June 2nd, 2005
Alexandria & Roberto
Digging For Ancestors
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Treasured Family Photos
Faded photographs of our ancestors provide the most personal
connection with our past. We see the faces of those who have gone
before us and lived a very different life.
connection with our past. We see the faces of those who have gone
before us and lived a very different life.
Protect Your Treasures!
If you are lucky enough to have photos of your ancestors, you are
the one that must make sure they are available to future
generations. Your photos may already have been ravaged by
time. But, there is still a lot you can do to help stop their decline.
By taking care of these treasures you and your ancestors will enjoy
them for years to come.
If you are lucky enough to have photos of your ancestors, you are
the one that must make sure they are available to future
generations. Your photos may already have been ravaged by
time. But, there is still a lot you can do to help stop their decline.
- Store them properly!
- Handle with care
- Make backup copies
By taking care of these treasures you and your ancestors will enjoy
them for years to come.
Store them properly!
On this page you see a picture that has faded over time. The image is still good. But, notice
the slight oval-shaped fading. The picture was framed in an oval frame and was experiencing
fading where it was exposed to sunlight. It had been in the frame a very long time. So, it is
fortunate that not more was lost. The fading around the far edges was purposeful on the part
of the photographer who was creating a formal portrait that matched the portrait of this
gentleman's wife.
Sunlight isn't the only enemy of these photos. Moisture, air quality, the acid content of the
storage medium and other forms of light will all lead to fading and deterioration.
Light - If you aren't displaying a photo, make sure it is stored away from the sunlight or other
sources of light. Exposure to light increases fading.
Moisture - Moisture causes lines and marks on photos and the risk of mildew.
Bugs! - Silver Fish love to eat photos as well as glue, book bindings, paper, sugar, hair, and
dandruff. Yes, your photos can be consumed if you aren't careful. To avoid a population of
Silverfish, keep rooms tidy and reduce humidity. These critters normally make their way into
your home riding in parcels packed in boxes from a humid environment or that is already
infested. Unpack boxes outside and dispose (recycle!)of the boxes if at all possible.
Acidic Materials - Regular paper, tissue and cardboard are made with bleach and other acidic
compounds that will react with your photos and damage them severely. Even the backing of
most off the shelf photo frames is acidic. Do NOT use a shoe box and/ or tissue paper to
store your photos. You might think you are protecting them from light, but you are exposing
them to something just as bad.
On this page you see a picture that has faded over time. The image is still good. But, notice
the slight oval-shaped fading. The picture was framed in an oval frame and was experiencing
fading where it was exposed to sunlight. It had been in the frame a very long time. So, it is
fortunate that not more was lost. The fading around the far edges was purposeful on the part
of the photographer who was creating a formal portrait that matched the portrait of this
gentleman's wife.
Sunlight isn't the only enemy of these photos. Moisture, air quality, the acid content of the
storage medium and other forms of light will all lead to fading and deterioration.
Light - If you aren't displaying a photo, make sure it is stored away from the sunlight or other
sources of light. Exposure to light increases fading.
Moisture - Moisture causes lines and marks on photos and the risk of mildew.
Bugs! - Silver Fish love to eat photos as well as glue, book bindings, paper, sugar, hair, and
dandruff. Yes, your photos can be consumed if you aren't careful. To avoid a population of
Silverfish, keep rooms tidy and reduce humidity. These critters normally make their way into
your home riding in parcels packed in boxes from a humid environment or that is already
infested. Unpack boxes outside and dispose (recycle!)of the boxes if at all possible.
Acidic Materials - Regular paper, tissue and cardboard are made with bleach and other acidic
compounds that will react with your photos and damage them severely. Even the backing of
most off the shelf photo frames is acidic. Do NOT use a shoe box and/ or tissue paper to
store your photos. You might think you are protecting them from light, but you are exposing
them to something just as bad.
Handle With Care
Something you might not ever think of will also damage your photos. When you handle them
the oil from your skin where you contact the photo will, over time, cause discoloration. It is
best to handle old photos wearing special gloves. But, if there are none handy, make sure you
hold the photos only by the edges.
Something you might not ever think of will also damage your photos. When you handle them
the oil from your skin where you contact the photo will, over time, cause discoloration. It is
best to handle old photos wearing special gloves. But, if there are none handy, make sure you
hold the photos only by the edges.
Make Backup Copies
Original copies of your antique photographs can never be replaced. You don't have the
negatives and your copies are likely the only ones in existence. It is very important to protect
these treasures as we've discussed above. However, keep in mind that all the protection in
the world won't save your photos from a natural disaster such as Katrina or the wildfires in
California. Many of those people lost all their photos, antique and current. How can we
protect our pictures from these situations?
I hope that none of you ever experience the destruction of a natural disaster. But, these easy
steps can protect any of the documents, data or photos that are not replaceable.
Original copies of your antique photographs can never be replaced. You don't have the
negatives and your copies are likely the only ones in existence. It is very important to protect
these treasures as we've discussed above. However, keep in mind that all the protection in
the world won't save your photos from a natural disaster such as Katrina or the wildfires in
California. Many of those people lost all their photos, antique and current. How can we
protect our pictures from these situations?
- Consider a safe deposit box and store them at the bank. They are just as precious as
your legal documents. - Back them up to CD or DVD
- Use online photo or data storage services to store scanned images of your photos.
I hope that none of you ever experience the destruction of a natural disaster. But, these easy
steps can protect any of the documents, data or photos that are not replaceable.
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