Did your grandparents have dozens of photo albums lining their shelves? Or perhaps your mom took scrapbooking your family memories to an extreme? For as long as photographs have been in existence people have looked for ways to hold onto these cherished memories. Today there are more options than ever including online web photo galleries. But how did this idea of creating an album or photo gallery come to be?
Estimates are that the photo album as a concept came about around 1850, making the idea over 150 years old. At one time they served as a historical document – and to some degree they maintain this function today. The first albums were highly treasured, and expensive, artifacts to record family history, often including a genealogy tree in the front and/or back that was updated as new members came into the family or were deceased. It could take decades to fill a single album. Very early albums had highly ornate covers and as the times changed so did the image styles and materials.
As the cost of cameras, film, and developing tools became less expensive more images were produced with a wider range of subjects. At one time images were reserved for the very wealthy, but by the first few decades of the 20th century more middle class people were able to have pictures taken of themselves or their children. While certainly images were not created as they are today, it would have been more common to have a family photograph taken, or to have several pictures of children taken as they grew up. Major life events like weddings, births or christenings, or graduations were the most documented.
Another popular style of photo album in the early years was a combination of photographs, sketches and other clippings, arranged in a much more creative way – and very similar to our idea of a scrapbook today. The mid -20th century brought about the advent of the snapshot, and amateur photographers who wanted to document daily life. With more pictures, meant the need for more places to store them and the advent of multiple albums documenting specific events like family trips began.
It’s safe to say that in the last 20 years photography has transformed dramatically. Few people today rely on actual film instead opting for digital images. We possess the ability to take thousands of pictures in only a few hours on countless devices. The creation of digital photo galleries and web photo albums means we’re able to catalogue and chronicle our lives more than ever before. But, what about those who still long for an album they can hold? One option is a digital web photo album that can be displayed on a tablet or phone. Another option is to create a digital album and then have the book printed. This offers the best of both worlds!
We’ve come a long way with photographic technology and there’s sure to be even more innovation in the years to come.
Estimates are that the photo album as a concept came about around 1850, making the idea over 150 years old. At one time they served as a historical document – and to some degree they maintain this function today. The first albums were highly treasured, and expensive, artifacts to record family history, often including a genealogy tree in the front and/or back that was updated as new members came into the family or were deceased. It could take decades to fill a single album. Very early albums had highly ornate covers and as the times changed so did the image styles and materials.
As the cost of cameras, film, and developing tools became less expensive more images were produced with a wider range of subjects. At one time images were reserved for the very wealthy, but by the first few decades of the 20th century more middle class people were able to have pictures taken of themselves or their children. While certainly images were not created as they are today, it would have been more common to have a family photograph taken, or to have several pictures of children taken as they grew up. Major life events like weddings, births or christenings, or graduations were the most documented.
Another popular style of photo album in the early years was a combination of photographs, sketches and other clippings, arranged in a much more creative way – and very similar to our idea of a scrapbook today. The mid -20th century brought about the advent of the snapshot, and amateur photographers who wanted to document daily life. With more pictures, meant the need for more places to store them and the advent of multiple albums documenting specific events like family trips began.
It’s safe to say that in the last 20 years photography has transformed dramatically. Few people today rely on actual film instead opting for digital images. We possess the ability to take thousands of pictures in only a few hours on countless devices. The creation of digital photo galleries and web photo albums means we’re able to catalogue and chronicle our lives more than ever before. But, what about those who still long for an album they can hold? One option is a digital web photo album that can be displayed on a tablet or phone. Another option is to create a digital album and then have the book printed. This offers the best of both worlds!
We’ve come a long way with photographic technology and there’s sure to be even more innovation in the years to come.
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