Preserving Your
Family Papers
By Jean Nudd, Archivist
We all have archives. Most people’s archival holdings are
very small - vital records certificates such as our birth certificate, insurance
papers, marriage license or certificate and possibly some of the same types of
items for our parents. We may have some letters we treasure from beaus, our
parents or grandparents or our children. Genealogists, however, tend to have
much larger archival holdings than the average adult. We go out of our way to
collect the records of our ancestors! But why should we bother to collect these
records if we don’t try to preserve them for our descendants to examine and
treasure?
This article gives some Do’s and Don’ts for basic
preservation of documents and photographs. Preserving paper documents or photos
is not inexpensive. Compared to the cost of replacement, however, these costs
are minimal - if they can be replaced at all! So if you’re planning to preserve
the items you’ve collected for future generations, plan on spending some money.
Paper
Let’s discuss paper documents first -- my favorites! Paper is not a stable
substance on which to record permanent records! One of the major problems with
preservation of paper, and photos for that matter, is acid. Paper produced prior
to 1850 was made from bleached cotton rags and is not acidic in nature; much
like the acid-free papers available today. Paper made after 1850 is VERY acidic
and must be handled with greater care if it is to last for future generations to
see.1
Acidity causes paper to lose its strength by breaking down
the polymer chains so that the paper becomes weak, brittle and discolored. Much
of the paper produced today has a life expectancy of less than fifty years,
unlike the handmade paper produced three hundred years ago, much of which is
still in very usable condition today. Acidity can transfer from an acidic
document to items with little or no acidity. This takes place through direct
contact, such as newsprint next to a letter.
It is possible today to purchase durable acid-free paper.
Words to look for on the box include pH of 7 or greater, cotton fiber, no free
acids, and an alkaline buffer. This alkaline buffer, such as magnesium carbonate
or calcium carbonate, should be at least 2-3% precipitated carbonate by weight
of paper. This buffer will protect the paper against transfer acidity. Whenever
possible, purchase file folders, boxes, wrapping and interleaving papers, and
copy paper with an alkaline buffer. (continued on page 6)
Preserving Your
Family Papers
Different types of paper are more or less acidic than
others. For example, newspaper and the paper in writing tablets are generally
extremely acidic. You should not store these types of papers next to other
documents in folders. They should be segregated within their own folders and
possibly even their own boxes. Generally, the paper used for letter writing is
of a higher quality than those used for note-taking, report writing or in
diaries and scrapbooks.
Here are some specific Do’s and Don’t’s for handling your
archival documents.
DO
§ Pla ce in non-acidic file folders
and boxes.
§ Store in an inside closet or wall
of your home in cool, dry, dark places. Aim for 35% relative humidity and
below 72 degrees F. Avoid storing in attics, bathrooms and basements and
garages. Inside walls are drier than outside walls, where moisture can
collect. High humidity can lead to the development of foxing (small brown
disfiguring spots on paper) or mold growth.
§ Protect your documents from dirt
and dust.
§ Store items flat rather than folded
or rolled whenever possible. If you must roll a larger document such as a
chart or map, roll it on the outside of an acid-free tube.
§ Wash your hands before handling
your older papers. Oils on our hands can be transferred to paper and color it
over time.
§ Use pencils when working around
your archival documents to avoid getting ink stains on them.
§ Use archival paper whenever
possible for photocopies.
§ Use photocopies whenever possible,
leaving the originals in the folders.
§ Sleeve fragile or brittle papers
individually. Sleeves and boxes are available in many sizes so it is
possible, although not always advisable, to sleeve larger items as well as
standard size documents.
§ Store your documents in the proper
sized folders and boxes.
§ Store like sized documents
together.
§ Store books, magazines, and other
printed materials separately from your documents.
§ Remember that simply placing your
documents in archival folders and boxes is not the end of the process. No
matter how well you do the job, things will need to be replaced over time and
contents of boxes shift as well as relax within their folders. Recheck your
boxes and folders on an annual basis.
