Keeper
of Your Treasures:
Write
Heirloom Provenances
By
Karen
Utter Jennings
Are
you the keeper of your family history “stuff”? Do you have family heirloom
treasures in your possession? Do you
know stories about your treasures? Does anyone else in your family know what
they are, where they came from, why you have them?
Above an antique oil lamp given to me by my great-grandmother, Ollie Johnson Utter Brier. After researching it, I discovered much more about it.
What
if those important treasures were thrown away or sold after you passed away
because your family did not realize the importance of those treasures in your
family history?
Below is my father's Goosey Goosey Gander child's sterling silver fork and spoon set.
It’s
important to document your heirlooms stories before a disaster happens. The
women in my family passed down heirlooms and told the story behind them so that
each generation knew the story behind the items. A provenance is the history of
ownership of an item.
I have many special family heirlooms in my home.
How
do you start? You say that you cannot write. Yes, you can! Here’s how.
Start
by taking photos of your precious family heirlooms. After you are finished, sit
down with paper and pen or an inventory form (you can make one yourself) and
start documenting the information about each item.
What
should you write about?
Your
name:
The
date:
Item
name:
What
is it?
Describe
it:
When
did you acquire it?
Where
did you get it?
Who
gave it to you?
Who
had it before that person?
If
it is handmade, who made it?
Where
did it come from?
Why
is it important to you?
Does
it have a story?
After
you write the provenances and include the photographs for all of your family heirlooms, tell your family about what
you are doing, then keep your documentation in a safe place.
