Archiving and storage - Is acid free really important?

[Jane Eden]

Hi

I have been looking into the cost of storing all my photos, certificates, paraphenalia, momentos etc in the correct acid free environment (though not temperature/humidity controlled). The question is does it really matter?

I have retrieved lots and lots of photos (in excess of 1000) from Mums loft and bureau. This includes Mum & Dads side and therefore all 4 Grandparents and 8 Greatgrandparents, some far more than others! Over the generations they have been in drawers, envelopes and lofts. Also there are original newspaper clippings from 1917 etc. Some of the photos are those sepia 1900-1910s that fade (is it emulsion?) these I would like to preserve correctly otherwise they won't last much longer, so what do I do with these?

I cannot control temperature or humidity as I just live in a house in England. I could spend a fortune on acid free this, that and the other but how much will this help? What is the risk?

The options are:
Spend a fortune but keep it to myself.
Don't bother but put everything in normal plastic, paper, envelopes or tissue paper which is better than previously.
Scan everything and then lend it all to the archives so they can spend a fortune on acid free but also control temperature and humidity. Also other family members would be able to access it.
Leave it in plastic bags, uncovered, all mixed up, unlabelled and back in Mums loft probably to end up in a skip when she dies.

I have looked a photo albums/boxes today. Can I store delicate old photos vertically in an 'index type' photo box or should they be in albums? If in albums should they be monted on acid free paper with a paper sheet over it or in the acid free plastic wallets that are available?

Help! I have been thinking about this for over a year and still do not know what to do.

Jane

[dennford]

Scan everything and then lend it all to the archives so they can spend a fortune on acid free but also control temperature and humidity. Also other family members would be able to access it.

The way to go Jane.

      Believe me I am in the same boat and I feel rather guilty about not having done something like this, even though I advise others to do so.
      I do believe though that some of the plastic protectors that can be bought very cheaply these days are a "reasonable" compromise, I use them in loose leaf folders stored with the spine to the top so that the contents hang.
      It will be very interesting to see what Prue has to suggest - always keeping in mind the budget.

                                                   Denn

[Rena]

sharp intake of breath when I read the word 'plastic' !
I went through some old photo albums a couple of months ago and had to throw out the contents of one because the 1960's-1970's photos had turned a deep shade of red due to being encased in plastic!     Other photos in different plastic coverings were o.k. but I must agree some photos weren't as crisp as I remembered them - might be be my old eyes, or due to being exposed to the light, or might not!   A friend  bought me a set of different sized acid free cardboard boxes specially made for family historians by Waterman Boxmakers and I've made copies of some photos so I can access them, the rest are in the boxes.

Best Wishes,
Rena

[dennford]

Rena, were these the older type of albums tht had a sticky card and a plastic cover?

[Rena]

The photos I had to throw away were not in the sticky card type albums with a flimsy type plastic covering.

The culprit album consisted of wholly plastic pages in a ring binder album and at the time you could buy extra pages separately.   The pages were not as rigid as thin card.  Each plastic page had several same type plastic pockets on it, in which to slide and display photos.  Black & white photos were acceptably o.k. to retain but coloured photos of my tots were totally damaged.

It seems the different old fashioned coverings in which your mum's photos were stored didn't have an adverse affect on them but I suspect some of them had been exposed to sunlight/daylight if they were faded.   Whereas you could trust old fashioned paper, envelopes, newspapers, etc to be made solely from trees and other natural products, you can't say the same thing about all modern paper.

Best wishes,
Rena

[PrueM]

Hi Jane and all,

In my opinion the term "acid free" is a real deception.  "Acid Free" merely means that the pH of whatever it is was neutral or alkaline when it left the factory.  It doesn't mean that the paper or card or whatever would actually REMAIN acid-free for its lifetime.

If you are wanting a storage solution made from paper or card, it's best to look for something that is lignin-free, pH neutral, and (if you can find it) archival or museum quality.  Lignin is the stuff in woodpulp papers and boards that make them go brown over time.  If the pH is neutral you avoid the problems that can come from storing certain types of photos (i.e. albumen prints) in an alkaline environment.

