Memphis family business preserves history ‘one image at a time’
Grace Barber, an archival research assistant at Historic Images, sorts and inserts film slides into a plastic sheet so they can be scanned and uploaded to a digital archive in Memphis on June 16, 2026. Historic Images is a Memphis based, family-owned business that preserves photos from around the world. (Noah McLane/The Dailiy Memphian)
Historically speaking, film photography was a flash in the pan as far as image-making goes. Only 112 years passed between Kodak releasing the No. 1 box camera in 1888 and the era of digital photography that began in 2000 with the introduction of the camera phone.
The photos from film’s century-long run as the premier way of capturing the physical world means there is only a limited number of photographs, and the clock is ticking to save them.
That’s where Historic Images, a Memphis based, family-owned business comes in. Owner and founder Chris Galbreath and his family live what can only be described as an Indiana Jones-esque lifestyle as they race to secure these pieces of history before they are destroyed by the elements or tossed into a landfill.
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Historic Images Chris Galbreath Film photography history Subscriber OnlyThank you for reading The Daily Memphian. Your support is critical.
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Noah McLane
Noah McLane reports on business for The Daily Memphian. He was born and raised in Tennessee and attended journalism school at Middle Tennessee State University, where his passion for community-focused storytelling blossomed.
Prior to writing for the business section, Noah was the editor-in-chief of his college newspaper, worked on general assignment for the Jackson Hole News & Guide in Jackson, Wyoming, and was most recently the statehouse reporter for The Daily Memphian.
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