I have been somewhat surprised at how attached I've become to many of my ancestors. As I worked to restore the old faded photo's, trying to remove the grim of time and the ravages of deterioration, I found myself talking to the images that now occupied my computer screen. I know it sounds like I need to be locked up in the loony bin, but you have to remember that some photo's were so badly damaged that I would spend up to 12 hours with one individual photo. As I colorized the photo's I couldn't help but notice how strong the hands of the men were and how delicate and small some of the women's hands were. The simple yet elegant Confirmation dresses that the young women wore made me wonder where would they have purchased such beautiful material. The intricate embroidery work that was done was amazing - I'm wondering if the hand work was done by their mothers or did the mercantile carry such beautiful materials? As I worked on a photo of Grandma at age 4, I was transported back in time when I had asked her why she looked so mad on the photo. She told me that she was mad - she had been playing and when her step-mother called for her to come in to get dressed up for the photo she didn't want to. She hid in the barn because she did not want to have her picture taken and did not want to get dressed up. Of course when she was found in the barn she was in trouble. Grandma stayed mad and you can sure see it in her little face in the photo. It seems like only yesterday when she told me this story, while we sat in her basement looking at photo's, and not 40 years ago.
I think the reason I've become so attached is because I've had a chance to learn about these peoples lives, their accomplishments, disappointments and their losses. I couldn't help shed a tear as I colorized the photo's of children that died very young, like Nettie Habben who died at 15, she was such a pretty girl with long brown hair and big eyes. Netties brother Frank died just a few months later at age 19. Frank was the only son of Henry Habben. He was engaged to be married at the time of his death. As I worked on the photo's of Nettie and Frank it was difficult for me not to feel the sadness that their families must have felt.
The Ties That Bind are not without sadness sometimes.........
I know just what you mean. I don't do touch-up on photos, but after searching, finding, studying and getting acquainted with my ancestors, I go to bed often thinking I just spent the most wonderful evening with them.
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