Old tennis shoes, an airline boarding pass or much-loved teddy bear — these are the kinds of objects photographer Shana “The Heirloomist” Novak captures in a new book.
Though author Shana Novak’s father no longer rides horses, this framed photo she took of her dad’s cowboy hat reminds her “to always choose adventure.” Ticket stubs, a set of keys, a faded airline boarding pass, worn-out work boots — these ordinary but dear items are among the keepsakeshas captured on the pages of her new book, “The Heirloomist — 100 Treasures and the Stories They Tell” .
Warning: This book could make you never throw away anything sentimental again. But the point she’s making is to find those few poignant items in your life and elevate them. It’s not the stuff, but the stories behind the stuff that make them meaningful.Of the 100 items featured, most belong to workaday folks, but some belong to celebrities. A library ladder of books comes from writer and activist Gloria Steinem.
Novak’s business involves photographing her clients’ cherished keepsakes. “My job is to make something seemingly ordinary feel magical,” she says. Whether whimsical or sobering, all the photographed objects have the same effect. They ptompt viewers to ask, “Why do I have a picture of old running shoes on my wall? Let me tell you …” and from there, conversation and memories flow.When my grandmother was around age 90, she was feeling her own mortality and started telling me pretty cool stories of the many interesting things she had kept, like the metal plate once implanted in her leg, after a golf cart ran her over.
Don’t feel pressured to memorialize something that doesn’t speak to you or that makes you feel sad or stressed. For instance, if military medals from a family member who died in service make you sad, it’s okay to keep those in a box.I get teddy bears in the worst condition. Making a really loved stuffed animal look charming can be challenging. Matchbooks are popular. Oh, and lots of cowboy boots. They’re among my favorite objects to photograph. They are tall and proud and so textural.
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