Bringing family archives to life
Family archives not only contain information about the life stories of our ancestors; they also offer a personal perspective on history. Photos of our ancestors also illustrate the evolution of photography, from the first daguerreotypes to the snapshot. A receipt for our great-great-aunt’s enrollment in school provides insights into girls’ education in earlier times. Documents related to a 19th-century housing project shed light on the situation of the working class, as well as on a specific form of philanthropy.
Organize family archives so that all documents can be found.
Annette Schindler works with families, private individuals, and those responsible for archives maintained by artists, organizations, or companies. She organizes existing collections, protects at-risk materials, and restores handwritten sources to a readable state—and ultimately delivers an archive that is secure and ready for sharing—one that people enjoy browsing through or using to search for and find specific items.
The Right Start for Your Portfolio
ConsultingConsulting, review, prioritization, and project planning for your inventory.
Organizing & Cataloging Archives
Document cataloging and searchability—including digitization and cursive transcription as add-ons.
PreservationConservation-based prevention, packaging, and risk management.
QualificationEmpower owners and those responsible to safely maintain their own archives.
NEW PROJECTS
Pauline Escher's Diary No. 7 (1857–1859) has been fully transcribed
Selected diary entries transcribed, illustrated, and annotated as a continuous blog—a glimpse into the daily life and thoughts of a 19th-century woman.
Here's how the collaboration works
01
Initial Consultation
Free, 30 minutes – Current situation, goals, questions.
02
Screening
Overview of scope, condition, and risks.
03
Prioritization
What is urgent, what is important, and what can wait?
04
Implementation
Organize, preserve, catalog, or transcribe.
05
Transfer with Authorization
A useful archive with a manual for installation and maintenance.
From the Box to the Accessible Archive
-
![A disorganized archive shelf with loose folders and boxes, before being properly organized.]()
Shelf before
-
![A neatly organized archive shelf with labeled archive boxes, arranged according to proper cataloging and storage procedures.]()
Shelf after
-
![Unsorted documents in an open storage bin, awaiting proper archiving.]()
Documents before
-
![Organized documents in a labeled archive box following proper archiving procedures.]()
Documents after
-
![Loose historical photographs without protective sleeves prior to conservation treatment.]()
Photographs unprotected
-
![Historical photographs are protected in archival-quality sleeves and stored in an organized manner.]()
Photographs protected and organized
-
![Archival documents with creased corners before being gently smoothed out.]()
Dog-eared
-
![Historical documents with gently smoothed paper corners following conservation treatment.]()
Flattened Documents
WHAT CUSTOMERS SAY
Trust grows over time
"Annette Schindler organized and preserved my family archive in 2020. I am in my 90s and am glad that I can now pass the archive on to my descendants in good order."
C. G.
"Annette Schindler helped me organize a small family archive so that I could hand it over to the State Archives."
P. F.
PROJECTS
The fruits of my labor
Here are a few examples that show what can be done with a digitized archive: a print-on-demand book about ancestors and their stories; a 19th-century diary turned into an online blog; or an e-book with a wide range of options for incorporating moving images.
Art historian. Cultural manager. Archivist with a fascination for “old stuff.”
After 30 years in leadership roles in the cultural sector, Annette Schindler has been working full-time since 2021 on private family archives—with a CAS in Archival Practice (University of Applied Sciences of Graubünden) and an eye trained in art history.
Not quite ready yet? You'll find the answers here
How do I store historical documents properly?
Dry, protected from light, acid-free—and not in the subfloor. See the answer for details.
Organizing Your Family Archives: The 7-Step Plan
Where to start, what to keep? A realistic place to begin.
What would you like to preserve or rediscover?
In a brief, free initial consultation, we'll assess the current situation, set goals, and determine the best next steps.