Researching your family history can indeed be a series of highs and lows - the joys of discovery and the disappointments of finding a negative. We all experience them each time we undertake our research.
We are all familiar with the lows. A family story is debunked by the evidence we find. A record we are searching for proves elusive or destroyed or on closed access. A mistake in our research invalidates an entire branch of our family tree. We uncover stories of hardship, heartache and misfortune that make our research difficult.
The highs of family history are many. Finding new information that furthers our family tree. Uncovering facts that corroborate a favourite family story. Stumbling across a record you have somehow missed in previous research. Finding new records have become available or a new website has come online that is relevant to our family history. Making contact with a new relative who has information to share. An unexpected find that comes out of the blue.
One of the biggest unexpected highs I have had came while moving house a few years ago. After months of clearing out the family home, it was moving day. As the removalists took an old wardrobe from my parent's room to their van, several pieces of paper and cardboard were found to have fallen behind it. A few old Christmas cards from years ago, an old poster, a calendar from 1982, several scraps of paper. As I was gathering it all to throw in the bin, amongst the debris I discovered an old image of my father. It dates from his time in the Air Force in WW2, is roughly A4 size and hand tinted on cardboard. I had never seen it before.
Considering it had been hidden behind an old wardrobe for at least 40 years, it was in surprisingly good condition. It was dusty and dirty, had a few creases and part of the top was almost broken off, but it was nevertheless a hugely exciting find. Had I not grabbed the papers as the wardrobe was hauled away I would never have known it existed and it would have been lost forever.
I have the original photograph that this image is taken from. The framed black and white photo had sat on my mother's dressing table my entire life and I can recall looking at it often during my childhood.
It is only a small photo, just 10x15cm, in a white frame. After my mother passed away I digitized this image, then placed it back in the original frame which I had carefully cleaned. It now sits in my study along with several other family photos.
Where the colored image comes from I have no idea, and there is no one left whom I can ask. It is currently carefully stored in an archival case and one day I hope to have it professionally cleaned and restored. It is all the more special to me for being completely unexpected.
A family history high indeed.
