Author Topic: **CONSERVATION ADVICE - check here for FAQs**  (Read 38098 times)

Offline Brambletye

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Re: **CONSERVATION ADVICE - CHECK HERE FOR FAQ**
« Reply #36 on: Tuesday 15 January 08 11:52 GMT (UK) »
Major caveat about laminating photos - always keep at least one copy that is not laminated. If you are unlucky enough to lose or damage the original as well as any scanned file on your computer, it will be an absolute pig to rescan from the laminated copy - you'll get flare from the scanner light beam hitting the glossy surface.

If you have a monochrome photo, and you notice any small spots appearing on the surface, get a good quality copy made as soon as possible - these might not be mould. I had one where the print hadn't been fixed properly, and the image gradually broke up, luckily I had the neg. - and I have one with shiny areas which I believe are something to do with the use of silver halide in the developing process. This one doesn't seem to be corrupting, but I'm not taking any chances...
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Offline LoneyBones

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Re: **CONSERVATION ADVICE - CHECK HERE FOR FAQ**
« Reply #37 on: Tuesday 15 January 08 12:29 GMT (UK) »
Comment on the caveat. Never, never, never laminate original anything!
That's what this thread is all about, conserving your precious photos and documents. Laminating is for copies only.
Cheers,
Leonie.
Direct matriarchal line; ENNIS-Yeatman-Cooper-Papps-Ryland-Lechford/Luxford-Bagshaw-Henriett
ENNIS-Thomas-Bonnin-Aldridge-Williams-Harding-Brown.
ENNIS-Davis/Davies-Buck-Oakley-
JONES-Roberts-Handy-Ross-Warrillow-Eagles-Cotterill-Bailey.
JONES-Walton-Grayson-Stobbs-Baldwin-Ibbotson-Scott.
JONES-Goodwin-Parker-Instant-Hubbard-Hancock-Skinner.

STILL LOOKING FOR: Elizabeth Ann Balfour ENNIS nee DAVIS. Disappeared in Adelaide, South Australia. 1881.

Offline Brambletye

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Re: **CONSERVATION ADVICE - CHECK HERE FOR FAQ**
« Reply #38 on: Tuesday 15 January 08 18:14 GMT (UK) »
Comment on the caveat. Never, never, never laminate original anything!
That's what this thread is all about, conserving your precious photos and documents. Laminating is for copies only.
Cheers,
Leonie.

I have never perpetrated this sin myself, but I know someone who did, and the results were tragic - not only could the image not be rescanned successfully, but the chemicals or glues in the laminate started to act on the image, which began to "bleed" into it. The only cure was to get a pro. photographer as fast as poss., to stick it on a rostrum camera with an anti-reflective screen and retouch the result, but the copy was never  going to be as good the original, no matter how hard he tried.

The photo this happened to was an original b/w photo print, and I'm backing up Leonie's warning with another horror story - it's not just cold or hot laminating machines that can destroy your stuff. Whatever you do don't use the self-adhesive peel-offs either (Transpaseal and the like) as they will absorb the dyes from printed matter of all kinds as effectively as the other sort.

I'm probably stating the blindingly obvious here, but if you have anything so precious it would just about be the end of the world if you lost it, scan it at the highest possible res. you can manage - you can archive that one (offsite backup too) and resample a copy downwards for everyday use.
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Offline Jaag

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Re: **CONSERVATION ADVICE - CHECK HERE FOR FAQ**
« Reply #39 on: Tuesday 19 February 08 02:25 GMT (UK) »
I have just discovered that my wedding photographs (1970s, presented in an album behind plastic sheets, not glued type) is deteriorating. The plastic is becoming brittle and going liquid and marking the b/w and colour prints. What should I do????
Help!!!!


Offline PrueM

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Re: **CONSERVATION ADVICE - CHECK HERE FOR FAQ**
« Reply #40 on: Tuesday 19 February 08 20:13 GMT (UK) »
Hi Jaag  :D

So the plastic sheets are deteriorating?  Sounds like it's PVC and it's in its death throes!  You must get those photos out of the album and away from the plastic.  OR...get the plastic out of the album, if it's possible to do that, even just by cutting them out at the spine. 

If you have plastic residue on your photos, you will need to find a photograph conservator to remove it for you.  Where in the world do you live - depending on this I'll recommend a site where you can look up conservators in your area?

Once your photographs are safe, I would recommend having digital copies made, and stored on hard disk and CD in TIFF format. 

If you would like more info about any of this, please let me know.  There's a new topic on the Photo Restoration board with links to various threads on Rootschat about conservation matters...some of them might be useful:

http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,286501.0.html

Prue  :)

Offline Jaag

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Re: **CONSERVATION ADVICE - CHECK HERE FOR FAQ**
« Reply #41 on: Wednesday 20 February 08 05:41 GMT (UK) »
Hello Prue,
Yes, the plastic is deteriorating. We have removed the photographs and wiped them down with paper towels, but I think there is still once-liquid residue left on them. I am still concerned about this being left on the photographs.
We have scanned them (colour, 600dpi, TIF  -  same as TIFF?), just on hard drive at the moment.
We live in Townsville, North Queensland, AUS.
Thanks.
Regards
Jeff

Offline PrueM

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Re: **CONSERVATION ADVICE - CHECK HERE FOR FAQ**
« Reply #42 on: Wednesday 20 February 08 07:52 GMT (UK) »
Hi Geoff,

Be very careful about wiping the surfaces of photographs with anything...you could damage or remove the emulsion.

If you follow this link:
http://www.aiccm.org.au/public/content/ViewCategory.aspx?id=5
...you will be able to download a list of conservators who undertake freelance work.  There is a separate list for each state/territory.

Let me know if you need any more help or information  :)

Prue

Offline PrueM

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