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| In the last column, I discussed the importance of creating a
memory book to preserve your family pictures. Now, I will talk about how to handle and
store your photos. I will also discuss what materials and methods are safe to use in your
memory book. |
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| Different Approaches |
| There are two different ways you can approach making a memory
book. You can create a memory book as an archivist would. Or, you can make a book using
the most practical methods for you. My approach is the practical one. |
| As an archivist, you would store your photos in a temperature and
humidity controlled room. The room must also be dust-free, have no natural or florescent
light, and have the lights off as much as possible. You should handle your photos only
when necessary. Also, wear white cotton gloves whenever handling pictures. |
| I am sure there are more procedures one would follow when using
the archivist approach. However, the archivist approach just is not possible nor is it
desirable in my house. I am afraid I would find dust around with those white gloves on!
Instead, I want to use materials and methods that would extend the lifetime of my photos
as much as possible, but that are reasonable and practical for my busy life. Thus, I call
the alternate approach the practical approach. What follows is based on the practical
approach. |
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| Handling |
| When handling your photos, do not touch the surface; handle
pictures by the edges. Fingerprints, once on the surface, are difficult to remove without
special cleaning agents. Also, the acid, oil, and other substances from your skin will
transfer from your fingers and work to degrade your photos. |
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| Storage |
| You should store your pictures in a clean and dry place away from
light and heat sources. Humidity, light, heat, and dust are very damaging to photos. |
| Do not use cardboard shoe boxes to store your photos. Some
cardboard contains substances that will accelerate the degradation of pictures. I use
plastic shoe boxes. This keeps my photos dry and dust-free. Note, however, that not all
plastic boxes are made alike. Check with the manufacturer of the box to make sure it does
not contain acid or polyvinyl chloride (PVC). Both will damage your photos. |
| I checked with Rubbermaid® and they assured me
that their boxes do not contain any photo-damaging materials. So, I
keep my pictures in Rubbermaid® show boxes with lids on until I’m
ready to put them into a memory book. |
| However, I recently learned that the best
storage containers are those that are opaque. Light is damaging to
your photos and most shoe boxes are NOT opaque. You can still use
these boxes but make sure it’s lined with a light blocking paper. |
| The memory book or binder you choose should also be acid-free and
should not contain PVC. (PVC is found in plastics.) |
| Next time I will talk about the materials that are safe to use
on your pages. |
