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My grandmother, whom I always called Nana, is the most incredible woman I will ever know.

Born on January 19th, 1922, she had a rough childhood. Her mother left the family, which was unheard of back then. So, Nana and her siblings were left to fend for themselves. She went to work as a maid for room and board. She was 9 years old.

Nana used to tell me stories and I learned to listen, not just “hear” what she said, but really LISTEN. I spent most of my childhood at her house; there was a special bond between us.

One of my favorite memories was from a summer overnight stay. One of those light transformers exploded, right down the street. Of course, everyone was scared. But Nana came in and said not to worry.

We went outside; everyone in the neighborhood was out. I was about 6 years old.

It was a hot summer night and Nana lived next to an Italian Deli. The owner started handing out lemon Italian ice to us kids. I brought mine back to Nana’s house and sat next to her on the front porch swing. It was pitch black.

At that very moment, she pointed and told me to look up. “At what?” I replied.

She said, “The Moon…do you see it? Look really close. You can see the Man on the Moon if you look hard.” And I swear, I saw it. It felt like the most amazing thing for a kid to witness.

Last year I got a tattoo on my inside forearm that says, “To The Moon And Back” because of Nana. ~shared by @_jenn_41671_

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Family photos don’t belong in a box.

This photo was found whilst clearing out our family home of 22 years. It was taken by my Dad from the first floor of our family home in London.

It was 1980, and I imagine it was one of the few hot days we get in the summer.

My Mum is lounging in a tartan jumpsuit and white loafers, the height of fashion at the time!

My sister Sophie, the blondest blonde of all time, is sitting with the older girl from next door.

An ice cream cone is on the ground, whilst pussy the cat (that was the cat’s real name) eyes it longingly.

My Dad wasn’t a photographer, but he always seemed to capture beautiful moments without realising.

Cameras and video cameras were always present whilst we were growing up.

Dad passed away 6 years ago, so these photos became even more important to me. It makes me feel happy, as I can imagine my Dad looking out of that window, and feeling so proud of his wife and first daughter, who don’t seem to have a care in the world. ~ shared by @chloeslloyd

#savefamilyphotos #familyphotos #familyphoto #ancestry #familyhistory #oldfamilyphotos #vintagephotos #filmisnotdead #vintagephoto #oldphoto #oldphotos #ancestors #familyalbum #tbt #throwback #throwbackthursday

“Photography, alone of the arts, seems perfected to serve the desire humans have for a moment – this very moment – to stay.” Sam Abell

I discovered my father’s old Kodachrome slides and came across this gem.

This is my Grandpa and Grandma having fun in the sun on the Jersey Shore.

My Grandpa was always a suit-and-tie kinda guy, straight laced, never went anywhere without a hat!

It just cracks me up that he spent the day at the beach in his street clothes – slacks, socks and shoes!

Plus, he’s reading the June 1960 issue of “Holiday” magazine. Holiday was travel magazine published from 1946 to 1977. It was famous for employing the world’s best writers, such as Graham Greene, and photographers, and giving them the freedom (and money) to interpret a subject in whatever way they wished. ~ shared by @lizajp11

#savefamilyphotos #familyphotos #familyphoto #ancestry #familyhistory #oldfamilyphotos #vintagephotos #filmisnotdead #vintagephoto #oldphoto #oldphotos #ancestors #familyalbum #tbt #throwback #throwbackthursday

My grandfather is visiting me and brought a huge box of old photos, a real treasure hunt!

This one is my Grandmother, Gloria Almquist (on right) and her Jewish friend, Mimi in the 1930s.

They were forbidden to play together due to prejudice. Between 1900 and 1924, approximately 1.75 million Jews immigrated to America’s shores, the bulk from Eastern Europe. Antisemitism increased dramatically in the 1930s with demands being made to exclude American Jews from American social, political and economic life.

But my Grandmother and her friend Mimi maintained a secret friendship, and my Grandmother kept this photo through all these years. ~ shared by @jennylee_1011

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Meet my grandparents, Ethel and Jack.

They grew up in Brooklyn and my Grandpa hung out every day at the candy store on Linden Blvd. Grandma would go a hundred times a day to buy a penny chewing gum so she could see Grandpa.

She was 15; he was 21.

One of Grandpa’s friends liked her and asked her out on a date, but she really didn’t want to go out with him. So, she told him he could go with her best friend…but only if he brought HIS best friend – my Grandpa – to accompany her!

My Grandma was not a shy girl.
And that was the beginning of their relationship!
Grandpa absolutely adored my Grandma from the start, but worried that he was too old for her. So he fibbed and said he was 20, instead of 21.

They were married 4 years after that fateful first date.

It wasn’t until decades later, when my Grandparents were getting passports for the first time, that my Grandma learned the truth about his age; everyone had a great laugh!

My Grandpa passed away in 2001, and loved my Grandma with all of his heart, until the last beat it took. ~shared by @karenlisa

#savefamilyphotos #familyphotos #familyphoto #ancestry #familyhistory #oldfamilyphotos #vintagephotos #filmisnotdead #vintagephoto #oldphoto #oldphotos #ancestors #familyalbum

“Photos help us remember who we were, which helps us know who we are now.” -Susan Meiselas

My Gigi, an immigrant from Poland, raised her son as a single mother during the Great Depression. She had such strength and dedication.
This photo shows a special moment between her and my Grandpa in the mid-1930s in Chicago. She was intently reading to him.

You can see how much she truly loved her only child. You can see the care she put into raising him, despite many obstacles.

My Mom always made sure to keep plenty of books around the house for me and my siblings. She also read to us daily.

This photo reveals who influenced my Mom and also symbolizes why reading together with children is so important. It made my Grandpa grow up to be a storyteller.
I grew up to be one too. ~shared by @snorkytheduck

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All you need is love.

Me and Ma.

This must have been a weekend morning in the 1960s.

My mother worked days and my Dad worked nights. We were a struggling family.

We didn’t have much – no car, no television.

But we had each other’s company. ~shared by @donnabella2

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“Photography is a way of feeling, of touching, of loving…It remembers little things, long after you have forgotten everything.” – Aaron Siskind

I love this picture of my Dad as a kid. It was taken in the mid-1960’s.

He passed away nearly a year ago and I’m always remembering him, but not just through one memory.
It’s through lots of little things.

Whenever I told him what I was up to, he would simply say, “Carry on as if you were normal.” I really miss hearing him say that.

He was the most thoughtful and silly person I ever knew and I was unbelievably lucky to have him in my life as long as I did.

Plus, he was one stylish kid. I want that hat. ~shared by @goldenpromises

#savefamilyphotos #familyphotos #familyphoto #ancestry #familyhistory #oldfamilyphotos #vintagephotos #filmisnotdead #vintagephoto #oldphoto #oldphotos #ancestors #familyalbum