Old photographs can be persnickety. They don’t like too much light. They don’t like hot, and they don’t like Cold. Moisture and humidity is their worst enemy, and don’t even THINK about writing on them with a ballpoint pen. Like I said…persnickety.
So what should I do?
That introduction to old photos wasn’t meant to scare you off because old photos are actually THE.BEST. ( I absolutely love going through the old boxes, looking through memories and connecting to the past.)
So what do you do if you are looking at boxes of old photos and want to preserve them properly? This can seem like daunting prospect, but FEAR NOT!
Good news, there are a few do’s and dont’s of preserving family photos that will make your job a lot easier. Learn how to keep those photos in excellent condition for your posterity to enjoy.
The Do’s
- SCAN THOSE PHOTOS! Invest in a photo scanner so you can digitally upload those pictures to your computer or hard drive. If there is writing or a date or mark on the back make sure you scan the backside too. You can then go through and label and organize digitally.
- TAKE PHOTOS OF YOUR PHOTOS. Well, not all of them. If there are photos that are too big for your scanner, or it is in a frame, or at a relatives house take a picture of it with your phone or camera. Try not to use a flash. Take from several different angles. Is there a photo in particular that is starting to look deteriorated? Take a photo before it gets any worse.
- STORE IN PROPER BOXES AND ALBUMS: those old sticky family albums that everyone had? THE WORST. Make sure you store your photos in acid free and lignin free boxes or archival sleeves. If you are placing them in an album, make sure the pages are acid and lignin free, and any mounting tape or adhesive is Archival quality.
- SAVE THOSE NEGATIVES! If you have old negatives, keep those! Those are your backup records in case something happens to your originals.
- SOFT LEAD PENCILS ONLY PLEASE! Old photos are printed on a paper that allows for a nice soft lead pencil to be used. Identify any people, places and dates and write it on the back of the photo. DO NOT USE BALLPOINT PEN. A ballpoint pen can cause damage and leave indentations on the photo.
- WASH YOUR HANDS AND HANDLE BY EDGES. Body oils are the worst on photos. Make sure before handling photos you wash your hands. Handle the photos by the edges. There is nothing worse than a big greasy thumb print on Aunt Berthas face. You can even use white gloves when you are working with the originals and negatives.
The Dont’s
- STORE IN DIRECT SUNLIGHT. Imagine your photos are Dracula. DO NOT EXPOST THEM TO DIRECT SUNLIGHT! This can cause your photo to fade over time. If Photo is behind glass, make sure it is a UV or archival glass to help protect against light damage.
- LAMINATE THE ORIGINAL. This can cause heat damage and fading. If you are wanting to Laminate a photo for any reason, make a copy of the original and laminate the copy. If you are wanting to store the photo safely, invest in some archival photo sleeves.
- STORE ANYWHERE WITH NO CLIMATE CONTROL: Keep boxes of photos out of the attic, basement, garage. The wild fluctuations in temperatures between seasons, the humidity and the dust and dirt are a sure way to accelerate deterioration.
- SCRAPBOOK THE ORIGINALS: Scrapbooks are a fun way to display your family history, but please don’t use your originals. Make copies. Improper scrapbooking supplies and technique can cause damage to original photos.
Hope these do’s and dont’s were helpful. Happy Hunting!
