Think about the boxes or albums full of photos in your garage,attic,spare bedroom,or storage unit. Once upon a time,in your past,you or someone else felt that you should keep all of these two-dimensional reminders. But when was the last time that you thought about how long you would like them to last?
Take a look at your wedding photos–can you still name everyone? What about Cousin Amy’s date or that neighbor from your old town? What was going on in the photo–was it cocktail hour,or late into the post-cake phase of the evening? Who’s that girl,and why is she wearing a feather boa and a garter on her head?
What about all of the people in your parents’wedding? Your siblings’wedding? Those of your grandparents,or further removed? While you may have been present,perhaps you weren’t part of the action,or privvy to many of the moments pictured. Weddings moreso than some other gatherings can be a good source of stories,both about that particular day and about traditions and events preceding the photo. Several generations of the same family will likely be present,and sometimes there are a number of shots taken at opportune moments–ie. three or four generations together,or siblings reunited. During an occasion where lots of photos are taken and not all necessarily by a professional,wedding photos can yield a lot of different viewpoints,situations,and information. Ever wondered what happens when random strangers and friends have too much time in between the salad and main course? Leave a camera on the table,and you may get to see more of your relatives than you bargained for.
Wedding photos can reveal secondary information about the subjects such as class,mobility,religiosity,and stature in the community. Sometimes photos can be dated by buildings and other landmarks,or by the persons inside (or not included within) the frame. Historically,wedding photos tend to show women more often than other photos,potentially leading to a somewhat skewed vision of what women wore in eras where not much additional photographic evidence is available.
How does an archivist assess and describe photos? What other kinds of evidence can be drawn from a photo,and what makes a photo worth keeping? Stay tuned for part 2…
…oh,and the reference to your ‘wedding silver’in the title? Depending on the era of your ancestors,both yours and their wedding photographs may well have been made using the still-popular gelatin-silver process,which was first introduced in the 1870′s.