Tips on making a new family album:
- Select safe materials such as acid-free binders, pages, and paper corners and stable plastics for sleeves, pocket pages, and stamp mounts.
- Photocopy newspaper clippings onto acid-free paper and consult a conservator about the stability of other photographs and papers.
- Cutting original photographs or other family heirlooms into decorativeshapes diminishes their value; use copies.
Saving Kentucky's Past -- Preserving Scrapbooks and Albums
Sometimes a family history can be encapsulated in family albums. They should be respected as works of art by the compiler, much as a diary is the work of an individual journalist. With this in mind, do not dismantle albums. They were made according to some design, chronological order, or story line.
There is one type of album that must be taken apart and reassembled into another format for the sake of preserving the contents: the "magnetic" or self-adhesive album. These albums destroy their contents, either by the chemicals contained by the adhesive or the magnetic film.
Display and Storage
- Shelve small and medium-sized scrapbooks and albums upright. If they are large, bulge open, or contain loose items, display or store them flat.
- If a scrapbook's cover is loose, tie the book closed with linen or cotton tape. Place the bow knot at the foredge of the scrapbook to prevent pressure indentations on the covers.
- If individual items are loose or a scrapbook is damaged, store it in an acid-free box or wrap it in acid-free paper.
- Wrapping loosely bound or damaged scrapbooks with acid-free paper provides better protection than tying up alone, and is helpful even if the item will be boxed.
Care
- News clippings and other yellowed papers are highly acidic and may harm items on nearby pages. If you can safely remove these clippings from a scrapbook, photocopy them onto acid-free paper, put the copies in the books, and save the originals separately if they have handwritten information.
- If you can't remove acidic materials like news clippings from a scrapbook, separate them from other items with sheets of acid-free paper or polyester film.
- Use only plastic or acid-free paper corners to reattach loose items. For all other repairs, seek professional advice.
Glossary
acid-free tissue - In the course of time most tissue paper will become acidic and brittle with age. The acidity will transfer to adjacent objects causing these objects to become weaker and possibly discolored. Acid free tissue papers are specially processed to remove such contaminants. An 18 pound weight paper is useful for quilts, coverlets, and the storage of other flat textiles. For stuffing or interleaving, a lighter 12 pound paper is better. This lighter acid free paper is also known as "laminating tissue."
conservator - persons who periodically
examine objects, document their condition, and, if necessary, treat and repair
them to protect collections over time.
For more information or to locate a professional conservator, visit The
American Institute for Conservation of Historic & Artistic Works.
muslin - a thin plain-weave cotton cloth used for curtains, sheets, and dresses
PAT test (photographic activity test) - a test that predicts possible interactions between photographic images and the enclosures in which they are stored. Boxes or other types of enclosures that hold several images, even if those images are in envelopes or sleeves, should be tested too. Many of the harmful chemicals in poor-quality enclosures can become airborne and, over time, work their way to the photograph.
PVC pipe - a lightweight, durable, and waterproof plastic pipe used for plumbing
polyethylene bags - flexible, extremely tough, and chemical-resistant plastic bags commonly used as sandwich or freezer storage
ragboard - board made from cotton and contains no wood (lignins). Little pulping or purification is required because cotton is the purest natural form of cellulose. Rag board is also called Museum Board, is acid-free and meets the standards set by the Library of Congress for museum quality matboard. It is available with or without buffering.
unbuffered - containing neither alkaline nor acid