Any point in keeping these photos?

swingaloo

Wow, now they are good.

Gloomendoom

We had this problem with photos going back to the 1930s following the death of my father. In the end we decided to bin any photo where the people in it or the location couldn't be identified. It ended up being most of them.

I wasn't particularly happy about doing it but keeping them seemed pointless.

DigForVictory

I'm currently digitising the family photos in an attempt to put names to faces before the marbles run out.

In your shoes, I'd be taking a handful of photos (& the rest on a memory stick) on a holiday to America & trying to find some of these ladies. A sort of memorial to the lost parent & an amazing boost to those like you who's parents are aging & who would be delighted to see that mum had a life & loved it years before they were born.

Plus, if you were to be able to locate the firm &/or the towns, the local museums etc would be fascinated. If you are thinking "I simply cannot afford that", try to get one photo placed, then call up the local paper while it still exists (or American equivalent of Saga) & offer them an exclusive - the rights to the photo & Your Story as you look for these folks?

Failing that, contact a local university & ask if they have a history student who would be interested in trying to reunite these snapshots of history in the proper context. Even the Boys Scouts of America may be interested as they have merit badges for citizenship locally, nationally & globally, as well as history of the united states, communication, family values, family history/genealogy, journalism, public speaking, & textiles.

Frankly if you simply haven't the oomph or the health or the active passport, it is absolutely worth making contact with the Scouts.

davenport151

Would the Church of Jesus Christ and Latter Day saints also be interested ( The Mormons)? They have an excellent online search site called Family Search.You may have a church near you.

I only print a small selection of photos now that will go in an album. Named and dated. Same with older ones I have inherited. With names where I know them.