Five simple steps to preserve family photos

Happy Fall, Y'all!! I've always wanted to say that but haven't had the opportunity. Have you thought about your pictures? Well, as we go from summer to fall, then onto winter, then onto spring again, a perpetual cycle of sorts. 

When the weather changes, there are changes to your family photos that you may not be aware of. I have spent many volunteer hours at the National Archives in Morrow, Georgia. In doing so, I have learned from the librarians working with the many archival collections housed there. They have helped me understand that the photo albums of the 60s to the 80s are not safe for photos. The magnetic film photo albums that "seal" around the photo and the resin glue is very harmful to the pictures. Slowly eating away at the back of the photo. 

Also, photos and pictures on the walls in our homes are not safe either. 

Here are some simple steps to help you preserve all those photos. 

First, dispose of the beautiful blue sky, clouds, trees, dirt, sand, and grass photos. Why, you ask? Because the next generation will throw them out, and if a picture is stuck to one of those sky pictures, they won't pay attention, and the image of an ancestor could be lost forever. 

1. Move family records and photographs from your attic or garage into the house.

Keeping your family records in the house is the smartest, safest, and cheapest preservation tactic you can employ. Paper-based records (including photographs) do best in the same environmental conditions people enjoy. That means no storage in places where the temperature and humidity cycle between lows and highs, such as attics and garages. Archives and museums invest incredible sums to keep an ideal temperature/humidity balance. But the extremes in temperature and humidity cause the most damage.

2. Move framed family photographs and records out of direct sunlight.

Check to make sure (and recheck as the seasons change) that your family photographs aren't getting daily doses of UV radiation from sunlight that, over time, will fade them permanently. Even filtered through the windows of your house, sunlight can still cause a great deal of damage. UV radiation, emitted by sunlight and fluorescent bulbs, particularly damages paper items. Non-glare glass in the frame is not enough to protect the photograph from direct sunlight.

3. Check the backs of vintage framed photographs and remove acidic backing.

Acid from wood backing in a vintage frame caused these dark strips on a family photograph. Framers often used cardboard and scrap wood to back photographs in their frames. In some cases, we have seen photos where the acid in the wood backing has reproduced the knotholes and texture of the wood

perfectly … and ruined the photograph in the process. (see image at left) You can still use vintage picture frames. Just have your local framer replace the backing with acid-free materials. DO NOT dry-mount photographs!

4. Check your new and vintage framed photographs to ensure that the glass doesn't rest directly on the photographs.

Add risers or acid-free mats to keep air between the glass and the photographic print. This will prevent an unwanted terrarium from growing in your framed family photographs.

 5. Wear gloves when handling original family records and photographs or hold them only on the edges.

Those latent (invisible) fingerprints that CSIs are always dusting for? They're created by natural moisture and oil in your fingers – and you leave them on your family records every time you touch them. At the very least, ensure your hands are clean and dry before handling paper items, as the oils from your fingers can cause staining and eventual deterioration of the paper. Wear white cotton gloves when handling photographs and vintage or fragile paper records.

I hope I have helped you keep your family photos safe for generations.