What to put in a scrapbook
Put in photos and keepsakes that explain a specific memory: a ticket beside the event photo, a drawing beside its maker, or a recipe beside the meal. Include dates you know.
A programme records performers and dates that an event photo may leave out. Put it beside the photo instead of adding another picture of the same pose.
Group items by person, place or activity. Ask permission before including another person's private letter or document.
Make a digital scrapbook
Add your photos and keepsakes in tbf scrapbook, then arrange them on the pages.
Match the object to the memory
Start with one photograph you want to keep. Look for something that explains what happened just outside its frame.
- A ticket records a venue and a date.
- A postcard adds a view and an address or postmark.
- A small map explains a route or a meeting place.
- A drawing shows something made at that time.
Record facts that photographs leave out
Names, dates, places and the maker of an object can be hard to recover later. Add what you know in your own words. Mark an uncertain date as approximate.
Ask a specific factual question when identifying an image. Who is holding the cake? Which house is this? Keep the answer with the relevant item.
Choose what should stay outside the book
Photograph keys, toys and other thick objects instead of mounting them. Their images take less room and will not press against the opposite page.
Do not include passwords, full financial records or private correspondence just because they fit the theme. Use a cropped copy when the sensitive part is irrelevant.
Steps
People
Choose a photograph of the people involved and a second item that places them at the occasion, such as a programme or seating card.
Place
Combine the view with a map segment or postcard. Keep a recognisable landmark in the photo crop.
Activity
Put a sequence of two or three action photographs beside the object used, such as a recipe card or a score sheet.
Detail
Place a small keepsake beside the photograph that explains it. Add its known date and owner, with enough space to see the whole object.
Questions
Can a scrapbook have more keepsakes than photographs?
Yes. Use photographs where they explain an object or introduce its owner. A book of recipes, tickets or drawings can have relatively few portraits.
What can I include when I have no event photos?
Use the invitation, programme, route, menu or a later photograph of the place. State the date of any later photo so it does not appear to record the event.
Should I keep every souvenir in the scrapbook?
Keep items that add different information. Store other souvenirs together with a list of their dates and places if you still want them.