THere are so many options available for safe storage of photos these days.  One of the best and easiest is the plastic pocket photo album.  Yes I used the word plastic!!!  But it's the old PVC that was the problem in the past.  It released chlorides and plasticisers into the air and anything in contact with it.  Nowadays, the majority of good quality albums use polypropylene or polyester, both of which are inert plastics (they don't off-gas or ooze anything nasty).  You also need to make sure that the covers, slip-cases and boxes you store things in are made of these same plastics.

It all depends on how much you can spend, and what effect you are after - if you want to just store them, or if you want to display them nicely in a fancy album.

Here are a few links with info about care and storage of photos:
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/preservation/advice/pdf/archivesconservation_photo.pdf
http://www.aiatsis.gov.au/library/assets/pdfs/policies/storage.pdf
http://www.bl.uk/services/npo/faq.html

And about materials:
http://www.albox.com.au/
https://www2.preservationequipment.co.uk/_6A996967B2754B229AE44F82C44BF513/photographicconservation/

Finally, be aware that everything has a finite life.  There is no way to stop the deterioration of materials, but we can slow it down significantly.  Colour photos will always change colour, albumen prints will always fade and go yellow - it's the nature of the material.  By using good quality materials (not necessarily expensive ones) and choosing a stable storage environment (inside a box then inside a cupboard, for example) you will be able to keep the photos safe for a long time.

I agree that you should scan them all, too!

Prue

[dennford]

It seems the different old fashioned coverings in which your mum's photos were stored didn't have an adverse affect on them but I suspect some of them had been exposed to sunlight/daylight if they were faded.   Whereas you could trust old fashioned paper, envelopes, newspapers, etc to be made solely from trees and other natural products, you can't say the same thing about all modern paper.

Best wishes,
Rena

Rena,
     Without getting too involved, all wood contain what is called lignin - probably one of the most destructive of compounds when it applies to our photo's (one of the reasons why many older photo's are in the state that they are now). If we are to use natural materials, then we must make sure that they are acid/lignin free.
     The plastic sleeves I talk about  are uncoated polyester film or uncoated cellulose triacetate (I am of the belief that these and a couple of other plastics are reatively safe - but would value a second opinion). Note however that if your storage is in a particular damp area photographic emulsions can stick to the slick plastic surface at high relative humidity; the RH must remain below 80% - 80% would be akin to storing them in your shed through the winter.
       Plastic enclosures must not be used for glass plate or acetate-based negatives.


                                                            Denn

[Jane Eden]

Hi Prue, Denn and all

So as long as I avoid PVC plastic is good - polypropylene and polyester.

At the moment I am sorting them out and they are loose in cardboard boxes (shoe and toiletry boxes wth lids to keep them clean). I am horrified by the number I have got. There must be over 1000 with up to 200 being pre 1935.

I do have up to 30 albumen photos. These are very thin and some are really faded. One particularly precious one is also creased and a bit torn. What tender loving care do I give to these?

The ones stuck on boards are also a problem mainly 1870s - 1920s about 30 - 40. These vary in size from small (about 2" x 3") to huge (14" x 10").

Jane

[PrueM]

Hi Jane,
You lucky thing!  I don't know how many family photos I have...several hundred I would imagine.  If you add in all the ones that Jakky sent me, which I put up on the website, then I probably almost rival your 1000 
I wouldn't worry about the albumen prints except to say that you should make sure they are kept out of the light as much as possible, as they do tend to fade quite badly.  If you can scan them, do so - the little bit of light from the scanner will cause no harm, and you will at least then have an image which can be restored somewhat.  Same goes for the creased and torn one - then put it carefully in an enclosure, you might want to buy a special one for that particular photo, one with a rigid support for the photo so it doesn't get more damaged.
The ones on board you could either store in plastic sleeves with the others, or fold some good quality paper around them and store them flat in boxes.
Cheers
Prue