Family photos, especially those passed down through generations, are timeless treasures. We love helping our clients find frames to showcase these precious memories, and even more, we love hearing the stories behind the stills. Ahead of Mother’s Day, we had the pleasure of helping Samantha Hahn, author and illustrator, find the perfect frame for a perfectly candid photo of her mother.
If you're not familiar with Samantha's distinct illustrations—which have been internationally featured by the likes of the New York Times, New York Magazine, and an impressive list of fashion and publishing houses—you may remember Samantha from the original rainbow painting we framed for her a few months back.
Read on to hear more about the significance of the throwback photo that Samantha found, scanned, and uploaded for printing and custom framing by yours truly.
Who: Samantha Hahn, a Brooklyn-based art director, artist, author, and owner of the colorful art print shop, Maison Rainbow.
What: A vintage, 1970s photograph of Samantha’s mom, taken by her dad, printed and custom framed in our White Gallery frame with a single mat.
From Samantha:
“My dad was an avid photographer, always taking photos of our family and the people and places he loved the most. Before I was born, he even used my bedroom as a dark room. When he passed away, I was heartbroken and found a lot of comfort in looking through his old photos. A couple of years ago, I discovered a box of negatives and contact sheets my mom had tucked away in a closet. It felt like discovering a treasure. Of all the photos, I really loved this little snippet of sheet I found featuring my mom. The photos remind me of Vivian Maier or Garry Winogrand’s work, but with so much more personal significance.
As soon as I uncovered and scanned this photo, I knew I had to have it framed. From the very beginning, I knew I wanted a very clean and simple frame to let this candid, spontaneous moment speak. The contact sheet already has so much personality, and I love the little scribble mark my dad put under the image he liked best. Ultimately, I decided on the sleek White Gallery frame with a mat to complement the long, narrow layout of the two images.
Before I even got this photo framed, I knew I wanted it in our living room where we mostly congregate. It's so special that this piece, which is so personal to me, is now a family heirloom.”
Scanning a treasured picture and uploading the digital file to our Print and Frame service is a great way to get an irreplaceable photo framed—without having to send it in the mail. And if you’d rather frame the original photograph, be sure to check out our Frame Only service, which is recommended for highly sentimental artwork.
