Timeless Pics and a Story: Of Childhood and Bonds That Never Break

Every order we get at ScanCafe – whether it involves scanning photos, digitizing negatives, or restoring damaged images – is processed manually and with a lot of attention to detail. We think it makes a difference and are thrilled when customers think so too.

We recently completed a slide digitization order for a wonderful customer named Cheryl. Many of the images in her collection were close to sixty years old but there was no way to tell by the time our photo restoration team was done with them.

Cheryl was kind enough to send us a few of those images, along with some deeply personal notes on why they meant so much to her and her husband.

Here is Cheryl’s story:

I was born in 1958 in Malden, Massachusetts. I have two brothers and I was the middle child. My dad worked at Boston Naval Shipyard. We all lived in a little apartment on Washington Street. That’s where the baby pictures were taken. My dad was a great photographer.

My older brother Art. This slide is about 56 years old!My older brother Art. This slide is about 56 years old!

Yours truly in Malden, MA. I still have the little bonnet in my hope chest because I'm very sentimental.Yours truly in Malden, MA. I still have the little bonnet in my hope chest because I’m very sentimental.

We moved to California when I was seven. We only lived a few miles from the ocean and so I spent a lot of my time there growing up. I still love the beach.

My younger brother Steve and I as teenagers in California

My younger brother Steve and I as teenagers in California-1My younger brother Steve and I as teenagers in California

My mom Cora was from Nova Scotia and so we visited family in Canada every other year. We lost her 27 years ago but many of these long lost slides captured who she was. ScanCafe brought her back to us with amazing clarity. My dad is also gone now and so we will treasure these images forever.

My mom loved kidsMy mom loved kids

My mother always told me the love of my life was right around the corner. Turns out he was, literally right around the corner. Steve and I married, moved to the Central Coast and had two kids together–a boy and a girl. The little blonde  in the grass is our son. The picture was taken by my dad about 24 years ago. We had never seen it before. My dad had a way of capturing people at the right time.

My mom loved kids

My husband had a son several years before we married. The mother remarried, and Steve didn’t really get to see his son while he was growing up. He reconnected with him a few years back through Facebook, believe it or not! We are so happy he is part of our lives now. My husband had no idea these pictures of him and his toddler son existed until his mother passed away recently and we started going through her slides. What we found are just priceless, especially after they were brought back to life by ScanCafe.

My Husband

Thank you for the beautiful share, Cheryl!