Junior Family Historians Save Family Recipes

01/30/2010

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A meal shared together at the dining room table is one of the oldest family traditions. When relatives get together, we hug, we talk, and we eat! But with each passing generation, we risk losing those well-loved family recipes that are a defining part of our heritage.

With the holidays just behind us and winter still in full swing, this is the ideal season to begin compiling those old family recipes for the next generation. And why not get youngsters involved in this fun family project?

Here's an idea for Junior Family Historians:

Next time grandma comes to visit (or you go see her), ask her to pick a simple family recipe to prepare with the grandkids. Rolls, cookies, pies, a favorite soup, or another yummy snack that she remembers from childhood. 

An older child might be in charge of recording the recipe on a note-card to be filed away in a special “Family Recipes” box, while younger children could be in charge of pouring and stirring. 

This activity provides a unique opportunity for grandparents to share memories and stories of their favorite foods when they were kids. And you'll be one recipe closer to preserving your family’s culinary history for future generations!
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Tap into Your Personal Memory Bank

01/30/2010

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If you're thinking of preserving your personal history or a loved one's life story, there are fun and effective ways to boost memory recall before you get started. 

These simple tricks that will help bring long-forgotten memories to the surface:
  • Pull out old photo albums and make an afternoon (or two) of flipping the pages, noting key memories and stories that come to mind as you go along.
  • Sift through boxes of old cards and letters to help you remember the important people and times in your life.
  • Draw a picture of your childhood home or the layout of your town to help jog memories of specific places and events.
  • Spend some time listening to your favorite tunes through the years. Music helps spark rich and wonderful memories – maybe a first dance with a special someone or a road-trip to the shore. 
  • Take a walk through the basement or attic. Old dresses, toys, kitchen appliances, school projects … they all carry their own unique stories and will help spark memories. 
  • Start talking. The simple process of sharing our stories with others, as well as listening to the tales our loved ones have to tell, will open the floodgates of memory.
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How to Store & Protect Old Family Photos & Documents

01/30/2010

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What can you do to ensure that those precious family keepsakes stand the test of time? 

Photographs, letters, and other paper documents face a number of known enemies: light, heat, humidity, acids in papers, plastics, adhesives, pollutants, and pests. But with a little know-how, you can do your part to ensure that these pieces of your personal and family history are preserved for decades to come. 

Here are a few ideas:
  • Store important family documents in acid-free folders or an acid-free box in a temperature- and humidity-stable part of the house (that means no attics or basements)!
  • Limit light exposure. If you’d like to display an item, look for a picture frame with UV filtration.
  • Replace the cardboard backing on framed photos with archival acid- and lignin-free paper or board.
  • Refrain from using adhesives to mount photos in a frame. Instead, use photo corners, adhesive mounts (where the adhesive doesn't touch the art), or even corners clipped from an acid-free envelope.
  • Use window mats and spacers to keep framed artifacts, including photos, from touching the glass of the frame. Archival acid- and lignin-free conservation matt board is ideal for preservation purposes.
  • Protect aging photos and documents from deterioration by placing them between two sheets of polyester film. If you use plastic, make sure it’s PVC-free. And never laminate your documents. 
  • Line cedar chests, if they hold family treasures, with acid-free paper, or wrap heirlooms in a cotton sheet. Heirlooms should never come into direct contact with the wood.
  • Never store silver (or your gun and lead bullet collection) in an oak cabinet.
  • Label the backs of photos using a dull, No. 2 pencil.


    • Sources: Jewel Feldman of ReviveArchive, Photo Restoration; The National Archives Web site.
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