Everyone has old photographs that they love and treasure. But not all of us know how to care for them. Here are some tips* on how to care for your photos to keep them looking nice for years to come.
All photographic material is sensitive to it’s surrounding environment. Things such as high humidity, areas where there is a lot of light or even areas that are too cold can cause your photographs to crack, peel and fade. Make sure to store your photos somewhere cool and dark to protect them from the elements. Also how you store them is important – think about what you will put them in. Will it attract insects and rodents? Will it get damp? Be sure to place your pictures somewhere that these problems cannot also occur.
HANDLING YOUR PHOTOGRAPHS
The American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works believes poor handling causes most of the damage to photographs [1]. Professionals use white cotton gloves to protect the image from any oils and sweat that may rub off onto the photograph. If you must handle your photographs without cotton gloves, whether the image is a negative, transparency or print make sure to hold the photo on the edge using as little of the image as possible. When looking at your photographs please be aware of any food or drink nearby that can spill and potentially ruin the photo.
One of the most common misconceptions about photographs is what is safe to store them. One of best places to store your precious images in is an archival quality plastic sleeve, separate for each photograph. The plastic should be made from inert and chemically stable materials such as polyester, polyethylene, polypropylene, spun-bonded polyolefin, or polystyrene. Plastic is not suitable for hand-colored prints, prints with surface damage, glass or metal-based photographs, or for film-based negatives and transparencies from the 1950s [2]. Make sure to check that the plastic does not look hazy or like it has a coating on it as this means that the plastic sleeve is heavily plasticized and is not suitable for your photographs. If you live in an area where humidity is higher than 80% for a majority of the year than plastic should not be used to store your photographs for a prolonged period.
If you wish to store them in a scrapbook or photo album be careful to look for acid free paper. If you were to store them with regular paper the acid will wear down and ruin the photograph so this is an important step. If you are to store them in an envelope be aware that the adhesives on the envelope can affect your image. Any photo albums with the sticky side pages are not suitable as they have acidic pages, a pressure sensitive adhesive layer and polyvinyl overlays that will chemically interact with your photos [2]. The acid will eventually eat away at the backs of your photographs leaving them destroyed.
You must also never use boxes or sleeves that are made from the following to house your photographs:
- Polyvinyl chloride (PVC)
Products that are also made from colored paper can contain dyes or inks that are unsuitable for storing your image and can affect it in the long term.
To check out some ways or to buy some products to store you image so it can last visit this website: http://www.archivalsurvival.com.au
If you must clean your photographs do not clean them with water or solvent-based cleaners such as window cleaner or film cleaner. Improper cleaning of photographic materials can cause serious and often irreversible damage, such as permanent staining, abrasion, alteration, or loss of binder and image [2]. Clean the image with a dry soft clean brush starting from the middle and working your way out being careful not to scratch the surface of the photo itself.
DISPLAYING YOUR PHOTOGRAPHS
What’s a beautiful photograph if you cannot display it to show off? Unfortunately permanent display of photos is not recommended because of the deterioration that can be caused by the images sensitivity to light. One of the best ways around this is to have two copies of your photograph, one for display and the original for storage. Be sure to store your original in a cool dark place away from any light. If this is not an option and you still plan on displaying your cherished photographs make sure to use a mat to keep the photograph for coming in direct contact with the glass and prevent it from sticking. It will also allow for airflow between the glass and the image.
By using the above tips to care for your photographs you can be sure that your valuable images and the memories that come with them can be cherished for many years to come.
*This article should not be relied on solely for the care of your photographs. The author of the article claims no expertise and the tips were gathered from the sources below.
[1] The American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works, “Caring For Your Photographs,” http://aic.stanford.edu/library/online/brochures/photos.html
[2] http://ecfanews.wordpress.com/2010/01/01/take-care-of-your-old-photographs-by-claudia-chandler-brocato/
[3]Robinson, Colin, “Care and conservation of old photographs,” http://colinrobinson.com/care.html
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