How to Make a Scrapbook for the Deceased
In "Ancestry Art," heritage scrapbook designer Karen Foster recounts how her grandmother rode the bus to the library each week to research her family's history. Foster remembers a dining room table filled with photographs, pedigree charts, newspaper clippings and scattered bits of paper. Her grandmother magically turned copies of these items into family scrapbooks which she gave as gifts each year.
You can tell the stories of cherished people in your life who are no longer living. Doing so will transform you into part detective, historian, archivist and perhaps writer or artist as you make a scrapbook for the deceased.
Things You'll Need
- Collected photographs, documents and records about the deceased
- Scrapbooking papers
- Scrapbook
- Scrapbook photo pages
- Scissors
- Acid-free adhesives and embellishments
Instructions
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Collecting Documents and Information
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1
Search your home for photographs, clippings, important papers and other artifacts pertaining to the deceased person.
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2
Ask relatives and friends to share photos and documents in their possession. Scan or photocopy any items they wish to keep.
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3
Interview living people who knew the deceased person for interesting stories and reminiscences. Write down these interviews for inclusion in your scrapbook.
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4
Take photographs of homes, businesses, churches and other places important in the target person's life.
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5
Look up old newspaper articles at the local library in which your deceased person might have appeared. Look for obituaries, marriage and engagement announcements and articles pertaining to his activities.
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Locate other material about the deceased person from genealogical resources. This information includes census records, birth and death records, marriage records and land records. Consult your library's research librarian for more specific information about locating pertinent records. Barbara Renick, a frequent lecturer at genealogical conferences and author of "Genealogy 101: How to Trace Your Family's History and Heritage," suggests additional information sources such as family newsletters, court documents and church records.
Assembling
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Gather your collection of artifacts and documents. Group them into natural categories such as early life, education, career and later years. Add categories such as parents and grandparents, residences, church and community involvement.
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Purchase a scrapbook album with pages that reflect the style and personality of the deceased person. Scrapbook stores offer a variety of styles. Select a scrapbook design that allows you to add pages as you locate additional artifacts and collect other stories about your subject.
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Make a list of scrapbook pages you can make within each grouping of your artifacts. Do you have baby pictures, family snapshots, a birth certificate or a photocopied page from a family Bible containing a birth record? Turn copies of these documents into scrapbook pages by arranging them under an identifying heading. Insert individual items into album sleeves or adhere to scrapbook pages with glue or other acid-free adhesive.
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Assemble scrapbook pages. Add a table of contents and title page. Embellish with scrapbook elements available in scrapbook stores according to your preference. Your scrapbook may be as simple or elaborate as you desire.
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Tips & Warnings
Purchase acid-free papers, embellishments and adhesives to use in your scrapbook to keep it safe from deterioration.
Purchase extra inserts to allow for additional pages in the future.
Do not put original clippings, photographs and important documents into the scrapbook. Make copies for scrapbook use. Store originals in archival-safe boxes or files, available in scrapbook stores.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit old album image by Alexander Kosenkov from Fotolia.com
