Photographs - Beware of Copyright!

I moved into my new home seven months ago, but only a few days ago did some furniture arrive for me, which I had been long hanging out for.  It is a book shelf that my daughter has been using - and it was quite an effort for her husband to bring it and my fern house the 45 kms to my place on a trailer on the back of their car.

Last night I completed the task of filling the bookshelves - and now it stands with all those items that had been languishing in boxes in my spare room.  I am keen to get the room emptied as I have house guests coming soon, and need both bedrooms.

My house looks like I have had a burglar through it - but hopefully by this afternoon I will have it completed.

Two of my huge boxes contained photos and photo albums and I have quite a task ahead of me to sort them out - and discard many photos that are of no interest/value to me any more.  I was going to write about photos today anyway, but an article on BlogHer interested me very much - and it is on the topic of photographs and copyright.  It is a particular risky area for those of us who write life stories as we cannot always know who took the photos, especially of our clients. 

I am fortunate as I am and have been a "camera addict" and use most of my own photos.  If you are using photos that do not belong to you, that you have not taken, you must beware!!!

If you are  putting these photos in a book, for publication, it would be wise to discuss with the "owner" of the photographs, who took the photographs and if possible get the person who owned/took the photo to sign a declaration, with witness signature, that he/she is happy for you to use the photographs for the purpose indicated.  (There are legal wordings that you might use - so discuss this with someone with legal expertise).

In this article on BlogHer the writer explains the trouble that one blogger got into - and the expense for happily using any images from the internet. 

This is another good reason for writing on the back of any photographs not only the detail  (who, where, when) but who took the photograph.  Most commercial photographs are printed on the back with the photographer's studio details.  You must endeavour to track them down, even if it is a long time since the photo was taken.

Beware!!!

This photo I took myself in a bamboo property near Kenilworth in Queensland - my good friend Bev holds the cat.  I should also ask her if it is ok if I use her photo in a public arena, but I know she knows I do this and it is ok with her!

Photographs - Absolutely Valuable Tools in Writing Family History

 

"The Art of Biography
Is different from Geography.
Geography is about Maps,
But Biography is about Chaps."

— Edmund Clerihew Bentley

In Biography for Beginners, 1905

Footnote  (1)

Photographs can be a great way to get started on your project. The photographs may give you clues about the person,  but remember that if you are producing a book you may need to limit your photos – so select the most important ones to use.  But do not destroy any photos – preserve them.  You may change your mind about those which you have selected, or you may be able to use more than you originally decided.

On New Year’s Eve just gone, I was looking for a folder of information and found a folder of old photographs of my father.  I had honestly forgotten I had them – but they were neatly in a folder in the filing cabinet. 

I realised that I had to scan and copy them – just in case they got lost. Also I could then distribute them to other family members who might be interested. I note that my father had typed on a sticker which he had attached to the back of each photograph, details about the people and the date the photo was taken.  My father was quite meticulous in his documentation – something he took to new heights when he retired. 

He did teach himself to type, but never tried a computer.  He wrote many letters, not just to me, but his grandchildren and great grandchildren.  Some of which we still have.

So, one of my tasks is to scan, copy and save the photographs, and then I will put them on a memory stick to share with other family members.

Not everyone is interested in family history.  In my family I have some older and younger members who have absolutely no interest in family history - and think those of us who do, are a bit weird.  I like being this weird!!!!

Keep a folder of the photos of your person of interest – and don’t forget to write something about them.  A good idea might be to number them, and create a file in say, Word, where you write the details and record the details with the number.

 

 

My mother and father on their wedding day, Adelaide, September 11th, 1943

 

Footnote  1   Quote from Wikipedia   

(I am still keeping up with the Diary of a House Sitter and Traveller Blog.)

Happy New Year - A Great Time to Start a New Project!!

Jan 1st 2014 - Happy New Year.  What a great time to start to write your story, or the story of a family member or someone you know.  Let's just do it!!!!

Getting started is always a challenge – and I have some suggestion that will help you get going.

Some things to start with:

1.    Get a folder (a simple plastic or manila folder is ok to start with) – though as your journey continues you will probably find a plastic storage box is best. 

2.    Collect photographs.  It maybe that you have to expand your search to other family members to get a great collection.   You need to choose around 20 good ones, but remember, (a) you can post them all on a free blogsite after the story is written and (b) you may need to check copyright on some photos if you wish to use them.

3.    Collect letters – while not many people write letters these day, thre may still be some that have been “saved” by family members

4.    Items of interest – artworks, sewing, etc.

5.    Documents – copies of birth certificates, marriage certificates, school reports etc.

When writing about my mother, I have most of the letters she wrote to me over a 50 year period, though most have very little of great interest.  At least I have her handwriting and often details of family events.  Sadly my mother did not always date them, and I didn’t either when I received them, so they are a “mish mash” but still of value.

There are few photographs of my mother when she was very young – 100 years ago there were not many cameras around, so photos are rare.

I am lucky that my mother was an artist and I have saved all of the china painting that she gave me, and some I retrieved after my father passed away, as well as one of her landscapes.  I also have some of the certificates from competitions for floral art and cake decorating.

Also I am fortunate that she started to write her own story some 30 years ago and for a while we both worked on it together. 

It is also worth writing to people who knew the subject of your story. In my mother’s case, she has outlived all her siblings, however, many of my cousins have information that might be helpful.   In fact shortly I will be writing to them seeking information.  I have a plan which I will share in a future post.

 

My mother - Ida Joyce Watson (nee Ragless) - photo taken around 1942.