Pictures remain ahead
In the study of writer Jonathan Self, a fascinating collection of family history unfolds. The room, once filled with the tranquillity of a writer's sanctuary, is now dominated by drifts of family photograph albums, balanced precariously on the club fender and piled high against the walls.
These albums, each a snapshot of a life, a moment, a memory, have been bequeathed to Self or rescued from the dustbin. They serve as a testament to the lives of his ancestors, offering a glimpse into the past that spans generations.
Among these albums, Self finds familiar faces from his childhood and youth, reminding him of entertaining family visits and parties. Some albums depict significant events or milestones in the family's history, such as Cousin Alice's coming out (1934), Aunt Dreda's trip to Egypt (1953), and Uncle Bob's Scottish golfing holiday (1982).
The collection also includes a unique find: his great-great-grandmother's cartes de visite collection, arranged in leatherbound volumes. These formal portraits of mid-19th-century European royalty add an air of grandeur to the otherwise personal collection.
Self's grandmother had two spinster cousins who filled album after album with bad photographs of Sussex churches. Meanwhile, his mother, though rarely taking photographs herself, always added captions to her photographs, adding a personal touch to the collection.
My nanny, who trained dogs, horses, and children, pasted photographs of her four-legged charges into old-fashioned scrapbooks, contributing to the diverse range of subjects within the collection.
Despite the vast number of albums, Self is not currently working on organizing them. Instead, he enjoys them, taking time to reminisce and appreciate the sentimental value they hold. After all, family photographs are often significant, serving as small, carefully curated monuments to their subjects and creators. They can reveal a great deal about individuals, including who they loved, how they lived, their relationships, and what was important to them.
Self, who has had various jobs before becoming a writer, including farmer, hospital orderly, shop assistant, door-to-door salesman, art director, and childminder, now finds inspiration in these family memories. His writing, which has appeared in various publications, is undoubtedly enriched by the stories hidden within these albums.
The collection represents a significant portion of the family's history and memories, with many lives, events, and places being preserved within them. It serves as a reminder of the power of photographs to capture and preserve moments in time, making them invaluable treasures for generations to come.
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