Paper Heirlooms: Preserving Important Photos

Family photos are a treasure trove of history and lore. They must be preserved and protected!

Over the ages, however, photographs may deteriorate. Mold and mildew, extreme temperature changes, dust and dirt, direct sunlight, and water can destroy their delicate images. Even a decade may be destructive!

How can you best maintain photos?

Loose piles of photos simply ask to be damaged.

Store photos in a safe spot, away from direct sunlight, humidity and possible water leakage.

Place photos in acid-free page protectors, sleeves, or packaging.

Scan favorite photos into your computer, or pay a digitizing service to produce a photo CD of your most important images. Store this in a safe place.

Create an online image library. Fuji Online, Kodak Gallery, Photobucket, Shutterfly and other sources are widely available. Most offer free photo storage and only charge for prints and other products you might order. Although many of these sites condense photos during the uploading process, this is still an excellent safeguard. If your own computer should suddenly crash, your photos will be stored online for easy access.

How should photos be safely displayed?

By printing and placing important family photographs in image-friendly frames in your home, you can preserve and share family memories with all who enter. (Personally, I like to print old and new photos in sepia/brown-tones, so they all look antique. This gives even our recent photos a historical feeling.)

However, before framing, be sure to retain copies of these prints, either online or in a safe storage spot. Remember: cleaning products, humidity, sunlight, and spills can wreak havoc on your favorite pictures!

What can be done to bring back a damaged photograph?

Using a soft cloth (not paper), gently blot the photograph to dry it. (Do not rub!)