ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Many people have old VHS tapes sitting in their attics or basement. One Rochester company wants to preserve these memories digitally for years to come. 

Nilson Carroll spends a lot of time in the past. He's watching people’s happiest moments play out on screen. 

“I see a lot of birthdays, Christmas, lots of weddings, concerts [and] even births," said Carroll. 

It’s part of his job, as a curator and preservationist for the Visual Studies Workshop. 

Carroll works to save memories found in a range of mediums. Most films are old home movies once forgotten in attics or basements, now getting a new life thanks. 

“Folks get emotional [and] very happy," Carroll said. "They haven’t seen their son as a baby in 30 years."

The tapes and film are transferred to a digital format through Carroll's computer. He does hundreds of these a year. He says the ones that stand out the most are often the most simple ones. 

“They sort of do the same thing each Christmas, but the children get a little older," Carroll said. "The adults get a little older."

But it’s not just home movies Carroll preserves. The Visual Studies Workshop has an archive of thousands of videos with many tapes about political issues the city has faced throughout the decades. 

“The Portable Channel went and interviewed people," Carroll said. "They painted a picture of what was happening."

Captured moments in the past are now being saved for years to come.