I spent this weekend finally finishing up the scanning and labeling of all of my Mom's photos. She died almost three years ago, so I can't claim to have been hurried.
The main point of scanning them was to share with various siblings and relatives.
I did the same thing when my Dad died. And ran into the same problem.
Who ARE these people?
For one thing, sticking photos onto albums means they may or may not be able to be removed later. So if there was any identification written on the back, well, there's no way to tell if there is writing on the back.
But even with loose photos it's hard to figure out. Some people can tell the difference between one infant and another, but I can't. Which brother is this? I don't know. If there was a date I might be able to figure it out, but many of the photos we have, my dad developed himself.
No dates.
And the people from my parents' generation or before? Don't assume we're going to know who they are. The next generation down will recognize even fewer people.
I asked my mom once "Who is this?'. "That's your great-grandmother." "Well, write that on the back." "I told you. Just remember."
Sigh. I didn't.
It's really a shame. There are some interesting, very old pictures in their collections. One was a boy about 3 years old with a cigarette, which may or may not have been my dad. One of a great-great-aunt was actually marked. That was thrilling.
So please, please make sure your photos are identified. Your heirs will appreciate it.