What To Do

Take pictures and gather stories about your family heirlooms.

 

 

How To Do It

Step 1:

Start with your parents and ask them what family heirlooms they have. Next, talk with your extended family to see what heirlooms they have. Here are some possible categories to ask them about:

 

Photographs

Letters

Jewelery

Birth, Death, Marriage Certificates

Newspaper Articles

War Mementos

Furniture

Quilts

Silverware

Books/Family Bibles

 

Step 2:

Take a picture of each individual heirloom.

 

Step 3:

Write down any history about the heirlooms.

 

Ask questions such as:

Who originally owned this?

When did they own it?

Who passed it down to you?

What stories do you know about it?

 

Step 4:

Compile your pictures, facts, and stories into one document.

 

Step 5:

Share this document with your family. Chances are that many of them don’t know about the existence of their family heirlooms and will be interested to know their stories.

 

What if your family doesn’t have any heirlooms? Talk with your parents and grandparents and ask them the stories behind their most prized possessions. What do they want to pass onto their kids and why? What about you? What are your most treasured possessions and why?

 

 

How is this Family History?

 

Historical objects turn the past into a physical reality. By touching objects that our ancestors used and learning their stories we can  connect with those who used and treasured the heirloom.

 

It’s also important to document the stories behind family objects so that their significance can be remembered and passed down to future generations. Without a record of your family heirlooms they often lose their personal value and are thrown out.

 

Make a Museum.

Make History.

 

 

Share your discoveries @makefamilyhistory