By Vernalee
Most of us have hobbies of some sort. Without question, my photo collection is mine. Even if I may brag, it is quite impressive! Over the years, I have assembled photos that tell a story. They depict my family’s history … in the making. I recently added a vintage piece of my great-grandmother Minnie that my Mother “handed down” to me. I was thrilled at the thought of placing such a prized possession on my walls. It’s a family heirloom. I had heard so many stories about her. I am told that photographs were an expensive undertaking and a rare commodity for many poor Black folks in the Mississippi delta in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s. As such, photographs were rare which makes this vintage photo of my great grandmother a rare find. Many guests stay on the landing of the stairway for an extensive period of time viewing my photographic collection. I have portraits, photos, and collages of the majority of my family. Assembly of the photographs is a labor intensive and meticulous process. Much thought goes into their placement and arrangement. Recently, my six year old great niece was photo gazing and said, “Auntie loves us because she has all of our pictures on her wall!” That endearing comment was priceless. It paid for the frames and my efforts! Photo credit: www.onekinddesign.com