Dawn’s Family Video Archive 1 - 8MM Film Reels Digitally Archived
For awhile now, I have been downsizing, organizing and sorting through all my “recently” acquired items, objects, heirlooms, keepsakes, “things” and “stuff” from my fathers and mothers sides of my family following their deaths in 2007 and 2013, respectively.
VIDEO: “MOM waves ‘Hello’ from the past”
A good many of these items I acquired over time but always in large chunks. Some items I acquired with initial reluctance and apprehension; later some objects would reap heaps of regrets, others have brought hours of joy and reminiscing. Of all the things I was tasked to now care for and preserve for my future generations, my most prized and welcome additions, are the many photographs and old vintage media which store unique moments of my family members who are now gone. I vaguely remember viewing these films via an 8mm projector as a child, with some clips standing out in my young mind. Most unexpectedly, I have found or re-discovered vintage video clips from areas just a short distance from where I now live and of course contained within the films are clips from vacations around the world and scenes from places nearby where I used to reside in Florida, with my family.
Words cannot express all the emotions felt after seeing these old videos for the “first” time again. It is so worth it…to see family members walk and wave again…to see their captured personality again…it is fantastically, emotionally such a neat experience. “Oh wow Grandma won’t let go of goofy’s hand hahah…Oooh look at the old cars and scenes from around Clingman’s Dome and McKee Jungle (Botanical) Gardens from 50 years ago…oh, look at grandma wearing heels, carrying her purse and walking into the ocean {laughing through tears}…and there is mom and dad’s first house…and the car they called “The Great Pumpkin”, I exclaimed.
LegacyBox.com assisted in digitally archiving what they could from my aging 8mm film media. I was thoroughly pleased with the results of my media conversion and they did a wonderful job given the condition; I highly recommend this option for your archival needs. Subscribe to their mailing list to take advantage of their frequent deals. Also, try Kodak Digitizing services or if Do-It-Yourself is more your style, you can purchase your own digital archiving equipment at your favorite local or online retailer. Don’t let moisture, mold, oxygen and/or exposure destroy your family media archive. Let the frame image-grab below of damage I experienced on one of my films, be what encourages you to archive your aging media immediately, if not, much sooner than later! It is so worth it!
