The Noah Webster House & West Hartford Historical Society will host the international event ‘Save Your Photos Day.’

Submitted by Sarah Mocko St. Germain, Noah Webster House & West Hartford Historical Society

APPO Founder and West Hartford resident Cathi Nelson will help host Save Your Photos Day at the Noah Webster House. Submitted photo

Residents will be given the opportunity to preserve their memories and the West Hartford’s memories as well with the help of professionals at Save Your Photos Day.

On Saturday, Sept. 26, from 3-5 p.m., the Noah Webster House & West Hartford Historical Society invites the public to celebrate Save Your Photos Day with the Association of Personal Photo Organizers (APPO).  Save Your Photos Day is an international event that allows thousands of people to preserve their photos and memories for the future.

Guests will be allotted 15-minute appointments where they will meet with a personal photo organizer and have up to 100 personal photos scanned. During the scanning event, guests can participate in three workshops conducted by: Ray Lamoureux, a West Hartford resident and photographer who currently has a photography exhibit on display at the museum; a representative from Avon Moto Photo, portrait studio and photo lab; and Cathi Nelson, founder of the Association of Personal Photo Organizers.

Nelson, a West Hartford resident, founded the APPO to help consumers and businesses rescue their irreplaceable film and digital photos and organize them in a way that makes it simple to share their memories, lives and traditions.

According to Nelson, over 10 billion pictures are taken by people around the world every month. “The result is photo chaos,” she says. “Photos accumulate on our phones, in the cloud, on hard drives, or – even worse – on old computers.  And we are … hiding the memories that shaped who we are today.”

The Noah Webster House & West Hartford Historical Society is hoping to add to its collection of 1960s-era photos. Submitted photo

APPO trains, supports, and provides industry tools to its members, known as Personal Photo Organizers, equipping them to rescue, manage, organize, and save photos – making it easy to find, preserve, and share stories. Since its inception, APPO has grown to include hundreds of members throughout the United States, Canada, Australia and United Kingdom.

Area residents are encouraged to bring photos of West Hartford from the 1960s. “As part of the museum’s 50^thanniversary, we would like to expand our collection of mid-century photographs,” the museum’s Executive Director Jennifer DiCola Matos said.

“As the repository for West Hartford history, the museum would love to add photos to our physical collection, but would also be thrilled to have images to add to our digital collection.”

The goal is to scan any 1960s photos representing West Hartford and add them to the museum’s digital collection. The owners will receive a digital copy and take the originals home. The 1960s photos collected will be on display at the museum’s November fundraiser Spirits in the House: The Return of the ‘60s and plans for a larger, long-term exhibit is underway.

This is event is FREE and open to the public. Registration is recommended. For more information, visit www.noahwebsterhouse.org.

The Noah Webster House & West Hartford Historical Society is a cultural destination where citizens can learn to understand and appreciate the past. The museum preserves the birthplace of Noah Webster, the founding father, educator, author, and lexicographer who taught generations of Americans what it means to be American. This National Historic Landmark is also a repository for West Hartford history, the community that molded Noah Webster’s future and is still thriving over 250 years later. The historic house and exhibit spaces are open daily 1 p.m. until 4 p.m. For information on the museum’s extensive school and public programs, please visit www.noahwebsterhouse.org or call (860) 521-5362.