My mother was the historian of the family. One day, she called me over to say she was passing the mantle to me. I would now curate the generations of family photos, slides, videos, documents and diaries she had collected.
Boxes and boxes of them.
There was the diary of my great-great-grandfather as he traveled by steamship in the 1880s. Handwritten letters. Wedding day photos. Pictures of cousins, nephews, siblings in piles where only I could view them.
After investigating some national archiving services, I couldn’t convince myself to ship our irreplaceable family items to companies I didn’t know. What if they were lost?
Which is why I turned to Tom and Don Hite of Hite Photo (hitephoto.com). At a time when digital convenience reigns supreme, the brothers have become local historical experts by helping others preserve their family memories.
Now they’re celebrating their own history: 100 years in business.
“My grandfather, Howard Hite, worked for a company that developed film back in the 1920s,” says Tom. “His boss had too many clients, so he suggested my grandfather branch off and start his own photo finishing company. He even gave him some of his customers to start with.”
Using his Model T as collateral for a loan, Howard founded his photo finishing company, pioneering Michigan’s first color photo processing in the late 1950s. By the mid-20th century, the company employed over 200 people and became a cornerstone of Detroit’s photographic industry.
Fast-forward to today, and the Hite brothers continue to innovate in a rapidly changing industry. From the “huge photo war” between Kodak and Fuji to the digital revolution, the Hites have thrived by adapting to customer needs and advancing their product lines.
“Now, instead of printing all your pictures, you just want to print your best ones,” says Don. “We got into archiving, specialty printing and personalized services to stay ahead.”
For many, the task of preserving family memories feels overwhelming. Old photographs, slides, and video tapes languish in basements and closets, their stories fading with time. Enter Hite Photo. With a combination of expertise and empathy, the team simplifies the daunting process of archiving. Customers can bring in boxes of family treasures, and the Hites and their team sort them, assess costs and create digital archives.
“We’ll even come to your home to sort and organize everything,” explains Tom. “From photos and videos to documents and slides, we digitize it all. You can then upload it to a secure Cloud service so you can share it with all your family around the world and preserve these legacy pieces for future generations.”
Their meticulous approach has helped preserve everything from personal milestones to historical events. One woman entrusted the team with images her father captured during Detroit’s 1960s riots. Another client had slides documenting a unique gift from the Emperor of Japan – a prized cow.
Each project, no matter how unusual or sentimental, receives the same level of care.
Hite Photo’s commitment extends to veterans. For those who served, Hite offers free scans of photos, slides and documents related to military conflicts, then upload these priceless pieces of history to the National Archives at no cost.
“We believe these images should be accessible for others to learn from,” says Tom.
Most team members at Hite Photo hold a degree in photography or art, ensuring projects are handled with creativity and precision. From restoring faded photographs to designing custom history walls for businesses, their expertise shines through. A recent project involved archiving and displaying 50,000 slides for a local physician. Another saw them creating a stunning visual timeline for a university lobby.
Best of all, everything stays local and often is completed in just a few days.
Beyond archiving, Hite Photo excels in personalized printing. Customers can transform favorite images into works of art on materials like fabric, wood, metal, and acrylic. “People come in with amazing ideas,” says Tom. “We love helping them bring those visions to life.”
Unlike faceless online services, they offer same-day delivery for products like canvases and metal prints. “People want fast and local,” Don emphasizes. “They also want to know their memories and ideas are in good hands.”
Their design services also set them apart. Clients can provide a logo or concept, and the Hite team takes it from there, crafting everything from promotional materials to striking photo gifts.
Some images need a little Photoshop. Whether it’s adjusting skin tones, merging images or removing unwanted backgrounds, their attention to detail ensures every piece is print-perfect.
With locations in West Bloomfield and Bloomfield Hills, the brothers remain focused on what matters most: preserving stories and delivering exceptional service.
With the holidays just past, Tom suggests this is the perfect time for ensuring that moments that matter live on for generations.
“The more you wait, the harder it is to preserve your memories,” says Don. “Once it’s done, it’s like a weight lifted off your shoulders.”