Photo Preservation

 

 

It is preferable to handle old photographs, whether they be a print or a chemical-based photo or negative such as a tintype, ambrotype, or daguerreotype, with clean, lint-free cotton or latex gloves. Salts from our skin can negatively affect their quality and speed up natural deterioration. If you handle photographs with your bare hands, make sure they are clean and free from chemicals, oils, and lotions. Avoid fingerprints and be gentle when handling the photos, especially if you're replacing/removing photo cases.

 

Unless you are with someone who is experienced and knowledgable, don't disassemble a case, don't force the case hinges open or closed, and don't remove or clean the cover glass. If you are not knowledgeable about or comfortable with removing cases, get help from someone who is.

 

 

Proper storage of photographs is vital to preserving your photographs. Keep your photographs out of strong or moderate ultraviolet light for extended periods of time. Photographs exposed to too much light will become brittle and experience yellowing and fading.

 

Keep your photographs away from household fumes such as furniture cleaners, fresh paint fumes, heaters, cleaning supplies, or sulfuric compounds. It is not advisable to keep your photographs in your attic or basement. Room temperature of 68° F and 30-40% relative humidity is ideal. According to Nps.gov, 65-68° F and 40-50% relative humidity.

 

Photos should be shielded from dust, dirt, moisture, sulfer, acids, and peroxides. Tintypes, daguerreotypes, and ambrotypes should be kept in acid-free, lignin-free paper envelopes (self-made four-fold envelopes are fine). International Standards Organization (ISO) believes that paper marketed as "lignin-free" should contain no more than 1% lignin. According to paper manufacturer Hewlett-Packard, the term "Acid-free" implies paper manufactured using an alkaline process. Hewlett-Packard says that the terms are used more for commercial purposes and are not as scientific and archival-minded as they should be. Because of this, some suggest obtaining a fresh pH pen (American Crafts is one of the higher recommended brands) and running it over the back of the envelope to ensure authenticity before wrapping your photos in it.

 

Loose tintypes should be in loose polyester sleeves or, if flaking is present, in paper enclosures. All enclosures and albums must pass the Photographic Activity Test (PAT), which is a worldwide standard pass/fail test which incubates the material in temperature- and humidity-controlled chambers for a period of 4 to 6 weeks. It is expensive to get your own samples tested ($750) but archival paper manufacturers have their products tested and list their products as PAT passed.

 

Avoid:
Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastic
Paper clips
Rubber cement
Rubber bands
Pressure-sensitive tapes
Photo albums with highly-colored pages
Magnetic albums
"No stick" albums

 

 

Dust the encased photo cases lightly with a clean soft brush, but do not brush the case if it is flaking leather or thermoplastic. Don't use leather dressings, plastic coatings, or treatments on the photos or the cases. Do not brush or clean the surface image of an encased photo without help. If there is damage to your photo and you wish to repair or clean it, consult a conservator.

 

Often an encased image can be cleaned by removing just the cover glass and cleaning it, and then putting a new glass on. This will lower the value of the photo since it's no longer considered an "original" to many, but this can be beneficial for the preservation of keepsake photos.

 

Sources:

NPS.Gov (PDF)

Hewlett-Packard (PDF)