Talevi Family Digital Archive

Members of the Talevi family tried for years to bring together family photographs, documents, and other memorabilia on photo websites like Photobucket or Picasa. Along the way, they encountered ever-changing technologies. On the one hand, capturing digital images became increasingly accessible to the layperson, while on the other, storage websites kept evolving (Picasa, for instance, transitioned to Google Photos).

Over time, keeping track of links and passwords was a challenge, especially with so many family groups involved. They also began to realize the importance of recording as much identifying information as possible about each item, including who had which originals. So, the Talevi family decided the time was right to consolidate their efforts and create a Digital Family Archive, ensuring future generations would know, and be able to access, their rich history.

You have options on how to begin a Digital Family Archive, and Backlog can help you decide which process is right for you. The Talevi family chose to use a cloud storage drive to gather photographs from seven different family groups (i.e., different immediate families). Because it was a digital project, family members could upload photographs in their possession to the drive. The Talevi family used Google Photos, but you can use any cloud storage service, like Microsoft OneDrive or Dropbox–whatever your family is familiar with and can navigate most easily.

The family also created a Facebook Group, where they posted photographs to crowdsource information about them. Often, for example, only a distant cousin knew who someone was in a particular photo, or where it was taken, or when. As they gathered identifying data about the images, the family also recorded who had the original photograph. For example, many family members had copies (of varying quality) of photographs of great-grandparents who immigrated to the United States from Italy, but only one family member had the original.