Irreplacable Images

Photos Drying

For almost a week now, I’ve been working on a photo rescue project.  Over 70,000 photos have been hand cleaned out of those that were found amidst the tsunami wreckage.  All Hands Volunteers has a global network of over 300 photographers working to re-touch these photos to preserve the irreplaceable images of people’s past. Members of the local community often come by to search for photos of their loved ones and to go through the albums that we’ve created. 

I spend hours each day slowly dipping each photo into frigid water with my latex gloves.  Sometimes as the photo is dipped into the water, the color will slowly begin to dissolve. The process is a very a delicate balancing act of cleaning away dirt and bacteria while maintaining as much of the fragile image as possible.  It can be quite a tedious task, but can also be quite meditative at times.  Everyday I find myself wandering down hallways with the images….a junior high school class trip to Nara; a bride with a nervous smile on her wedding day; an elderly couple’s 1993 vacation on Sado Island; a grandmother bathing her toddler twin granddaughters. 

Sometimes if I’m very quiet and still, the hair on my arms will stand up and I can hear their stories.  More than anything, they want to be acknowledged and remembered. 

Photo Salvage Project