Preserving your family history records
3
Preservation
The most important factor affecting the preservation is
the storage and display conditions to which they are subjected.
This includes the material in which they are enclosed, where
they are stored and the manner in which they are displayed.
Processed negatives, slides and photographic prints should
be stored and handled appropriately
A number of materials often used in the storage of negatives
and prints are detrimental to the photographic image and
its support. These include wood products, low-grade paper,
glassines and strawboard. There are concerns with chlorinated,
nitrated formaldehyde-based plastics, lacquers, enamels
and materials that contain plasticisers. Other items that
may be detrimental to processed photographic materials while
they are in storage include rubber, rubber cement, Polyvinyl
Chloride (PVC), and hygroscopic adhesives or those containing
iron, copper, sulphur or other impurities. Pressure sensitive
tapes and mounting materials, as well as acid inks and porous
tip marking pens that use water-base dyes should also be
avoided. Adhesives that should be avoided are starch paste,
animal glue, rubber cement, shellac and contact adhesive.
A conscious effort to keep these products away from all
your family history records can only lengthen the life of
such items.
As a rule of thumb never submit your
materials to any process that cannot be reversed - this
is the rule used by all good conservators. For example:
never laminate material as such a process can never be reversed.
If you must repair an item, seek professional advice and
never repair with material purchased from the local stationer.
If you want to display some of your material have a good
quality photocopy taken for framing and store the original
away according to archival procedures outlined above.
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