Source: https://restorebunny.com/guides/catalogue-physical-photo-locations/ # Catalogue Physical Photo Locations So You Can Find the Original Connect each digital photo to its box, envelope or album location with a reversible location register and a worked relocation example. Family photo projects4 min readUpdated 11 October 2026 ## Try it on your own photo Repair a copy of your photo, then compare faces and details with the original. [Restore my photo]()1 credit per successful photo ยท Account required[See credit packs]() Quick answer ## The short version Give the photograph a stable ID and record its current physical container separately. A filename should not have to change when a box moves. Use a location register, record moves, and test whether another person can retrieve a sample original without guessing. ## An ID and a location solve different problems A stable photo ID identifies an object or record. A location tells someone where to look today. Combining both in a long filename seems convenient until an envelope moves or a box is replaced. Keep a durable ID such as PH-0142, then connect it to a current location such as BOX-02 / ENV-05 / item 07. The slash notation is an editorial convention; choose any readable system your household can maintain. Do not turn location labels into historical claims. 'Grandmother's box' describes a container name, while 'owned by grandmother since 1942' requires evidence. Store those in separate fields. A relative who lends an item may remain its custodian even while the scan is on your drive. Record custody and retrieval details without assuming ownership or permission to publish. ## Map containers before individual photographs Draw a simple hierarchy: room or responsible custodian, box, envelope or album, then item. Keep private street addresses out of shared copies. For a bound album, page and position may be more useful than a numbered loose-item sequence. Record the actual position you saw rather than assigning a position based on the story you expect. Physical handling remains a separate concern. The National Archives' photograph guidance supports careful storage and access appropriate to the object. A location register does not require removing every picture from its enclosure. If an object cannot be examined safely, record the container and access limitation. A useful catalogue can say where something is while explaining that its back has not yet been captured. ## Worked example: moving an envelope without renaming 25 scans PH-0142 belongs to ENV-05 in BOX-02. After a storage change, ENV-05 goes into BOX-04. Update the envelope's location entry once and retain PH-0142 as the same object. In your photo record, point to ENV-05 rather than embedding BOX-02 in the permanent identity. Add a dated move note so old printed inventories remain understandable. If one print leaves the envelope for an exhibition copy session, record the exception against that print. 'Temporarily with Mira for capture, expected return 18 October' is more useful than silently changing the envelope location. When it returns, close the temporary movement entry. This is a coordination example, not a recommendation to loan a fragile object. ## Build a retrieval register 1. Create a container table with container ID, parent container, readable label, current custodian, access restrictions and last checked date. Keep the private version with your archive records. 2. Create a photo table with stable photo ID, container ID, page or item position, front/back capture filenames and any reason the location is approximate. 3. Record moves as dated events with old location, new location, who moved the item and whether the inventory was reconciled. Avoid overwriting the only history of a disputed move. 4. Ask another person to retrieve three sound sample originals using the register alone. Note the confusing labels, then revise the instructions before cataloguing hundreds more. ## Handle gaps and transfers explicitly Sometimes a scan survives but the original's whereabouts are unknown. Use 'physical original not located' instead of an empty box field that might be mistaken for a missing data entry. If you only received a digital copy, state that your record describes that copy and name its supplier. A good location register distinguishes absent originals from originals held elsewhere. For a transfer between relatives, send a private movement manifest with the relevant IDs and check it on arrival. Share only the location detail the recipient needs. Keep a public caption focused on the picture's context, rather than exposing home storage information. Recheck the map whenever containers change; a retrieval test is stronger evidence of usability than a beautifully formatted spreadsheet nobody has tried. ## FAQs Should the box number go in every filename? Keep the stable photo ID in filenames and the changing box location in a register. That avoids renaming files after moves. Can I catalogue an album without removing prints? Yes. Use album, page and position references, noting areas you could not examine safely. What if the original is held by a cousin? Record the custodian and agreed access route privately. Do not imply that possessing a scan gives you custody of the physical object. ## Sources Preservation and technical guidance reviewed for this article. - U.S. National Archives: [Photograph handling guidance]() ## Related - [Separate IDs from descriptive filenames]() - [Make the archive maintainable by someone else]() - [Use the family archive manifest and README]() ## Ready to restore your photos? 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