“There is in every human countenance either a history or a prophecy.” – Samuel Taylor Coleridge, English poet and critic
Celebrate your family’s stories through the creation of your own illustrated heirloom book, combining oral histories, written narratives, photo essays, and custom illustrations. Family Heirloom Arts offers a comprehensive set of services to help you get started on your own heirloom project. Services include; project organization and management, oral history interviews, transcription, writing, text editing, photo scanning and restoration, custom heirloom art, and book layout and design.
All books are custom designed especially for you based on your vision for the project, unique stories and experiences. Areas of focus include life stories, family histories, and life milestones. The scope of your book can be big or small, spanning over one hundred years of stories or exploring one pivotal juncture that shaped the course of your life. We will guide you through your print production options, finding the best solution to meet your needs. We are delighted to share this collection highlighting sections of illustrated heirloom books we have created for our clients.
Life Stories and Family History Books
Books that focus on life stories and family history offer you the opportunity to share and preserve multiple generations of family stories, values and traditions. They are designed to weave together stories of your ancestors, current life experiences, and hopes and dreams for future generations.
Our Family: A Legacy of Twelve Generations
Written by Emily Standish, Produced by Family Heirloom Arts
This richly illustrated collection of family stories highlights material from the Civil War up to present day life on the family farm in rural upstate New York. Highlighting stories of perseverance, dedication and hard work, this twelve-generation tale brings to life the family’s ancestral stories and explores the future of family farms in America. Written with heart and humor, this book honors the family relationships and core values that have been passed on from generation to generation. This sample features spreads from this 150-page book.
Bernard & Selma Brown: Our Family Legacy
As told by Bernard and Selma Brown, Produced by Family Heirloom Arts
This book was created as a 65th wedding anniversary present for Bernard and Selma Brown from their daughter Eden Rose Brown. Family Heirloom Arts collaborated with the Brown family to weave together Bernard and Selma’s origin stories, told in their own words, with the story of the life they built together for over sixty-five years. Exploring what makes love last a lifetime, this book combines family history, personal stories from the Brown family and friends, letters, photographs and memorabilia honoring this rich family legacy. This sample features selected spreads from this 300-page book.
Paving the Way: The History of Baker Rock
As told by Gary T. Baker, Todd Baker, and Jan Baker-Carlson, Produced by Family Heirloom Arts
This legacy book weaves together the Baker family stories with the rich history of their three-generation family business. Created in collaboration with Todd Baker, president of Baker Rock and the third generation of the Baker family business, Todd worked with Family Heirloom Arts to put together this book as a way to preserve the history of the company and the stories of its founders, his grandparents Gary A. and Dal Baker. This book highlights reflections from family members and long-term employees on the guiding principles that have helped the business to endure, grow and thrive over the last sixty-years. These personal narratives are complimented with a historic collection of photographs and memorabilia from Baker Rock. This sample features spreads from this 185-page book.
Our Story: A Family Legacy
As told by Marjorie Saltzman, Produced by Family Heirloom Arts
This illustrated heirloom book celebrates over one hundred years of family stories based on extensive oral history interviews with Marjorie Saltzman and featured reflections from her four children. This legacy project was created as a way for Marjorie to share her life experiences and those of her ancestors with her children and grandchildren. Driven by the belief that it is important to know where you come from, Marjorie reflects on her family’s early immigration stories, her childhood memories of growing up in Idaho, and the love letters exchanged she exchanged with her husband as newlyweds during the war years. This personal narrative; combined with a rich collection of family photographs, chronicles her journey of building a life with her husband in Portland, Oregon, as they nurtured their children and established the family real estate and development business. Marjorie also shares her passion for supporting women in the community through her extensive volunteer work. This sample features spreads from this 180-page book.
It’s All About Family: Salvatore & Maria Theresa Mazzotti, Their Children and Grandchildren
Edited by Joan C. Mazzotti, Produced by Family Heirloom Arts
This book, created by Joan Mazzotti as a gift for her son Andrew, offers him an opportunity to get to know his roots, so he can carry them with him forever. Family Heirloom Arts collaborated with Joan to create this volume, designed to capture the life and legacy of her grandparents, parents, aunts, uncles and cousins. This book chronicles their family’s stories of immigrating from Italy, the impact of World War II, the joy of growing up in Patchogue, New York and the music, food and love that filled their lives. Their stories are told through a collection of personal reflections, photos and artifacts, along with newspaper articles that appeared in the Patchogue Advance during the period of 1927 to 1959. This sample features spreads from this 160-page book.
It has been a great experience working with you and finally completing the work that we have spent years to accomplish. You are truly an artist in every way and we appreciate all of the support you have given us to help us bring our family legacy book to completion. Thank you again for all that you have done for us.
– Bernard and Selma Brown
Heirloom Book Clients
Life Milestone Books
With a focus on pivotal life junctures, books about life milestones honor powerful periods of change and transformation. Potential topics include: the loss of a loved one, getting married, becoming a parent or grandparent, celebrating a significant anniversary or birthday, transitioning into retirement, and stories of immigration and relocation.
The Journey of Henry Kagan
Written and Illustrated by Lisa Kagan, Produced by Family Heirloom Arts
As a college student at Wesleyan University in Connecticut Lisa wrote and illustrated her first family heirloom book, which would eventually become the genesis for the creation of Family Heirloom Arts. Her book, The Journey of Henry Kagan, was created as a way to honor her grandfather’s immigration story. Henry Kagan fled Russia due to religious persecution and journeyed to the United States as a young child.
Celebrating Pat, A Life in Full Circle
As told by George Copa, Produced by Family Heirloom Arts
Created by George Copa, Pat’s husband, and their daughter Kristin Cooper, this memorial book honors Pat Copa’s life and legacy. When Pat passed away unexpectedly in an accident, her family decided to create this book as a tribute to her life and as a way to share her life stories and family history with Pat’s four grandchildren. This book is organized by themes that guided Pat’s life, qualities that the family also sees reflected in Pat’s grandchildren. This book combines family stories, photographs and custom art illustrations, as well as artwork created by Pat’s grandchildren about their grandmother. This sample features spreads from this 250-page book.
Julius: Celebrating Your First Year
By Lisa Kagan, Produced by Family Heirloom Arts
Chronicling the first year of life, this book takes you a visual journey from the first day of life to the first birthday celebration. This book features poetry written by Lisa Kagan in reflection on her first year of motherhood, combined with photos of her son Julius and her family. This sample features selected spreads from this 150-page book.
Anna & Jesse
Edited by Lisa Kagan, Produced by Family Heirloom Arts
Bringing together poems, stories, blessings, vows and written reflections by Anna Garwood and Jesse Hunter, this book preserves the magic of their wedding ceremony in one volume. This book also features an original paper-cut by Anna Garwood. This sample highlights selected spreads from this 30-page book. Personal writing by the couple and community blessings are not shown here.
Emergence: Art and Poetry by Lisa Kagan
Written and Illustrated by Lisa Kagan, Produced by Lisa Kagan Designs
Exploring the concept of individual and collective metamorphosis, this book is inspired by the idea that all cells in the human body are renewed every seven years. This illustrated collection of poetry is a rich personal narrative charting a seven-year journey through the inner landscape of curiosity, reflection and discovery. This sample features selected spreads from this 60-page book. This book is available for purchase.
I want to express special gratitude as working with you has helped to make this year a memorable one. We really appreciated all of your sincere caring, superb direction and support in completing and celebrating the heritage and life of Pat. It has now been three and a half years since her death, I am starting to read a few pages of the book everyday, it brings back loving memories—just perfect.
– George Copa
Heirloom Book Client