The record you make will document your life; it will help you know who you were and how you became the person you are. It will also tell about the history of your neighborhood, town and culture. Yes, and the record of the memories you find so personal and private will also become a valuable part of the history of the world.

Written and Oral Histories

Written History: Do you have an old letter, a diary, photo album, journal or manuscript from a relative or friend? If so, you have an excellent opportunity to start a memory book. Make sure the original of your artifact is preserved (see *Preservation link), then write what you know about it, i.e., who, what, when, where, how and/or why. Encase the photo and written description in an acid-free plastic sheet protector, put it in a loose-leaf binder, and you can tell your children or the neighbor that you have started recording your history.

What was the happiest day of your life, what was the saddest? Write your memories of that day, add a picture if you have one. If not, add an old newspaper clipping, drawing, or make a word picture of the happenings. More ideas and more pages later, you will have a priceless collection of memories. You will have pages that tell your story.

Oral History : Cassette tapes are hiding in the backs of drawers and bottoms of boxes. Many of the tapes contain mini histories of people who have passed on. They are often what we call, "taped funeral recordings". Maybe there are tapes that were made at Grandma’s 90th birthday party, possibly a missionary farewell, or a recorded interview. These tapes reveal valuable information about who the people were, how they thought, loved, and how they lived their lives. (See Transcription link)

Check out Preservation Strategies for ways you can start today to protect your family documents.

Tape Transcription

The Family Place has been providing tape transcription services since 1986. We can help you capture the many forms of personal and family history found in oral recordings and put it into print.

Photographic Histories

Photos speak a thousand words and offer a vital link to the names and faces of your family’s past. Yellowed photos and faded slides will soon be lost, so preserve them in an electronic album on compact disks. The Family Place can also help you with safely storing your family photos from further deterioration. Check out Preservation Strategies for ways you can start today to protect your family photos.

Memory Books

Pictures, stories and tape transcriptions can be compiled into a meaningful memorial tribute to a loved one who is no longer with you, or they can be organized into a complete family history.

The possibilities are numerous and we can help to bring it all together. Memory Books are treasures that can be enjoyed for years and handed down to generations to come. Please check out Make Your Own Memory Book for other ways you can start today.

THE  FAMILY  PLACE - "Where Memories Live"