§ The most important thing to
remember is never do anything that cannot be undone.
DON’Ts
§ Never use tapes or glues on or near
your archival documents.
§ Avoid stapling documents. If you
must staple, use stainless steel staples.
§ Never encapsulate highly acidic
documents.
§ Do not overstuff folders or boxes.
§ Do not sandwich larger documents
between smaller documents.
§ Never store envelopes or
photographs with paper documents because they contain proteins which insects
love to eat!
§ Don’t eat or drink around your
archival documents!
§ Don’t store your records in the
area where your plants live.
Archival materials are available from a variety of sources
such as Light Impressions, Hollinger Corporation, Conservation Materials Ltd.,
and University Products. A list of vendors follows this article.
Photographs
Photographs are chemical compounds, which react to light sources. Today,
photographs most often have a paper base with an image-bearing layer applied.
This base can be made of metal, glass, paper, or plastic. Other layers of a
print may include adhesives, coating such as wax or varnish, applied colors,
depending on the period in which the print was made. Usually, the image-layer is
gelatin, however, early photographs frequently used albumen and collodion. Black
and white photos usually are finely divided metallic silver [salts called
halides]. Generally, the support papers do not contribute to print degradation;
it is the image chemicals, which break down or are eaten by insects. However,
glass plates may contribute to a lost image.2
Photographic prints should be held only by the edges using
both hands. Picking up a print by its corner usually results in a break or at
the least flexing or creasing. Oversized photos should be placed on a rigid
surface, such as corrugated board, to be moved. Wear white, lint-free cotton or
nylon gloves when handling photographs not in clear plastic enclosures. Plastic
or paper enclosures, such as those available through archival supply stores,
protect images from scratches and other surface damage.3 If it is not
possible to use photographic enclosures, place your photographs in small food
storage bags. However, in very high humidity conditions, plastic enclosures may
cause damage to photographic prints. Do not use sleeves on prints where the
emulsion is flaking or lifting off the paper or where the edge is frilling since
the static electricity in the sleeve can cause more damage. Use paper envelopes
instead. Remove prints from enclosures on a flat surface, don’t try to do it in
mid-air or chances are you’ll break your print!
Paper used to house prints should be high in alpha-cellulose,
free of ground wood, alum rosin sizing, sulphur, or metal particles, and have a
smooth non-abrasive surface. Paper with a pH between 7.2 and 9.5 is recommended
for most photographs. Negatives, prints on an acidic paper, and photos stored in
less than ideal conditions benefit from alkaline storage conditions. Paper used
to house color and diazo prints should have a pH between 7 and 7.5, neutral but
not buffered.4
Once your photographs are sleeved or enveloped, they should
be placed in paperboard boxes that are low in lignin content and have an
alkaline buffer. Prints and negatives can be stored either horizontally or
vertically. Size and condition should determine placement within the boxes. Be
sure to fill boxes appropriately however, since over or under filling can
produce more static electricity as well as movement which could cause scratching
or other damage. Whenever possible place photos of like sizes together so they
support one another or, if this is not possible, place a secondary support of
heavier, non-acidic board behind the print. Store oversized prints flat wherever
possible. Always sleeve glass plate negatives individually and upright on a long
edge in strong boxes. Place rigid supports every 5 to 10 plates for added
support. Again, boxes should be filled but not stuffed!
Many of the paper do’s and don’ts also apply to photographs. Once you have
your archives stored properly, consider making copies (archival, of course) of
these treasures and ask a friend or relative to store the copies for you. That
way, if you ever experience a disaster such as a fire or flood, you won’t lose
everything! The most important element to remember in all preservation efforts
is to NEVER do anything that cannot be undone.
_____________________________
1. For further information on the history of paper and dealing with acidity,
see Mary Lynn Ritzenthaler, Preserving Archives and Manuscripts
(Chicago, IL: Society of American Archivists, 1993).
2. Ibid., p. 37.
3. Ibid., p. 72.
4. Ibid., p. 93-96.
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