfest, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. PCT on Jan. 25. If I can get my Windows Live Messenger to work, I’ll be there.

A reader pointed out that you can digitally tag pictures using the free program called Fototagger. I’m a huge fan. Try it and see why.

Another person inquired about using adhesive labels on the backs of photos. I don’t advocate using any adhesives on pictures. As a former archivist, I’ve seen the long-term damage.

Instead, I’d suggest placing the photo in a non-PVC sleeve of a similar size and including a same-size sheet of acid- and lignin-free cardstock. You can put the label on that paper, rather than the back of the picture. I’ve purchased non-PVC sleeves from a number of vendors (run a Google search on archival supplies).

Thank you, Linda! She wrote a long comment about ways to use the free photo-organizing software Picasa, and how she “files” her pictures on her computer. It’s full of great tips.

As always Kathryn, thank you for being a fan. Of course you can post a link to last week’s photo-organizing post in the California Genealogical Society‘s e-newsletter. Can you include a link in the comment section of this posting to share the other tips in the newsletter?

I actually took two weeks off this holiday season! Of course I did some photo- related activities. For readers who live in the Washington, DC, area, check out the exhibit of photographic jewelry at the National Portrait Gallery. It’s called Tokens of Affection and Regard: Photographic Jewelry and Its Makers, and it’s fantastic. There’s also an exhibit on photographs of Abraham Lincoln and online exhibition links on the Web site.