Family photo, 1981
Dad, Mom, Alex, Roger, Scott
Great uncle
John McEllen
and Aunt Sarah
McEllen
Published Dean’s
List – Great Grandfather
Sarah’s handprint
March 11, 1994
Ellis Island
Immigration Form
Preserve the Past.
Empower the Future.
We help families in Southeast Michigan digitize their most cherished photos, films, and heirlooms—with museum-grade care, local service, and white-glove attention.
Schedule Your Private ConsultationNo shipping. No stress. We come to you.
What We Do
At Scanthology, we don’t just scan your memories—we rescue them with museum-grade care, preserve them through local service, and organize them with white-glove attention to build a digital anthology that lasts for generations.
Photo Prints (up to 5×7 inches), Slides, Negatives
Convert photos, slides, and negatives (35mm, 110, 126, Polaroid, Instamatic) to digital archives.
Medium & Large Format Photos and Negatives
Digitize oversized prints and medium/large negatives (4×4 cm+, 120 film) up to 8×10 inches.
Audio Recordings
Digitize Cassette, Reel-to-Reel, Microcassettes, Vinyl, and CDs to preserve voices and recordings.
Consumer Video & Film
Convert 8mm, Super8, VHS, Betamax, MiniDV, and VHS-C into modern digital formats.
Pro & Broadcast Video
Convert Betacam SP, DVC Pro, Professional VHS, and other professional analog or digital video formats.
Historical Documents
Scan Letters, Journals, Scrapbooks, Certificates, and other handwritten materials.
Digital Media
Consolidate digital files from USBs, CDs, DVDs, and Hard Drives into organized libraries.
Fragile or Antique Items
Digitize glass negatives, magic lantern slides, tintypes, cyanotypes, antique albums, and awards.
Custom Digitization
Preserve rare formats and unusual artifacts through custom digitization solutions.
We handle everything while you focus on what matters most.
Unlike competitors who send you boxes and instructions, our white-glove approach means complete peace of mind. Your cherished memories receive museum-grade care and local service without requiring your time, attention, or management.
Door-to-door service, zero effort required.
Door-to-door concierge service with zero effort required from you.
Clear updates, no decisions needed.
Regular progress updates without requiring your decisions or input.
Surprise deliveries, ready to enjoy.
Beautiful surprise deliveries that arrive completely ready to enjoy.
Your choice: hands-on or hands-off.
Your choice: be as hands-on or hands-off as you prefer throughout the process.
Personalized Triage & Curation
Not all memories hold equal value, yet most digitization services scan everything—charging you for photos no one will ever view again. Our scanthologists take a different approach.
Expert Discernment
We identify truly significant items versus everyday snapshots
Value-Focused Approach
Your investment goes toward preserving what matters most
Evolving Understanding
As we learn your preferences, our curation becomes increasingly tailored to your values
No Wasted Resources
Avoid paying premium rates for digitizing low-value materials
Our Process: Simple. Secure. Respectful.
Preserving your family’s history doesn’t need to feel overwhelming. Our white-glove process, led by our professional scanthologists, is designed to remove the burden from your shoulders while giving you full confidence that every item is handled with care, context, and purpose.
Schedule a Consultation
Initial Video Consultation
We will schedule an hour of our time to answer any questions that you have. We also use the time to get to know your needs, preferences, values in preserving your archive. By the end of the initial consultation we will send you a draft service order with costs. If you decide to proceed, you let us know by booking an In-Home Consultation.
In-Home Consultation
With a small deposit made, we meet you where you are—literally. We will come to you, discuss your Scanthology project, revise any scope of work—and if you are ready, we proceed with our first artifact pickup. No boxes to ship. No guesswork. Just a warm, trusted guide to walk you through it all—and the effort starts immediately.
Personalized Pickup & Inventory
A professional scanthologist will follow your project from start to finish—including being the one to actually come to your home to pick up and return your photos. You do not have to send your valuable family anthology and hope that it arrives.
Digitization & Curation
We clean, prep, and digitize only what matters—prioritizing the meaningful, skipping the clutter. Before the month is out, you will receive your first package of deliverables completed.
We charge for expertise, not by the photo.
