Family Matters: A monthly article on Heritage Albums

Organizing your albums can be the most daunting part of any heritage album.
In September, we discussed organizing your photos and I suggested
organizing them chronologically or by family member. This month, we'll talk about how it goes into your album.

I think organization by family and or individual member is usually the best way to start. As you go through your pictures try to get a sense of what you have the most of. Is there one individual who dominates your collection? Or do you have a complete pictorial record of your family tree? Do you have a complete family tree?
Sometimes, you may find as you sort the pictures that you have enough
to do a theme album. I recently had a student who had lovely old wedding photos for several generations of her family, as well as cards and invitation. For her, a family wedding album might be a great option. It could continue through her own marriage. You may have pictures of everyone as babies, which combined in a baby theme album could be a lovely way to include new additions to your family. Or, if you have family Christmas pictures, reunions or other gatherings that have happened throughout the years, then you may consider making them into a separate album.

Many of us don't have that kind of photographic record, but have
instead pieces of our family history to include. As you plan out this album, try
to remember that you are telling a story. If you have people in that history without pictures. Don't exclude them. Be sure to write about them and include information on their births and deaths as well as any stories you have about them. Leaving gaps in the story does an incomplete job of showing your family about themselves and keeps the story from flowing as smoothly as you might want.

That story's organization is really a straightforward job, but one
which confuses and intimidates lots of people. I recommend either of the two following methods, depending on your photos and your preferences. Basically, one method starts at Z and goes to A, while the other starts with A. No matter which route you choose, tart your book with a family tree. You can include Ahnentafel numbers for each member on the tree and then again when you introduce that person in the album. This makes it possible for the reader to easily refer back to the tree to clarify relationships easily.

If you have one person, say your parent, yourself or your child, and
you want to tell the story of your ancestors, then I think going from Z-A is
the best. As you go back in each generation, you'll be following a pattern. Start with the individual you've chosen - we'll call that person Z.

Then include Z's parents' marriage.
Through this section, you can include any stories or pictures of Z's childhood or siblings that you desire.
Then, cover Z's father and Z's mother.
Then include Z's father's parents and siblings.
Then Z's father's father and then Z's father's mother.
Then Z's father's father's father and Z's father's father's mother. Then
Z's father's mother's father and then Z's father's mother's mother.
Now, go back as far as you can on Z's father's family side, one branch at a time.
Then Z's mother's parents and siblings.
Then Z's mother's father and Z's mother's mother.
Then Z's mother's father's father and Z's mother father's mother. Then Z's mother's mother's father and Z's mother's father's mother's mother.

This seems very confusing, but if you sit down and break it down slowly, you'll start to se the pattern emerge. Just be patient and break it down carefully. Before you go back farther into the tree each time, include siblings and stories you have.

Now, if you have one ancestor, who we can call A, who seems to have had a lot of children, the other format might be better for you. If you have family reunion where you want to share these books, then an album which covers your common ancestor and all of their descendents will be a definite hit! In this format, you start with A and his or her marriage.

Then include shots of their marriage, stories about their family, and group
shots. Then comes the first born child (A1), their spouse, and their marriage. Then comes the second born child (A2), their spouse, and their marriage. Continue until you have done all of A's children. If some children were by a second marriage, then add another section of A with the second spouse and then begin their children in the way you did with the other children.
Now, begin the next generation.

Group pictures of A1's family and then individual pictures of the children. (A1a, A1b, A1c)
Group pictures of A2's family and then individual pictures of the children. (A2a, A2b, A2c)
Continue on through the generation.

You can keep taking this down through the generation to include the present day. If you don't have photos, again, include the individual's information in the appropriate area. This format is a little easier to explain, but not really easier to put together.

No matter which format you choose, have fun with your album. Don't feel limited by these "rules". Each family is individual and has different needs. I offer these to you as guidelines, but adapt them as you need to do. It's your album and if it makes sense to you then it will probably make sense to your readers. The only rule I consider hard and fast is the inclusion of your family tree, but that will be very individual.