Start with an inventory, not a perfect system
Walk through the house once and list everything that matters to someone. Include the obvious (jewelry, art, furniture) and the quiet things: a hand-written cookbook, a tool box, a flag, a christening gown. If you hesitate over whether it counts, it counts.
Do not try to document everything in one weekend. Start with the ten items that are most valuable, most fragile, or most loved, and add from there. A short, finished list beats a long, unfinished one.
Photograph each piece
Good photos serve as a record, help with insurance, and let relatives far away see what you are talking about. You do not need special equipment.
Checklist: photographing an heirloom
- Use daylight from a window, and avoid direct flash, which flattens detail and glares on glass and metal
- Plain background: a white sheet, a plain table, or a wall with nothing busy
- One overall photo, then close-ups of marks, signatures, hallmarks, labels, and serial numbers
- Photograph the damage as well: chips, tears, repairs, wear. These are part of its history and matter for insurance.
- Include something for scale, such as a ruler or a coin, next to the object
- For small pieces, shoot from several angles and show the underside or inside
- Add a photo of the object in use or in place if you have one, such as the clock on the mantel
Save each photo with a clear file name, such as “Grandfather-pocket-watch_front.jpg.” Back up the folder in at least two places.
Record the facts: provenance
Provenance is the history of an object: where it came from and who has owned it. For a family heirloom, it is mostly a short chain of names. Write down what you know and say so plainly where you don't know.
Template: provenance record
- What it is: a short description, with materials and size
- Where it came from: the person who owned it first, and where it was made or bought if known
- Roughly when: a decade or a range is fine. “1940s?” is better than nothing and better than a false precise date.
- How it passed: who gave it to whom, and why
- Where it is now: the room, the box, the person who holds it
- Condition and any repairs
- Receipts, appraisals, or papers that go with it, and where they are
- Who it is meant to go to next
Mark uncertain details as uncertain. “Mom thinks it was her aunt's, but could have been her grandmother's” is useful and truthful. Later someone may find the proof.
For anything of significant monetary value, such as jewelry, art, antiques, or instruments, get a professional appraisal and keep the paperwork with your records. A home inventory with photos is also what an insurer will ask for after a loss.
Capture the story
The photograph says what it looks like. The story says why it matters. Sit with the person who knows the object best and ask questions. Record the answer on your phone, or write it down. A few minutes is enough.
Questions to ask about an object
- Whose was this, and how did they come to have it?
- What do you remember about it from when you were a child?
- Is there a story about a time it was used, lost, broken, or nearly sold?
- Is there something about it that nobody would guess just by looking?
- How was it meant to be used or looked after?
- Who do you hope will have it, and why them?
Voice recordings are worth the effort. In thirty years, hearing a grandmother say “that was my mother's, she wore it every Sunday” beats any caption. If the person is shy about a recording, take notes and read them back to confirm.
Decide who gets what
Most family conflict about belongings happens because wishes were never written down. People remember promises differently, and objects with sentimental value often matter more than expensive ones. Do this part openly and early.
- Ask the owner what they want. Their wishes come first.
- Ask family members which two or three pieces they would most love to have. You may find less overlap than you feared.
- Where two people want the same item, talk it through while the owner can weigh in. Options include taking turns, swapping, or giving one the object and the other a photo and the story.
- Write the decisions down, with the date and the owner's name.
- Share the list with the family so there are no surprises.
A written list of intentions is not a legal document. For items of real value or if you worry about disputes, speak to an estate attorney about how to make the wishes binding. Wills and trusts differ by place, and a lawyer can tell you what applies to you.
Label and store it well
Attach a note to each object, on an acid-free tag or a small label on the back or underside, with the name and a short line of history. For textiles, use cotton tape and archival tissue. Do not use ordinary tape or glue on anything old.
Store pieces away from direct sunlight, attics, and basements, where heat and damp do the damage. Photographs, paper, and fabrics prefer cool, dry rooms in acid-free boxes. Wrap silver in tarnish-resistant cloth, and keep jewelry in a padded box. When in doubt about a valuable or fragile piece, ask a conservator.
Keep one record the whole family can find
A folder of photos, a notebook of stories, and a list of heirs only help if someone knows they exist. Keep everything in one place, and tell at least one other person where it is.
Keeper puts each object, with its photos, its story (typed, dictated, or recorded in your own voice), where it came from, and who it is meant for, in one place on your phone. You can browse by person or by room, and print The Register, a one-page-per-object PDF that works as a printed inventory you can hand to the family.
Common questions
- What counts as a family heirloom?
- Anything with meaning for the family, whether or not it has financial value: jewelry, furniture, tools, recipes, letters, quilts, and photographs. If someone would be sad to lose it, document it.
- How do I photograph an heirloom for insurance?
- Shoot in natural light on a plain background, with an overall shot, close-ups of marks and signatures, and a ruler for scale. Photograph damage and repairs too, and keep receipts or appraisals with the images.
- How do I prevent fights over who inherits what?
- Ask the owner what they want, ask family members what matters most to them, and write the decisions down with a date. Share the list early. For valuable items, ask an estate attorney how to make the wishes legally binding.
- How should I store family heirlooms?
- Keep them cool, dry, and out of direct sun. Use acid-free boxes and tissue for paper and fabric, and avoid attics and basements. Ask a conservator before cleaning or repairing anything fragile or valuable.
Related guides: How to record family stories · How to make a family cookbook