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Mairéad | all galleries >> Galleries >> 2022 > Family history
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26-Feb-2022

Family history

Doing some tidying and I came across an old album of postcards belonging to my maternal grandmother.
There's so much family history there -messages from her future husband and cards from her sister who worked as a governess in Belgium and later emigrated to New Zealand - they never saw each other again after that.
Future generations will be so much the poorer now that we communicate electronically.


other sizes: small medium large original auto
Liz Bickel04-Mar-2022 07:45
I agree with you 100% that future generations will be missing a lot without the personal touch that a handwritten note on paper can provide. Old family photo albums and scrap books and other personalized mementos are true treasures. When I go to a museum, I am always memorized reading handwritten (in beautiful script) historical letters from those of former generations to their loved ones of the day. What a shame that these things are becoming museum items more than a heartfelt part of everyday life. I agree with Julie that there was once always an excitement about getting a personal, handwritten letter in the mail. Emails (even from the same people) don't evoke the same kind of emotion. I still have all the old, handwritten love letters from my husband stored in a pretty box. I remember reading and rereading them over and over. I wonder if I'd feel the same kind of sentiment about emails on a computer... Usually, old emails (even saved ones) get lost every time I get a new computer.

You are blessed to have these family treasures. They represent a warmth of life that no electronics can ever provide. Your image above is beautifully staged and photographed. Beautiful composition. Beautiful sentiment.
LynnH28-Feb-2022 03:03
What a wonderful collection! And an excellent still life. V
Raymond Ma28-Feb-2022 00:43
There really is something to cards and letters...especially when you come across old ones with such meaning and charm. No one looks at an old email the same way :0) v
Bill Miller27-Feb-2022 22:47
So true, and it is wonderful to enjoy history with something personal to touch
Johnny JAG27-Feb-2022 20:03
Wonderful keepsakes
Jeff Real27-Feb-2022 15:53
You have taken all of these wonderful treasures and made another beautiful tresasure to cherish!
I love this!
V
globalgadabout27-Feb-2022 03:33
looks like a large collection of meaningful artifacts...it's reassuring to bring back the memories of earlier times...the teacup evokes those days, as well as the hand-coloured card..
Alan K27-Feb-2022 03:29
Mmmmmayyyybe... it depends. At its best electronic communication is more "persistent" than physical correspondence. The flip side of that is that (especially now that so much of it is in "the cloud") when you die, so do your passwords probably and therefore access to all of your e-mails and other correspondence. Which you may or may not want to happen. Either way, most people don't plan for that, but should.

On the other hand an e-mail file never has the "Great Aunt Betty actually touched this" effect. The flip side of THAT is that time corrupts physical things; they're never the same as they once were. During my Great Digitising Campaign of 2011 I came across the enrolment papers for my tertiary studies. I recall that for many years the chemical scent of that paper took me back to that summer. But by 2011, the scent had gone, replaced by a dead mustiness. It had become just a piece of paper with fading writing.

Besides, it's 2022. For me these days cursive script is slightly harder to decrypt than COBOL is.

But I do like your use of the Olde Worlde cup here.
Julie Oldfield27-Feb-2022 01:03
There was an excitement in getting something in the mail. The composition comes together beautifully. V
lroz27-Feb-2022 00:19
Very nice still life!
Helen Betts26-Feb-2022 23:19
Beautiful capture of your family treasures, and I agree about the electronic communication. Not sure what they'll enjoy looking at from us in future years. V.
Don Mottershead26-Feb-2022 22:08
Wonderful still life.
joseantonio26-Feb-2022 22:05
nice composition and presentation.V.
larose forest photos26-Feb-2022 21:54
I absolutely love your composition here, and agree so much with your comment about electronic communication. It is wonderful you have this treasure trove. V
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