The Accidental Archivist

By Hermann Groeneveld / SilvergrainClassics

One day, Jon Olav Stokke innocently opened the hatch to the attic of his parents’ house. It had probably not been opened for a long time, and the low-ceilinged attic had not been entered for ages. In any case, no one in Jon’s family had any idea what a photographic treasure lay dormant up there under the roof, some of it for decades. Jon unearthed the treasure. He tells SilvergrainClassics about his joy at rediscovering a piece of family history. And about his project to breathe new life into it and make it accessible to others.

Hermann Groeneveld / SilvergrainClassics (HG)

Jon, tell us about yourself. Where do you live? What do you do for a living? Are you a photographer?

Jon Olav Stokke / Filmmaker (JOS)

I’m a Norwegian filmmaker living in London. I first moved here in 2009 to study film, and I’ve been working as a freelance director and editor ever since. I wouldn’t call myself a photographer, but I’m definitely an analogue photography hobbyist, much like my grandparents were. These days, I mostly shoot with my grandmother’s Olympus OM-1, which she bought in the mid-70s after taking a media course, and I usually bring my Pentax LX as well.

HG

How did you come across your ancestors’ photographic legacy? Was it a coincidence?

JOS

It all started with Hi-8 video tapes. My parents had filmed my sister and me from the moment we were born, and, because of my above-average interest in film and old formats, I began digitising our family collection, more than 50 tapes in total.

While searching for every Hi-8 tape from 1986 to 2005, I kept stumbling across 35mm negatives, sometimes just lying in drawers, other times packed into old boxes filled with envelopes from labs in Norway and even the US. I knew we had some negatives; I’m a 90s kid, and I shot 35mm as a teenager, but I had never realised just how much my family had accumulated.

When my dad mentioned that there were more negatives stored in the attic from my great-grandfather and grandparents, that’s when it really hit me how huge the collection was. My parents had no idea what to do with it all, and my mum even suggested throwing everything away unless someone could figure out a purpose for it. When you’re looking at more than 700 rolls of film, it takes up a lot of space, and that’s when archiving suddenly becomes very important.

HG

What did you find? How many pictures or films?

JOS

Honestly, I haven’t counted everything yet. One day, I’ll look at the final image, and we’ll know for sure. If I had to guess, there are around 20,000 negatives, roughly 700 rolls of film. I’ve probably scanned about 1,000 negatives so far, yet it still feels like I’ve barely made a dent. I’m fairly confident the total is in the 700-roll range.

The collection spans everything from early-1900s medium-format film to 110, 126, and 135 formats. Naturally, there’s a lot more 35mm because it became so accessible to my family in the 1950s. There’s also a surprising amount of 126/110 film, which I still haven’t found a perfect way to scan.

HG

How did you start digitising?

JOS

I’ve been using the Epson Perfection V850 Pro for 120 and 135 film, but for 126/110 film, the results weren’t great because the scanner doesn’t have a dedicated frame for those formats. I’ve seen people use 3D-printed 126/110 film holders for flatbeds, which looked promising, but after posting some of these videos, I’ve learned that camera-scanning, or “re-shooting”, 110, 126, and 135 film might be the best approach for those formats, using systems like the ones Valoi offers.

Right now, it’s a budget question. Investing in entirely new gear is a big expense, and for the time being, the Epson V850 has done a great job with medium-format and 35mm negatives and positives.

I’ve also realised that part of this project is encouraging others to do the same with their own family archives, using whatever equipment they have. I think a lot of people are sitting on huge collections of negatives without even realising it.

HG

Your ancestors were probably keen amateur photographers?

JOS

They were, without a doubt, but in very different ways. Looking through the photographs from the various sides of my family, you can really see their individual personalities shine through. In many ways, I feel like I’m getting to know them all over again.
My grandparents on my mother’s side took many photos of family occasions, holidays, important moments, weddings, and friends. Their images feel like snapshots meant to preserve memories.

My dad’s uncle Jon, after whom I’m named, was the opposite. He was meticulous about his framing and very intentional about how he positioned family members in a shot, down to their posture and expressions. He was a civil engineer, but it’s obvious he had a deep love for photography.

My grandparents on my father’s side loved to travel, and their photos often reflect that. Nature, landscapes, and the “bigger picture” recur again and again. But of course, there are plenty of family snapshots mixed in as well.

HG

Did you find cameras, lenses, and other equipment belonging to your ancestors?

JOS

I did, though I haven’t fully gone through everything yet. Two of the cameras still have film inside, but I haven’t dared remove it and have it developed. Most of my grandfather’s darkroom equipment is gone; only a few traces remain, as he threw out the majority of it.

There are still cameras, both digital and analogue, along with some lenses, camera cases, old 35mm film canisters, and countless lab envelopes.

HG

Did your ancestors have any kind of structured archiving system for their photographic material? Any kind of order?

JOS

The short answer is no, but there may have been some structure at one point. After they passed away and the negatives were packed into boxes, whatever system there was pretty much disappeared. Some envelopes are labelled with a year or month, and occasionally with more detail, such as “Wedding,” “London,” or “America.” But for the most part, I rely heavily on my parents and my aunt to help identify people and moments.

