The previous owner of my house left behind 5 big box of family photo albums, newspaper clippings, photo slides, etc. What should I do with it? I can't bear the idea of throwing it to the curb some photos date back to the 1880s Do old photos have any monetary value ? I think the previous owner - an old lady - moved into a retirement home. Never met the previous owner since the house had been empty for a while and when we closed on the house we only met her lawyer.

Any ideas?

 

If they're that old maybe a local archives or something would be interested in them. Just a thought unless you can contact the previous owner directly to ask what they want to do.

 

i'd try to get it back to her if she's still living. otherwise, try and get it back to the family.

 

Even if the woman does not want them, perhaps there are family members that do. Those kind of things are really important to some people. It would be a shame if they were lost.

 

Scan 'em in and post 'em up, of course

 

Yeah, call the lawyer and see if s/he knows the family.

 

Try finding the family first, then forward to the local preservation/archive society.

We had a bunch of my great-grandfather's photos from Blaine, WA (he was a border agent). We kept a few and sent the rest back to the Blaine Historical What-have-you, and they were not only very happy, but very respectful.

 

Am I the only one curious now to see some of these photos? scan any that might amuse a cubicle dweller for a few minutes.

 

Pics or ban?

 

Things like this are almost always priceless to someone. I'd put some effort into returning them to a member of her family.