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 Preserving
Family Photos
From Trail End Notes, July 2003
Summer is a time of family gatherings and class reunions. One of
our favorite things to do at such events is to get out old photographs and take a walk
down memory lane. Too many of us, however, eagerly pull that box of snapshots down from
the attic only to look in dismay at the discolored, faded and brittle scraps of paper inside –
the result of heat, light and humidity damage.
Here are
a few guidelines for taking care of your precious photographic memories, courtesy of the Light
Impressions Company and the Wyoming State Archives.
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Temperature & Humidity
Photographs should not be stored in areas where the temperature rises above eighty degrees
or where the humidity is greater than sixty percent. So where do most of us store
our photographs? In the (hot) attic or the (damp) basement! Ideally, storage temperature
should be about 65-70 degrees, with a relative humidity somewhere between 30-40 percent.
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Lights, Camera, Disintegration!
Most photos are printed on light-sensitive, chemically-treated
paper. When you expose such paper to more light, the chemicals start to react. While some
fade, others go dark. You need to avoid prolonged exposure to light whenever possible, but
you need to be particularly careful about sunlight and fluorescent light. Use ultraviolet
filters over fluorescent lights when photos are being displayed for more than a few
minutes.
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Harmful Materials & Fumes
The sensitive chemicals which create the photographic image can be
damaged not only by light, heat and humidity, but by common household materials as well.
The list includes paper envelopes, rubber bands, newspapers, wood, paper clips, cardboard
and some
plastics. Vapors from paints, plywood, cleaning supplies and
insecticides are also very damaging. Store your photos in acid-free or Mylar envelopes
inside a baked enamel steel box or cabinet. If you have photographs in those sticky-page
albums that were popular in the 1970s, remove them as soon as possible –
if you still can; the glue tends to turn permanent after awhile. As for plastic photo album pages, if you can
smell the plastic, don’t use them! Bad plastic is far, far worse than no plastic.
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Critters & Other Growing Things
Insects such as cockroaches and silverfish like to nibble on both
the photographic paper and the emulsion gelatin on top. If the photos get damp, fungi and
molds can grow. These not only damage the images, but also serve as food for the critters!
Mice and weevils have also been known to appreciate a good emulsion, so watch out!
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Sticky Fingers & Dust Prints
Photos, negatives and
slides must also be
protected from dust, dirt, fingerprints, scratches and environmental/chemical
deterioration. Since many contaminants, including sulfur and acidic oils, can be
transferred from your fingers, you should wear white cotton gloves and only handle the
photos and negatives by the edges.
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