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Preserving Photographs & Documents: Difference between revisions
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Alone with photographs, you might have some old letters or journals written by family members or even ancestors. And you probably have various miscellaneous documents like birth, marriage and death certificates. Here are some suggestions on how they should be stored and/or displayed | Alone with photographs, you might have some old letters or journals written by family members or even ancestors. And you probably have various miscellaneous documents like birth, marriage and death certificates. Here are some suggestions on how they should be stored and/or displayed | ||
=== How they should be stored === | === How and where they should be stored === | ||
*Should be stored laying flat whether horizontal or vertical. Not folded in an envelope. | *Should be stored laying flat whether horizontal or vertical. Not folded in an envelope. | ||
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*Do not laminate your photographs. The glue will dissolve the emulsion on the photograph. | *Do not laminate your photographs. The glue will dissolve the emulsion on the photograph. | ||
*Avoid using bubber bands or rubber cement which contain sulphur and degrades photographic emulsions. | *Avoid using bubber bands or rubber cement which contain sulphur and degrades photographic emulsions. | ||
*Avoid using paper clips as they can abrade or scratch the surfaces of prints or negatives. | *Avoid using paper clips as they can abrade or scratch the surfaces of prints or negatives. | ||
*Avoid using regular tape as it usually contains acids which can accelerate the deterioration process. | *Avoid using regular tape as it usually contains acids which can accelerate the deterioration process. | ||
*Temperature and humidity affect photographs and documents more than any other element. The best conditions are 70 degrees Farenheight with relative humidity under 50%. | *Temperature and humidity affect photographs and documents more than any other element. The best conditions are 70 degrees Farenheight with relative humidity under 50%. | ||
*High humidity is most harmful and high temperatures accelerate deterioration. Cyclic conditions (high heat and humidity followed by cold and dry weather, followed by high heat, etc.) are very bad for the emulsion and may cause cracking and seperation of the emulsion from the support. | *High humidity is most harmful and high temperatures accelerate deterioration. Cyclic conditions (high heat and humidity followed by cold and dry weather, followed by high heat, etc.) are very bad for the emulsion and may cause cracking and seperation of the emulsion from the support. | ||
*Attics and Basements - The worst places to store your photographs or documents is in an uninsulated attic or basement. In the summer, temperatures in an attic could reach 125 degrees F. while in the winter they can get down to less than 0 degrees. With the constant high temperatures and humidity in the summer and low temperatures and humidity in the winter, the photographs or documents will become brittle. In severe cases, the emulsion (image) on the photograph can separate from the base (paper). These cyclic conditions will have a devastating effect on any paper product. | *Attics and Basements - The worst places to store your photographs or documents is in an uninsulated attic or basement. In the summer, temperatures in an attic could reach 125 degrees F. while in the winter they can get down to less than 0 degrees. With the constant high temperatures and humidity in the summer and low temperatures and humidity in the winter, the photographs or documents will become brittle. In severe cases, the emulsion (image) on the photograph can separate from the base (paper). These cyclic conditions will have a devastating effect on any paper product. | ||
*Uninsulated basements are usually moist which can cause photographs to stick to each other. Another problem encountered in basements is that they are great breeding grounds for insects and rodents which are strongly attracted to gelatin and cellulose in the photographic emulsion. | *Uninsulated basements are usually moist which can cause photographs to stick to each other. Another problem encountered in basements is that they are great breeding grounds for insects and rodents which are strongly attracted to gelatin and cellulose in the photographic emulsion. | ||
*The best places to store important photographs or documents are in a safe deposit box at your bank. They are usually climate controlled and kept dark to provide almost ideal storage conditions. The ideal storage conditions are 68 degrees +/- 2 degrees and 50% relative humidity +/- 5% relative humidity. | *The best places to store important photographs or documents are in a safe deposit box at your bank. They are usually climate controlled and kept dark to provide almost ideal storage conditions. The ideal storage conditions are 68 degrees +/- 2 degrees and 50% relative humidity +/- 5% relative humidity. | ||
=== How to display your photographs === | === How to display your photographs === | ||