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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Lifestyle
David Gutenmacher

Experience: I reunite families with their long‑lost photos

David Gutenmacher looking through boxes outside a thrift store in Long Island, New York.
David Gutenmacher at a thrift store in Long Island, New York. Photograph: Ben Zucker/The Guardian

For me, nothing is more satisfying than discovering hidden gems in secondhand shops and estate sales. After all, one person’s trash is another person’s treasure. I can spend hours sifting through boxes of old photography equipment.

Two years ago, I came across a collection of loose, dusty photos. I looked to see if there were any names on the backs. I thought: if these were mine, or my family’s, I’d want someone to return them to me. So I made it my goal to do so for others.

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