Family Photos

I headed to my parents for the Australia day long weekend, as not only was it Australia Day but brother #2 turned 40 on the 25th and an appropriate bash had been organised to celebrate. I'll admit it, he is and always had been my favourite brother. Sorry brother's #1 & #3, it's not like you didn't know this anyway.

Brothers, #1, #2 with me on shoulders, and #3

In any case, 40 is a big birthday and sharing the love of history and family history that both Dad & I have, we (that should really be I, as I pretty much steam-rolled over Mum & Dad to get my way) I decided that it would be a nice thing to give my brother copies of the family photos. That is, all the family photos we could find. Dad and I spent the 25th pulling the house apart and spent the better part of the evening scanning as many as possible. The portraits of our grandfather and two of our great-uncles were printed and framed as the main present and an CD included of all the rest. Dad had wanted me to make a collage of photos of brother #2, however I know what special meaning those three portraits have to all us kids.

Those portraits hung on my parents bedroom wall when we were growing up, a constant presence. Our grandfather died when my father was 10 and one of the great-uncles was killed during the Fall of Singapore, the other died in 1986 and my only memory of him is, I am sorry to say, of the dress I wore to the funeral (I was 4). My brothers have slightly greater recollection. But they were always there, in those three photos, a part of our lives.

Walter Thomas Muffett (9 Apr 1916-13 Mar 1958)

Lindsay Donald Muffett (28 Sept 1918-Feb 1942)

Archibald James Muffett (5 Mar 1920-29 Apr 1986)

As a present it was a hit. I know my brother. 

The tearing the house apart looking for photos did leave us with some problems though. Firstly, Mum was very unimpressed with the chaos and secondly, we now had a massive box of photos and the realisation we should probably do something about proper storage. So in a round about way, I have now come to the point of this little ramble; how do you store your photos and can anyone suggest a good archival grade solution?