Key Takeaways
- Genealogy is expanding beyond names and dates to include photographs as essential links to family history.
- Photographs humanize history and spark memories that documents cannot capture, strengthening family connections.
- Experts urge early digitization of physical photos to preserve them, recommending high-resolution scans and proper labeling.
- Adding metadata to photos provides context and serves as a valuable gift for future generations.
- Together, documents and photographs create a fuller family history, enriching the genealogy experience, especially for younger relatives.
Estimated reading time: 4 minutes
Read the AARP® article (paywall): AARP Smart Guide to Genealogy. 29 tips to help you discover your roots and leave a lasting family legacy.
For decades, genealogy focused on names, dates, and documents. Census records. Immigration forms. Birth and death certificates. But a growing number of archivists and family historians now say something critical has been missing from many family trees: photographs.
That gap was highlighted recently in AARP’s Smart Guide to Genealogy, a members-only feature that explored how family history research affects emotional well-being and identity. When the guide addressed the role of images, it turned to photo archivist Mitch Goldstone, CEO and chief photo archivist of ScanMyPhotos.com, to explain why photographs are central, not supplemental, to understanding the past.
“Family photos are the emotional evidence of who we are,” Goldstone said in the AARP guide. “A single image can connect four generations at once. Every genealogy project that skips the photo side of history is missing its heart.”
Genealogy’s shift from records to relationships
The renewed focus on photographs comes at a time when genealogy is expanding beyond hobbyist research into something more personal. Studies cited by AARP show that family history projects can reduce anxiety, strengthen resilience, and deepen connections across generations. Experts say photos play a unique role in that process because they humanize history. A document can confirm a fact. A photograph can spark a story. “You see expressions, clothing, posture, who stood next to whom,” said Goldstone. “Those details often unlock memories and conversations that paperwork never does.”
Why physical photos still matter in a digital age
Despite the prevalence of smartphones, much of family history remains in physical form. Printed photographs, slides, albums, and envelopes are stored in closets and attics. That creates urgency, according to preservation experts. “Digitize early. Prints fade faster than we realize,” Goldstone said. He recommends scanning images at high resolution, storing backups in the cloud and on physical drives, and clearly labeling files. “Keep backup copies in the cloud and on a physical drive, and label every file with full names, dates, and locations,” he said. Without that context, images often become orphaned. Faces remain, but stories disappear.
Metadata as a form of inheritance
One of the most overlooked steps in photo preservation is adding descriptions and notes. Archivists say this may be the most valuable gift families can leave behind. “Include a short note or quote if someone remembers the story behind the photo,” Goldstone said. “Metadata isn’t just for tech people. It’s a gift to future generations.” That guidance aligns with AARP’s broader message that genealogy is not only about uncovering the past, but about shaping what survives into the future.
Documents matter, but photos complete the picture
AARP’s guide also notes that family archives can include scanned documents such as family Bibles, birth certificates, and immigration records. These materials provide structure. Photographs provide meaning. Together, they create a fuller, more accessible family history, especially for younger relatives who may feel disconnected from names and dates alone. As interest in genealogy continues to grow, archivists say the conversation is shifting. The question is no longer just how far back a family tree goes but how vividly it can be remembered. Increasingly, the answer depends on whether families have preserved the images that show not only who their ancestors were but also how they lived.
*** This article references themes and expert commentary from AARP’s Smart Guide to Genealogy, a members-only editorial feature published by AARP. Quotations attributed to Mitch Goldstone reflect his own expert commentary and were originally provided in an interview context. The referenced article appears on AARP.org and may require an AARP membership to view. All content is © AARP
[Revised on January 6, 2026].
