Creating a heritage album

My hubby recently came into some rather interesting

and cool heritage photos and documents

which of course, put me over the moon.

I adore heritage, ancestry, anything that reeks of the past.

 My first step was to photograph everything including the back of photos
where some forethinking ancestor
included pertinent information that would be unavailable now
since those that would know - aren't around to tell anymore.
I wasn't even upset if they used pencil or pen
or wrote hard enough to mess with the photo -
you have to have your priorities straight
and information is #1.
 My hubby zeroed in on that leather wallet that is
in remarkable condition considering
and it was his idea to put it in a shadowbox
and is now hanging on our wall right
next to the grandfather clock his father built.

How cool is that.

There is also documents that stood the test of time
which begs the question do we really need
all the fancy stuff we have now.
FYI....
I do know that ink does fade so archival ink is important.

 A last will and testament by his grandmother.
If you've ever had any kind of legal thing going on
the lawyers usually encase your documents
in a fancy envelope document holder.
As they should - they charge enough right.

Tucked inside was a copy of the actual document
with signatures and everything AND
and onionskin copy.
Remember that from your typing days???

There wasalos a court document
showing that hubby's grandfather's estate had been
duly administered.

The above documents are now encased in 8.5x11

page protectors and I'm just planning to let them speak for themselves
and not do anything tricky like pocket pages - because
A. why hide them and,
B. they fall out and drive me crazy.

 Because several large photos came encased in those photography photo frames
it blew the 8.5x11 album idea I had going on. I decided that 12x12 would be the way to go
because I really don't want to mess with these beautiful photos
and I have scrapped copies of them in other albums.
 And honestly

how much more can you do to make them stunning.

I also came to the conclusion that using the original photos

on the scrapbook page was the way to go

instead of using a copy and tossing the originals in a box

to get all mussed up.

I know that you don't have to use "heritage" papers but I 

personally think it lends to the feel of the photos so 

I picked up this line from HL - Paper Studio.

I also needed to stock up on what I consider "heritagey" embellishments

as I haven't done heritage in years so I was basically

starting again. I also want it to be cohesive since there

really won't be any type of order to it.

This is going to be what I call a "working" album.

I am in the process of scouring ancestry.com for information on the Murphy

family and that means I expect to get stories and/or interesting facts

and memories and have the family members do the 

remembering and writing.

Of course they can always write on the back.

This first page is the mother-in-laws at my hubby's parent's wedding.

I used some gesso to offset some of the busy

and threw down the doily, prima and QK label that

has their names on it.

Aren't they gorgeous and stunning.

We so don't get glammed up like that anymore.

Sad.

I do have a question (and its a long one LOL)

- as I've made some heritage pages for Tom'sfamily in the past - 

they are in albums that are shall we say

none-themed. 

Should I plow through all the albums and find those

and add them into the album or keep them were they are.

And when I say in the past,

 I mean when I first started and Bless my heart

some are really ugly. 

Which would screw up the cohesive OR if I

need those photos - just do them again.

What say you?