It seems to me that if you have an interest in genealogy, you might also have an interest in creating scrapbooks. Both hobbies center around important family events, such as birthdays and weddings. As you continue your genealogy research, you may come across family photos that you had not seen before, as well as old photos of your ancestors. It seems natural to combine these two hobbies, in order to create a spectacular family album.
Part of the fun of making a scrapbook is that you get to relive the memories from the days the photos were taken. You get to use your artistic talent to design a page that really fits the mood or theme of the photos that are on the page. A nice thing about scrapbooks is that, in addition to photos, you can add small items alongside the photos. For example, there might be a photo of your family attending a baseball game together, sitting next to the ticket stubs from that game. If you have been lucky enough to come across old photos, letters, newspaper clippings, and other interesting things about your ancestors, why not combine it into a scrapbook? This is one way to bring your family tree to life.
Saving your genealogy research in visual form is more than just decorative. It can also be a good tool to use to uncover stories about your family that might have remained forgotten if not for the visual cue. There has been some research that indicates that when a senior recalls specific events or specific people from their past, that person is exercising his or her episodic memory. He or she might find it easier to recall that same information again later on.
Some genealogists have decided to try and document the stories that have been passed down through their family for generations. Many people choose to do this in audio or video format, while others will simply write down, or type out, the story itself into a blog format. Before you begin interviewing family members, you might want to take the time to put together a scrapbook of the photos, and other information, that you have collected so far. It’s possible that your relative will recognize people in a photo that you were unable to identify. Looking at old photos might spark a memory of something that happened long ago, that even the teller of the story did not remember until that moment. You may end up with family stories that you have never heard before. But, even if you don’t, this is still a fun way to connect with your living relatives.
Image by June Campbell on Flickr