Living Color

Have you come across those online articles or slide shows of historical black and white photos that have been colorized? They haven’t run them through some automated process but rather painstakingly researched and recreated the hues and patterns of the day and carefully applied them precisely to bring the old photos to life. What captures my imagination is the way this brings a new dimension to the photographs. It makes Abraham Lincoln seem less like a marble statue and more like a flesh and blood human being. It makes Mark Twain look like he could get up and start spinning a yarn. They look like photographs that could have been taken yesterday.

The Retronaut has released a book of colorized photos. I might pick one up for a Christmas gift. Maybe even one for my own coffee table.

If you will permit me to spin this into a metaphor, your family history could also benefit from colorization. What do I mean by this? I mean that it can be more than names, dates, birth certificates, death certificates and tombstones. It can be about personalities, stories, tales and legends. The farther back you go, the harder these might be to come by. This is why it’s important to talk to grandparents and even great-grandparents. Ask them what their parents and grandparents were like. Ask them about physical features (even if you have photographs) and memories of them. Record them on video or audio. This will not only revive the memories of those long gone, it will preserve aspects of your interview subject as well.

I’ve come across stories and details like this from other sources as well. Some of my Civil War ancestors recounted their experiences in local newspapers. Some of them even filled out questionnaires for historical preservation societies that included details about their family histories.

Try colorizing your family tree with the colors and flavors of human experience. A family history dipped in story makes a tasty treat for generations to come.