How Ian Preserves His Photos For Future Generations: A Customer Spotlight

Contributor post from Ian, one of MemoryCherish’s most loyal customers

A picture is worth a thousand words, or so the saying goes. However, what is it about pictures that makes them so valuable? Perhaps it is the ability to freeze a moment in time, to capture a glimpse of the past that would otherwise be lost. Or maybe it is the way that pictures can tell a story, conveying emotion and providing context in a way that words alone cannot match. The photograph collection, for me, is history. It captures a moment in time that can never be repeated. It gives me great pleasure to peruse my old photographs to remind myself of the stories behind them. This is why I decided to give old photographs a new life by restoring them with the help of MemoryCherish. I aim to leave a lasting legacy for my children and grandchildren so that they can look back and see how far we have come. It is my hope that, by restoring my photograph collection, I am helping to preserve our family history.

My Journey

I was born at a time when Europe in particular was recovering from the devastation of the Second World War. My father had served in the Royal Air Force during the War and subsequently, he had decided to continue with a full career in the Royal Air Force: eventually serving some 34 years. My childhood, during the subsequent Cold War period, was therefore varied and interesting, and mostly spent on Royal Air Force bases at different locations around the UK and West Germany.

After finishing secondary school, I decided on a military career. I joined the Royal Navy and went on to serve a 32-year career in the military: 10 years as an electrical engineer and latterly as a commando helicopter pilot in the Royal Navy; some 2 years in the Royal Marines’ Reserve; and subsequently 20 years in the Royal Air Force, in a variety of operational and staff appointments. 

The military has therefore played an enormous part in my life and also in the life of many family members before me. For my part, it was a life of privilege and tremendous opportunities, and it provided a sound environment in which to raise my family.

On retiring from military service, I became an owner and executive director of an international training company. I also operated 2 training consultancies that facilitated business, military, and aviation training for individuals from many different countries. During those 16 years, I was able to exercise those skills that I had acquired during my military career, and I was privileged to travel the World and experience many diverse cultures within the international business community.

Life Following Retirement

When I finally retired from work, some 10 years ago, I decided that I wanted to leave the best legacy possible for my 3 children and 6 grandchildren. 

I have been fortunate to have lived a very interesting and varied life: I raised my family and travelled the World. Along the way, I had experienced just about everything a man could experience and had met many interesting people from many different cultures and on every continent. 

I had also experienced through the years many significant sociological changes worldwide. The World is a very different place from the one I experienced in my childhood. I considered it was therefore my responsibility on behalf of my extended family to document my life and times (and theirs!), to provide my offspring with a detailed sense of our family history.

Family History: The Project

I decided that my tasks would be five-fold: First, I would commence the process by converting my albums of several thousand personal and family photographs into digital images. Many of those early photographs had either faded or had become damaged.

Second, all those photographic images had to be properly catalogued in chronological order: a task that has taken me several years and one that remains ongoing. 

Third, I wished to restore all the poor-quality images to pristine condition: again a task that would take several years and incur further significant expenses.

Fourth, once the photographic-restoration process is complete, I intend to produce sets of photo books for members of my family for posterity. 

My final task, which I am working on in parallel with those above, is to write a memoir.

Trusting The Process

To begin my lengthy project, I first outsourced the enormous task of scanning and digitizing my vast collection of family photographs. Next, I had to set about the task of restoring the many hundreds of images that were faded, damaged, or simply of poor quality. 

I spent time researching different photo-restoring companies on the internet and sampled a few to find an organization that I considered I could work with comfortably over a long period. I was seeking a good quality service that I trusted and, importantly, one that provided good value for money. Restoration on such a scale can be a costly process.

Having sampled the work and good customer service provided by MemoryCherish, I liaised directly with the founder of the Company, Jonah. Jonah and I quickly agreed on a way forward, given the size of my project: one with which I was comfortable and that was affordable to me cost-wise. 

We agreed that Jonah would assess each batch of images that I forwarded to the Company and that he would subsequently provide me with a financial quotation for the restoration, enhancement, and up-scaling of each batch. 

My batches comprise 20-40 images and the cost per image is dependent on the amount of restoration work required. I consider MemoryCherish to be extremely fair in their prices and our arrangement has continued to date for nearly 2 years. 

MemoryCherish has restored hundreds of images on my behalf and we continue to work on my project.

Why I Chose MemoryCherish

My early black and white family photographs stretch back to the 1800s: a time when camera technology was extremely poor in comparison with the technology of today. Those particular images were numerous and so small that one needed a magnifying glass to see the detail. Even images from the 1960s and 1970s needed considerable enhancement. 

Some companies will scan old photographs en masse and produce the digital images that are needed. In my case, having been through that process, I am still uncovering old photographs, which I now simply scan myself.

Once scanned and in digital format, the resulting images merely reflect the original, poor-quality photographs. However, the images are now in a format with which restoration artists can work. 

That is where a company such as MemoryCherish can make a real difference – good quality restoration, enhancement, and upscaling. As I work my way through my vast collection of images, I prepare a batch that requires restoration and forward the images to MemoryCherish. 

The restored images are returned to me within a few days and I then replace the originals in my catalogue with the restorations. Albeit a seldom occurrence, MemoryCherish is very accommodating and makes any adjustments that I might require to a particular image until I am fully satisfied. Moreover, if an image is so poor that it is beyond restoration, the company notifies me accordingly.

To conclude, I am extremely satisfied with the service that MemoryCherish provides and my project continues….