Sorting through old photographs can be emotionally difficult and overwhelming, particularly when a collection spans boxes or even thousands of prints. A professional organizer recommends gathering pictures in one place before making decisions, setting up a clear surface for sorting and asking relatives for help when the images matter to them too.
It can also help to decide on a system before starting, such as grouping photos by year, place, person, event or theme. Labels or index cards can keep categories in order. If photos are part of a larger home-organizing project, the organizer suggests collecting them as they turn up and sorting them once the rest of the project is finished.
Candidates for removal include blurry or awkwardly cropped pictures, duplicates and near-identical shots. Photos whose subjects or context are unknown may also be discarded, though checking with relatives could help identify people in family pictures. Images that bring up difficult memories can be kept selectively, while pictures of relatives or friends may be worth offering to those featured in them. Ask before passing photos on so someone else does not inherit an unwanted sorting task.
For the photographs that remain, albums make it easy to revisit and share memories. Choose albums with slip-in pockets or traditional scrapbooks that are acid-free and lignin-free, with page protectors. Photo boxes are another option, and dividers can help organize prints by date, event or person. Store albums and boxes in a temperature-controlled, preferably dark place to help preserve them.
Digitizing a collection creates copies that are easier to share and can help protect the images in an emergency. Scanning apps, photo scanners and professional services are among the options. Selected prints can also be framed for display, added to a digital photo frame, or collected in a custom photo book.
Sources: Apartment Therapy.