The Secret Power Of Old Family Photo Albums
The surprisingly powerful story behind a simple family picture
A picture is worth a thousand words, the old adage says.
This overused expression exists in different languages and expresses the power of a single, still image to convey complex, sometimes multiple ideas.
This one, for example.
OK, I know what you’re thinking.
On a surface level, this picture may look like a poor case in point.
Yet, hiding in plain sight in this quaint, humble family snapshot from a bygone era, there’s a surprisingly large chunk of Italian history.
The family jewel
The picture was taken between 1963 and 1964 and comes from my family album. It portrays my grandparents, my young dad, and my uncle wearing their Sunday clothes while posing with Grandpa’s new car, a Fiat 1100D.
The model (which went on to enjoy great success in India long after Italian production ceased in ’66) was introduced in the autumn of 1962. It may not look like…
