Photographs are a tangible record of a person or event, and they may hold special meaning. Placed thoughtfully around the home, they are reminders of fond days and serve as decor.
As we reflect on the 21st anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, we remember one of the hardest lessons learned: how easily photos can be lost. Photos from a special day or of loved ones are cherished, and for those taken before the digital era, when they are gone, they are lost forever.
Stories of loss
A common lament regarding the floodwaters was the devastating loss of family photos. Images that captured weddings, graduations, vacations and other significant milestones were ruined. It was also painful to lose photos of dearly departed family members.
In typical New Orleans fashion, generations of families often reside in a single neighborhood with children and grandchildren only a few blocks from “Grammy’s” house. I remember one family based in Lakeview in five separate households who lost virtually every photograph. There was little chance of piecing anything together when they checked with each other upon returning to the city…