Master Album No.2

I recently posted a Google Photo Album of pictures from Lavon's collection.  The photos are here:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/uB1pzrBMpgS97Mkb8

The inside cover reads:

J. Edward Johnson - Mamie Huish Johnson - Lavon Brockbank Johnson, their children and immediate kin. 900 Spruce St. Berkeley, California.
This Master Album No 2, being preceded by Master Album No.1.
No 2. Started Nov. 22,1936

I am struck by a few things:

1. Where is Master Album No.1?
2. LaVon was careful when creating this volume.  Each of the photos is labeled with a unique number, so each photo can be removed and replaced in the correct location later.  Those labels are useful for maintaining an archive.  Very forward thinking on her part.
3. Many of the pictures have additional writing on the back.  I haven't looked at all of them, just enough to know that there is a lot of information available.
4. There are duplicates of many of these pictures in another box that I've been going through.

It was exciting to find this album.  This is one of those treasures that you hope to find when going through old documents.  I plan to do a more careful job of scanning its contents in the future.  I'd like higher resolution images and I'd like to review the back of each photo for information.  

In the interest of time, I took photos with my camera rather than going to the trouble of scanning each photo individually.  My plan is to get stuff documented quickly and then go back later and do a much better job with a relatively small number of very interesting artifacts.  Master Album is at the top of that list.

Family History - Initial Post

I've made an executive decision to expand the topics covered by this blog.  The Ranch has always been a  gathering place for the Johnson family, but it isn't what truly connects us all.  The thing that really keeps us together is our genealogy and shared memories.

Julie and I inherited the boxes of Family History from Dick, who inherited much of it from LaVon. Since then I've felt a strong desire to make that history available to all family members.  This is your history at least as much as it is mine, and as time marches forward, we risk losing the most direct connection we have to the memories contained in our albums.

I have started digitizing the photos and slides that I have, and I will make them available through this blog, the J.Ed Johnson Family Google Group (https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/jed-johnson-family), Google Photos, and Family Search (www.familysearch.org).  I may use other methods of sharing as I become aware of them, and I hope to add journal entries and other artifacts as I go through them.

I would like your help in a number of ways:

• Please enjoy the photos, and add any information you have about them.
• Please let me know if you see photos or artifacts that have special meaning to you.  
• I am happy to give away the original copies of these photos to family members who care.
• Please add to this project as you feel inspired to.  
• I would love to grant permissions to anybody to add blog posts or access photos.

I hope to do my part to honor our ancestors and pass along the memories and stories that makes the Johnson Family so special.