Hobbies And Interests
Instructions
Preserve vintage photographs in an acid-free shoebox. Photographs are images created by the use of light. Light, therefore, can also destroy them. The darkness of a shoebox provides a safe place. Make sure they are dry when stored.
Slip on a pair of thin cotton gloves before handling very important vintage photographs. The perspiration from your fingers is acidic and can harm the image. Your mother knew what she was talking about when she instructed you to hold a photo by the edges.
Slide 100 percent cotton paper between photographs that are stored flat. Pure cotton paper is acid-free and will keep the images from sticking together while protecting the surfaces.
Slip your photos into inert polyester film sleeves, specially made for archiving important photographs and documents. The good thing about these sleeves is you have the ability to hold and examine the photo while keeping it secure.
Separate your old negatives from your photographs. Store them in different locations. Should harm befall one container, the other will be that much more important.
Digitally preserve your vintage photographs. Although you should minimize the light that reaches your image, scanning it one time into a digital library provides an avenue to reprint the image if the original is lost or destroyed. Old photos can also be digitally restored in a graphics program.