our latest preservation project

We just started our latest film and photo preservation project for Jonathan's grandmother, Sadie -- the very same Sadie who inspired the Sadie Wedding Invitation Suite! 

Right now we're digitizing all of her old photographs. Most of them are in excellent condition, and they will only need a little cropping and retouching. Once they are all digitized and edited, we'll make CDs for her to give to family members, and then we'll use all of her favorite images to create a custom 100-page heritage photo book that she'll be able to keep on her coffee table.

One of the great things about digitizing old images is that our clients are able to enjoy the copies every day -- on a gallery wall, in frames, in a photo book, tacked on a bulletin board, etc. They are constantly surrounded by precious memories and family heirlooms, while also preserving the original images for future generations.

Curious about how to care for your images? We recommend keeping a copy of the digital images on a DVD at the bank and storing all of the original images in acid-free photo albums or photo boxes in a climate-controlled space.

We are currently accepting large and small film and photo preservation projects. You can contact us here to learn more about the process.

family stories: tina de forcade

As a child, I didn't realize what a blessing it was that I was able to spend time with three of my grandparents and my great-grandmother. Now I recognize just how special those years were to all of the generations. 

My great-grandmother Tina de Forcade passed away in 1991. I was seven years old, but I remember her vividly. She didn't speak to us in English, but that didn't matter. My sister, cousins and I would sit on her bed or in her lap, and she would talk to us in Italian. She had kind eyes and soft skin. She seemed so ancient and wise. I wish I had more memories of her. I hope this post will encourage my family to share some of their memories (hint, hint), so I can share them on the blog. 

She was a beautiful lady with a timeless sense of style and a lovely twinkle in her eye. 

With her daughter Lucy and grandchildren Tina and Fred. 

With Fred and a very adorable baby Tina.

With her two eldest great-grandchildren -- me and my cousin Carlo -- in 1985. 

vintage palos verdes

We've been scanning more film from our family archives this week.

All of these are of Palos Verdes, California around 1960. The beautiful church is Wayfarers Chapel. The last photo taken from the car is really neat as well...love seeing all the old cars!

We'll be back with more next week! 

film preservation: the 1960s home

Photo preservation is so cool. 

Who doesn't have a box of film slides that has been sitting on the top shelf of a closet for years and years? That dusty container holds precious memories that have been all but forgotten. Many of the people in the images have been gone for at least a generation. Homes, furnishings, cars and gardens look different. Colors and styles have changed. 

By preserving these images, we bring the past back to life. Perhaps we realize that so much of what is gone has come back in style again. Perhaps we see something that inspires us. We reconnect with family and friends we haven't seen for decades. For the first time, we "meet" grandparents and great-grandparents who gave us our appearances and personalities. We discover our love for 1960s Cadillacs or mid-century furniture. We decide to work on our posture. We shop for classic clothes that we hope will still look good forty years from now. We turn off the TV and put down our iPhones. We live for today.

Film slides won't last forever. Even if they have been stored in their original boxes in a climate-controlled space, they are very susceptible to fading, dirt and scratches. As someone who considers these images to be priceless, I recommend preserving digital and print versions of every image. From there, make multiple copies, share with family and friends and store at least one copy of the digital files in a fireproof safe.  

Last summer, I started preserving our family slides and discovered I had a passion for the process. Gerald & Joan now offers film preservation as one of our service lines, and we'd love to help you preserve your family's images. More importantly, we want to encourage you to get those boxes out of the closet. The memories are much too special to lose forever.