i created my first photo wall when i became a mother. we were living abroad and we did not have any family near. i wanted my baby son to recognize and be familiar with both his living family members and those who came before him. we called it “the family museum.” we would stand in front of the different photos and tell stories about the people represented. he couldn’t believe that a picture of his father and grandfather standing together was not actually a photo of him and his own daddy (despite the red velvet overall shorts and knee highs his father was wearing.) he found it hilarious that i was ever a baby or that his grandma could have been a little girl. we traced his green eyes back to his oma and later, my daughter’s one dimple to her paternal great grandmother. we laughed about big midwestern bonnets from the 30’s and grandpa’s pants from the 70’s. the photo wall was a treasured prompt and reference for family stories and has been recreated and updated in each of our homes.