Study Shows Photographs are Most Valued Possession

October 26, 2004 – If the house catches on fire, most of us would grab our photographs rather than our expensive necklaces or artwork, according to a survey conducted by Fujifilm in the United Kingdom. The survey claims 97 percent of respondents said they would be distraught if their family photographs were destroyed. 28 percent of those surveyed said their most valued heirloom is a photograph.

When people were asked to name the first three items they would grab in a fire emergency, photographs were first, jewelry was second and cell phones were third. Other items mentioned were paintings, ornaments, wedding dresses, dining room furniture and hair straighteners. Hair straighteners?

"People attach a great sentimental value to photographs, which often outweighs the monetary value of material items," said Fujifilm Marketing Manager Darren Peake. "Nothing quite beats the power of a real print to bring back memories of times past. Photographs capture a moments in time which can never be recreated and for the majority of people, they are simply irreplaceable."

According to the survey, 65 percent of respondents display photographs in frames on the mantelpiece, while 15 percent of the people placed the pictures next to their beds and 7 percent display them on their desks at work.