Photographs make time stand still. They record important moments in history, and range from having monetary value to sentimental value. Unfortunately, photos can deteriorate quickly if you don’t know how to care for them. In this excerpt from Tips, Tools, and Techniques (University of North Texas Press, 2012) by Georgia Kemp Caraway, learn how to store photographs, including the ideal conditions for storage and which photo albums are best for preserving your pictures.
• Store photographs in a cool, dry place away from sunlight, the air conditioning, a hot lamp, or a heating unit.
• Before handling photographs, wash your hands, or wear light cotton gloves.
• Use pencil and a light touch or a marking pen made for photographs to write on the back of photographs. Do not use regular ink, felt-tip pens, or rubber stamps as they can bleed through to the image itself.
• Mount small snapshots with photograph corners. Use paper hinges with archival glue or tape (pH balanced) for larger photographs. Do not use regular cellophane tape, masking tape, synthetic glue, adhesive, or rubber cement.
• Select albums either with pages of archival plastic like Mylar (it doesn’t have that plastic smell); acid-free paper with interleaving tissue to prohibit contact of photographs on facing pages; or sheet protector pages of acid-free paper covered with archival plastic. Magnetic photograph albums are especially harmful to color images, as the pages contain acid and adhesive that will bleed through the photograph’s paper backing.
• Keep negatives and prints separate; they contain chemicals that are mutually harmful.
• Take folded, stained, or brittle prints to your nearest museum or paper conservator for special handling by a professional. If you try to unfold a print, it may tear.
• Color film and photographs deteriorate about four times faster than black-and-white.
More on antique preservation
Learn more about how to take care of your collectibles from Tips, Tools, and Techniques in the following articles.
• How to Care for Paper Collectibles
• How to Remove Rust and Loosen a Rusty Screw
• Antique Restoration Tools
This excerpt from Tips, Tools, and Techniques to Care for Antiques, Collectibles, and Other Treasures has been reprinted by permission from University of North Texas Press.