Short answer: ask each relative for something small and concrete, such as their ten oldest photos or every photo of one grandparent, and ask for copies, not the originals. Let them photograph the prints with a phone, or visit and scan them yourself, and gather everything in one shared place where the names and stories go next to each photo.
Last updated: 3 November 2026. The facts about other services and the advice on digital copies were checked on that day on the services' own help pages and with the Library of Congress; the sources are at the bottom.
Old family photos rarely sit in one box. One aunt has the wedding album, a cousin took the shoebox when the grandparents' home was cleared, an uncle abroad has the only photo of his father as a boy. Each of them knows who is on their photos. Together they hold the family's picture of itself. This page explains how to bring those photos together without anyone having to give anything up.
Five steps that work
- Start with a list of people. Who might have photos? Siblings of your parents and grandparents, cousins, godparents, old neighbours, friends of the family. Write down who has which branch.
- Make a small, concrete request. "Could you send me photos of Grandma before 1960?" gets more answers than "send me whatever you have". Ten photos is a good first ask.
- Ask for copies, not originals. Say clearly that the prints stay with them. That takes away most of the hesitation.
- Ask for the names at the same time. Who is on it, where, roughly when. If they do not know, that is useful too.
- Show what you made. Send everyone a link to the result. Seeing the first photos come together is what makes the second round of photos arrive.
Ways to collect, compared
| Way | Good for | Effort for the relative | Not the best choice when |
|---|---|---|---|
| Visit and digitise together | Fragile or large collections, and hearing the stories | Low: they talk, you photograph | Relatives live far away |
| They photograph prints with a phone (for example with PhotoScan) | Relatives who are comfortable with a phone | Medium | The relative does not use a smartphone |
| Posting or lending originals | A single photo that needs a proper scan | Low, but a risk to the photo | The photos are unique or fragile |
| Shared Google Photos album | Collecting quickly from many people | Low, if they use Google Photos | You want the names and stories next to each photo, or control over who has the link |
| The Memory Palace, collect link per room | Photos with names, stories and voice recordings in one private place | Low: a link in the browser, no account | You only want a quick album of one event, or relatives prefer to post prints |
Visiting with a phone
A visit is the best way, especially with older relatives. Bring your phone, sit at a table near a window, and photograph each print lying flat, without flash. Google's free PhotoScan app is made for photographing prints with a phone. Do not take photos out of old albums if they stick: photograph the album page. And keep your phone recording while you go through the photos. "That is Uncle Jos, the year he left for Canada" is the kind of sentence you will never get by email.
Relatives who live far away
Send a short message with the exact request and a simple way to answer. A shared Google Photos album is easy for people who already use it, but keep in mind that anyone with its link can view and add. For relatives who are not on any platform, a WhatsApp photo of a photo is better than nothing; ask for the original file if they can, and ask who is on it in the same message.
Keep the copies safe
Once photos start arriving, give each file a descriptive name, such as the year, the place and the people, and tag the people in it. The Library of Congress recommends both, and advises keeping at least two copies in different places. If you are unsure of the year, the free photo date finder helps you estimate it from clothes, cars and the print itself.
The Memory Palace, honestly
The Memory Palace is your own 3D memory palace: you hang photos, voice recordings, videos and written stories in rooms you walk through. For a family collection, you can give each grandparent or branch its own room. Every room can have a collect link: you send it to an aunt or a cousin, and they add a photo, a written memory or a voice recording from the browser, with their name, without an account. Everyone with that link can also see what was shared in that room, and you can withdraw the link or remove a contribution with one tap. The rest of the palace is private by default; you invite people per room or wing and choose whether they can view only or also add.
- Names and stories stay with the photo. Not in an email thread next to it.
- A voice next to the picture. An uncle telling who is who, in his own words.
- You can leave with everything. A full ZIP export on every plan, including the free plan with 1 GB, with a page that opens without internet.
What it lacks: it does not scan photos for you; someone still has to photograph the prints. It is not a genealogy records database. It is encrypted in transit and at rest, but not end-to-end. And it is made by a small team in Leuven, Belgium.
A simple way to start
Pick one grandparent. Send three relatives the same short message: "I am gathering photos of Grandma. Could you send me your five oldest ones, with who is on them? A phone photo is fine, the originals stay with you." Put what comes back in one place, with the names. Then send everyone the result.
If you want one place where the family can add photos, names and voices, you can start a palace and send the first collect link.
Read on: how to digitise old photos: scan, photograph or outsource, how to label old photos without damaging them, how to organise decades of old family photos, and all guides on old photos.
Sources
- Google Photos Help, scan photos with PhotoScan: support.google.com/photos/answer/7177983?hl=en
- Google Photos Help, share albums (anyone with the link can view and add): support.google.com/photos/answer/6131416
- Library of Congress, Personal Digital Archiving, digital photos (at least two copies in different places; check them once a year; descriptive file names; tag people and subjects): digitalpreservation.gov/personalarchiving/photos.html
- Library of Congress, care, handling and storage of photographs (limit markings; write on the back near the edge with a soft graphite pencil; no adhesives, sticky notes, paper clips or rubber bands; cool, dry, stable storage): loc.gov/preservation/care/photo.html