Hi there- I wanted to jump in and let you know of a solution to store your photos for the long haul if you’re interested in going the digital route.
My name is Mallory, and I work for a company called Swiss Picture Bank. Essentially, we offer safe, long-term, online photo storage for 30+ years.
For your particular case, I would recommend using a scanning service like Scanmyphotos.com or ScanCafe.com, and then archiving those scans online so they will stand the test of time (and dust, regular handling, etc..)
Just to share with you some of the details about our particular storage guarantee: Currently, key features include 30+ years of storage for a one-time payment; per-picture pricing; quadruple-redundant archival-quality storage; and even a business backup that protects users and their photos, should anything happen to our service (a la AOL Pictures); all backed with the only guarantee in the industry. Furthermore, we promise never to look at, share, or sell your photos with anyone else. Basically it all means that if the world comes to an end, your photos will still be there. ☺
We’ve set up one of the most secure systems out there, but right now we’re in the process of developing our site’s features and services so that they are much more accessible and streamlined. If you’re interested, feel free to contact me at mallory@swisspicturebank.com if you have any questions you’d like to throw my way, or catch up with me on Twitter (we’re @picturebank).