Unlike services that rush through your memories to maximize item count, we dedicate professional time to each artifact. Just as you wouldn’t pay a surgeon per stitch or a designer per pillow, our approach ensures your irreplaceable memories receive the focused attention and care they deserve—never a rushed assembly line.
From overwheled… to organized, preserved, and proudly shared.
What starts as dusty boxes and jumbled albums becomes a beautifully curated digital archive—easy to access, easy to share, and impossible to lose.
Schedule a Consultation
Beyond Basic Digitization
Mass-market scanning services treat your irreplaceable memories like fast food—quick, impersonal, and one-size-fits-all. Scanthology delivers a premium experience designed specifically for those who understand that family history deserves better.
Them
Scanthology
Service Location
Them
Ship your precious memories out of state or overseas
MemoriesForward
All scanning performed locally in Southeast Michigan—nothing leaves the area
Item Collection
Them
Mail-in boxes or drop-off locations
MemoriesForward
White-glove, in-home pickup and inventory by your dedicated scanthologist
Handling Standards
Them
Assembly-line processing with minimal supervision
MemoriesForward
Museum-grade care with white gloves, archival equipment, and expert handling
Selection Process
Them
Digitize everything regardless of importance or quality
MemoriesForward
Personalized triage to focus resources on your most meaningful items
Communication
Them
Generic status updates and automated messages
MemoriesForward
Personal communication from your dedicated Artifact Steward
Quality Control
Them
High-volume, automated processing with minimal review
MemoriesForward
Meticulous attention to detail with multiple quality checks
Pricing Structure
Them
Misleading base prices, expensive add-ons, and hidden fees
MemoriesForward
Transparent, all-inclusive monthly packages with no surprise charges
Finished Product
Them
Basic digital files with little organization or context
MemoriesForward
Beautifully curated digital archives with monthly deliverables and surprise gifts
Special Items
Them
One-size-fits-all approach regardless of an item’s significance
MemoriesForward
On-site scanning available for extremely valuable or fragile items
Peace of Mind
Them
Items disappear into an anonymous processing facility
MemoriesForward
Complete transparency and accountability throughout the entire process
Trusted By Those Who Won’t Settle for Less
I didn’t have time to sort through thousands of old photos—but Scanthology handled everything. Now I have a beautifully preserved family history to share with my grandkids, going all the way back to the early 1900s.
Karen C.
I could have digitized it all myself—but I simply don’t have the time. Scanthology handled everything locally, with care and professionalism. No shipping, no stress—just peace of mind and preserved family history.
Eugene B.
I don’t trust just anyone with our 19th-century family photos—but Scanthology brought their scanners to my home and worked onsite for several days to get the priceless photos scanned. Their respect for detail and care exceeded even my high standards.
Bruce W.
Built on Trust
We’re not just another scanning service. We’re your trusted partner in legacy preservation—local, personal, and built for peace of mind.
White-glove service from start to finish
In home visits, careful sorting, and personal guidance—handled with the museum-grade care your memories deserve.
All digitization done locally—never shipped out of state
Nothing leaves Southeast Michigan. No shipping risks. Total transparency.
Transparent, tiered pricing—no surprise add-ons
No hidden fees or confusing add-ons. You’ll know exactly what to expect.
Dedicated Artifact Steward
Your single point of contact guides your entire preservation journey with personalized expertise and accountability from start to finish.
Driven by Care
Our process goes deeper—because not all memories are equal.
From triage to treasure: prepped, cleaned, and organized
In-home visits, careful sorting, and personal guidance—handled with the museum-grade care your memories deserve.
Scanned with discernment
We don’t treat every image the same. Low-priority shots are downsampled or skipped; irreplaceable ones get high-res treatment and restoration attention.
Guided by your values
Unsure what matters most? We help you decide—based on your stories, goals, and risk tolerance.
Preservation Expertise
Our specialized knowledge in archival techniques ensures your precious memories receive conservation-grade handling that extends their life for generations.
Ready to Preserve Your Family’s Legacy?
Schedule your private consultation today—we’ll handle everything else.
Begin Your Legacy JourneyNo risk. No obligation. Want to talk first? Send us a message.