That part has become one of the most enjoyable aspects of the project. Showing them a newly scanned negative, sometimes a photo they’ve never seen before or haven’t seen for decades, always sparks conversations: what happened, who’s in the picture, what year it might have been. I also have my grandmother’s 200-page memoirs, which go back to the early 1920s, and she often writes about the moments captured in some of the medium-format negatives.

But in terms of structure, the only real system is that each box belongs to one side of the family. Thankfully, my grandfather comprehensively researched our family tree before he passed away, so it’s much easier to identify people. Many of the printed photos also have names written on the back.
The whole thing feels a bit like a treasure hunt, and I love that. It genuinely feels like I’m getting to know my grandparents all over again.

HG

Were you always able to clearly assign the pictures to a specific time or situation? If not, how did you research and structure the material?

JOS

So far, I haven’t come across a negative I couldn’t date. When I hit a challenge, I just research: Google, Google, Google. For example, the recent London roll from 1954 had no date, but I found a clip on Pathé’s YouTube channel showing Piccadilly Circus in 1954, which matched my grandfather’s photographs almost exactly. Combined with a few other clues, it became clear that he and my grandmother were there that year. I also have old photo albums with timestamps, as well as letters and postcards dating back to the 1920s.

HG

How do you archive the digital data and analogue films?

JOS

I’m now working on building a much better archiving system. I use an Excel sheet to log dates, locations, the photographer, and film type. Everything I digitise is stored in organised folders, both in the cloud and on a hard drive. Each image gets an ID, and I catalogue everything in Adobe Lightroom. The negatives eventually go into archival sleeves and dust-free folders.

It’s a slow process, and I’m constantly learning. I really believe in “learning by doing,” so I just started, picked a roll and went for it. That first roll will probably need to be re-scanned one day, because I’ve already learned so much since then.

HG

In your videos, I can see that you use the Epson Perfection 850 Pro scanner with SilverFast. As you mentioned, it’s a good scanner, definitely for medium format films. In the 35mm range, there are better solutions, scanners with higher resolution and more dynamic range. What made you choose the Epson scanner? Would an upgrade be an option for your project to get the maximum quality out of the films?

JOS

The original research was something my dad and I did together. We needed a scanner that was easy to use, compatible with modern computers, and reliable. At the time, I genuinely had no idea people were using digital cameras to re-shoot their negatives; that workflow had never crossed my mind. So when we looked up “the best scanner,” a camera-based system simply wasn’t on the radar, and the Epson V850 seemed to fit our needs.

If I had known how much 110 and 126 film we had, I might have made a different choice, as the Epson V850 doesn’t have holders for those formats. But as you mentioned, it’s great for medium-format film, and we have a lot of that, so in that sense it’s been a really good match.

HG

You share your experiences on your YouTube channel. Do you get interesting feedback? Does that help you in your work?

JOS

I’ve been overwhelmed by the engagement with the videos. What began as a family project, mainly to keep the wider family updated, has turned into something far beyond what I expected. I never thought people would be interested in watching my grandmother have a picnic in the mountains at age six. But because so many people are watching, it has also encouraged me to look deeper into camera scanning, and they’re right. Sharing my experiences on YouTube has been incredibly valuable. Photographers have strong opinions about scanners, cameras, and workflows, so I’ve learned a huge amount along the way. I’ve even had museum curators and archivists reach out with advice on how to organise the family collection, from which gloves to use to which macro lens I should have bought instead of the Epson scanner.

HG

Are you planning to upgrade your equipment for digitisation?

JOS

Yes, especially for the 110, 126, and 135 formats. I just don’t have the budget for a full upgrade yet. But maybe within the next year I can start looking into investing in a good digital camera and a proper camera-scanning setup. Any recommendations?

I still like my scanner, but I fully understand it’s not always the best option. But you have to start somewhere. If I were afraid of doing something “wrong,” I never would have begun this project in the first place. I’m genuinely grateful that the photography community is so willing to share their knowledge.

HG

What did this wonderful treasure you discovered mean to you personally, emotionally?

JOS

This is a tough one. At first, I felt really angry – at myself – for not discovering this sooner or taking more interest earlier. Had my grandparents been alive now, I imagine we’d be sitting around a computer, with coffee and cake, talking about the pictures: when they were taken and the moments they captured. I could have asked my grandfather, who did not like to travel, why he went to France in 1949. Knowing I won’t have that opportunity, that I can’t ask them questions, is genuinely sad.

But alongside that sadness, there’s a deep sense of discovery. I feel like I’m getting to know them all over again: the 26-year-old who went to France in 1949 to see Calais being rebuilt and to experience Paris overflowing with happy couples, painters, and children running around in the fountains outside the Sacré-Cœur. Seeing the world through their eyes and through what they chose to photograph gives me a better understanding of them.

It’s not just my grandparents; I’m also getting to know my parents as kids and teenagers. They tell me stories about moments captured in the photographs, and this process has definitely brought me closer to them and my aunt, who helps so much in figuring out where, when, and why each photo was taken.

HG

Thank you, Jon, for giving us insight into your project and sharing your very personal thoughts with us.

More about Jon Olav Stokke

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