A Chance Encounter Leads to an Act of Generousity

This morning my email contained a note from a woman who purchased an old photo album many years ago. This woman (who asked to remain anonymous) explained that she wants descendants to see the photos but wasn't sure how to share them.

I was privileged to see copies of the photos, many of which are identified in period handwriting. I replied saying I would be pleased to host the images on my site Lost Faces with her name and email as a contact.  I also began researching some of the names on the photographs. Okay I confess I am addicted to genealogy research even when it's not my ancestors!

Imagine my surprise (and excitement) when she responded saying she would prefer to give the entire album and photos to me. Now, many of you  know that I collect old CDVs (Cartes de Visite) from the 1870s and earlier. My personal collection of such photos now numbers over 3,500. That is only the CDVs.

Many of these photos from antique albums are online on Lost Faces and more are being scanned whenever time permits.  My goal is to scan my entire collection of CDVs, tintypes, Cabinet Cards, ambrotypes and daguerreotypes and publish them all online for all visitors to my site to copy and save for their own use.

It is my hope that more photographs can be rescued and shared with descendants and that is why I am so thrilled that my new-found contact is such a generous soul. Some days become "feel-good" days when you meet someone with a caring and generous nature. Today is one of those days.