Get your
photos out of the shoe box or sticky page photo album and help
them live! They deserve better!
Why is
Photo Preservation important?
The photographs
of the past and present provides the viewer of the future with
an insight into history that is not available from any other source.
It is
up to us!
By preserving photographic
images, future generations will be able to see the people, clothing,
buildings, transportation, and other elements of our everyday
life. Things so common to us that they are mostly unnoticed.
Minimal
effort now will pay unmeasurable rewards for future generations!
Here
are a few simple tips:
Label
your photographs!
Print softly
on the back in pencil, near the edge of the photograph, all of
the information of about the photograph. Include the date, the
location, the subject, the names, occasion for taking the photograph,
etc.
Proper
Environment
Photographs need
proper humidity and temperature control for long life. Drastic
increases in either the temperature or humidity damages the emulsion
and support material.
Temperature: 65
degrees Fahrenheit, plus or minus 2 degrees.
Humidity: 35 percent
relative humidity, plus or minus 5 percent.
Proper
Storage
Use acid free boxes
and acid free envelopes. Do not pack the negatives or photographs
too tightly in the storage boxes. Store prints flat, with no pressure.
Light
Level for storage:
Total Darkness
Light
levels for exhibit:
5 foot candles
(50 lux) for the exhibit of:
Salted Paper Prints
Albumen Prints
Platinotypes
Gum Bichromate
Prints
Carbon Prints
Photo Mechanical
Prints
All Prints with
Applied Color
10 foot candles
(100 lux) for the exhibit of:
Gelatin Printing-out
Papers
Collodion Printing-out
Papers
Gelatin Developing-out
Papers
Attention!!!!!
Hazardous
Material Alert!
Cellulose nitrate
negatives are dangerous. They become unstable as they age and
decompose. If you have cellulose nitrate negatives in your collection,
you should:
Isolate the cellulose
nitrate negatives.
Evaluate the value
of the images.
Duplicate the negatives
that have value.
Destroy the original
negative after duplication.
If you have questions
concerning the preservation of photographs, please contact me.