Photo album on my website

I am inexperienced at xhtml and css but can write a basic website. I want to put together a website about my Mum's collection of china - of which there are various pieces from specific dates. I want to do a page on the site for each of these dates ( 10 dates in all) with some written information, and a photo gallery of the pieces. I'd like text information about each piece alongside it. I'd like visitors to the website to be able to upload their own pictures.
I don't think I will be capable of writing the code for visitors to be able to upload to the site, so was thinking of using a photo gallery from somone like bravenet.com - but from what I can see it would be just one photo gallery and I wouldn't be able to have the different thumbnails from different dates on their relevant page.
Does anyone have any ideas? I would prefer not to have to pay, budget is tight.
Thanks very much.
Kate