Nothing is more precious as family heirlooms than the photographs that were taken many years ago and today families have plenty of video tape or digital footage to add to that collection.
These memories are irreplaceable and there have been so many times when a house fire or flood has destroyed the things a family treasures the most.
Once they are gone, it is forever.
Losing all of those photos and film could have been avoided if the owners had just known the proper precautions to take beforehand.
Most of us like to display our family pictures on the walls, tables and mantles of the house.
It makes us feel good to walk past the faces of of children when they were babies or that of our parents when they were first married.
It never fails to bring memories flooding back and of course, they are a source of pride in our family that we are not above liking to show off to the visitors that come around.
The thing about displaying original photos is that is if a disaster did strike the home, they could be easily lost.
This is why it is always smart to make sure to have copies made of all photos that are precious to you.
You can either do this yourself at home using your own computer and printer, or you can have it done at a photo shop.
You can do the same with your older film that might still be on reels, video tapes or even your newest digital film.
Having copies of all of these things is the only way to ensure that you will have them for your lifetime and to be able to pass down to the next generation and the ones after that.
While the technology changes, the ability to copy the photos and film footage will progress as well.
Once you have copies made of all your photos and film, do not be foolish enough to keep those copies in the home.
A fire proof safe can be used, but having them stored in the home of someone else or in a bank safety deposit box is even better.
Learning to make your own copies at home is easier than you think.
You can burn off literally hundreds of pictures on one CD Rom and make multiple copies of it in just a little bit.
The same can be done with your digital film.
There are machines you can purchase now at relatively inexpensive prices that will convert your old film and video tape to DVD's.
If you are a real camera buff of any kind, photo or film, then they could be really worth the investment.