Caring for Your Family Archives

• How do I preserve my family papers?
  
  
• How can I safely mount my documents, memorabilia, and photographs into albums or scrapbooks?
  
  
• What kind of photo album should I use?
  
  
• How should I attach my photos to the album pages?
  
  
• Should I remove my photographs from old albums, such as black paper albums or self-stick albums?
  
  
• How should I caption my photographic prints; is there a safe way to write on the back of photographs?
  
  
• How should I frame and display my photographs?
  
  
• How should I store my photographic prints?
  
  
• Should I convert my home movies to video tape?
  
  
• Should I digitize my photo collection? Is it safe to throw away my original film and prints after I digitize them?
  
  
• How can I remove old tapes, make repairs, or flatten rolled or curled photos?
  
  
• How can I preserve an important edition of a newspaper?
  
  

Should I digitize my photo collection? Is it safe to throw away my original film and prints after I digitize them?

You may want to digitize your photographs because it offers safe and easy access to the images in your collection. Once your photographs have been scanned, you can view them in electronic form and even make hard copies without risking damage to the originals. Do not throw away your original film and prints after you digitize them. Digitized images are not considered a replacement for originals. Data (i.e. your images) can be lost when the storage media deteriorates; and software and hardware technology become rapidly obsolete, in some cases making retrieval of the images difficult if not impossible. Information is available elsewhere on our site answering the following questions:

How can I remove old tapes, make repairs, or flatten rolled or curled photos?

These types of treatments should be referred to a trained conservator, especially if the photograph is valuable or an heirloom. Not only is it is easy to cause more damage when trying to repair a photograph, but special (and expensive) tools and materials are usually required for most treatments. Avoid the temptation to use heat, water or solvents on a photograph as permanent damage can occur: heat causes colors to fade, plastics to melt, and can scorch; water swells the gelatin emulsion on the photo surface making it easy to rub off the image and color dyes; solvents can dissolve components of many types of photographs, especially those from the nineteenth century and early twentieth century, and will harm color photographs. NEVER use household cleaners or detergents on or even near photographs. These solutions or their vapors will irreversibly fade, stain, bleach, or even dissolve the image (emulsion) side of the photograph!

Contact the Foundation of the American Institute for Conservation (FAIC) for a referral in your area and discuss the problem with a conservator. Under certain situations, a conservator may be able to describe some methods you could try on a photograph using common household materials if you are willing to risk more damage to the photograph, especially if the photograph has very low value or importance, or is being salvaged from a natural disaster and will be lost otherwise.

Never force flat a rolled photograph or a distorted mounted photograph as the emulsion side (and paper) may crack like glass; a cracked emulsion, like cracked glass, will always be visible. One way to safely see the inside of a rolled photograph is to unroll a small section of it at a time, allowing the free edge to roll or scroll up as you move along exposing the next section. Resistance by the photograph at any time is a sign that it is at the limit of stress and may crack if forced further.

Remember that faded and stained black-and-white photos can be photographically copied, enhancing the image in the process. Also, damaged photos of any type can be scanned into a computer and digitally enhanced to restore the damaged areas to original appearance, then printed onto photographic papers.

How can I preserve an important edition of a newspaper?

Newspaper preservation is a challenge because newsprint is an inherently unstable paper. Formulated to be inexpensive and expendable, newsprint is manufactured with large percentages of unpurified wood pulp which contains impurities that remain in the paper after processing. These impurities, when exposed to light, high humidity and atmospheric pollutants, promote discoloration and acidic reactions in the paper. Acidity causes the paper fibers to weaken and break, and is the major culprit in causing the paper to become brittle.

When newspapers are valued as artifacts, preservation requires a stable environment: 60-70 degrees F.; 40-50% relative humidity (RH); protection from light; and storage in non damaging materials. Newspapers should be stored flat, protected within a rigid box or folder. Special newspaper size boxes and enclosures are available from conservation suppliers. Added protection may be provided by interleaving the newsprint with thin sheets of alkaline buffered tissue, also available from conservation suppliers. Never laminate or use pressure sensitive mending tape on papers you want to preserve. If papers need to be relaxed or tears repaired, seek conservation services from a qualified professional.

When newspapers or clippings are valued most for the information they contain, and not as artifacts, copying the information onto a more permanent quality paper should be undertaken. Photocopies will far outlive newsprint when stored under normal conditions.

* Courtesy of the U.S. National Archives & Records Administration