| Protecting Paper Keepsakes |
From "Ask DIY"
episode ADI-111 |
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Q: My children are approaching the ages where they would enjoy learning more about their great-grandparents. But I'm afraid to let them handle some of the brittle clippings and photos. Can you offer some suggestions?
A: (Bruce Johnson, Ask DIY Woodworking expert) Many of our most valuable family heirlooms are stored on paper, and these letters, deeds and postcards are extremely fragile. Most of us just throw them in a box, intending to get to them someday. But what people don't realize is that each day those precious papers are slowly deteriorating. So go through that box, and take these measures to preserve your keepsakes for future generations: - Don't hold postcards together with rubber bands. They'll eventually leave sulfur marks across the top.
- Go through your letters and documents and remove any paper clips. They will rust and discolor the papers.
- Office-supply stores now stock special archival sleeves that will protect your old letters and papers from dirt and handling -- and also from the acid in other papers. Carefully unfold any documents, smooth out any creases or fold marks and then slide each one into its own sleeve (figure A). You can do the same thing with postcards, in specially sized sleeves. A good idea is to place all the sheets in a three-ring binder. That way people can easily flip through the sleeves to look at the mementos.
Nobody's perfect: This isn't the time to try to save a penny by putting two sheets into one sleeve. The acid in one sheet of paper will damage the other one. - Don't store photos inside books. The acid from the pages can damage a photo, and having photos inside can damage the spine of a book.
- Stack old books to store them. Don't store them on edge -- the weight of the book can damage the soft leather binding.
- If an old leather-bound book is in poor condition, slip it inside a gallon-size plastic food-storage bag for protection. But leave the bag open! You want good air circulation, and closed plastic bags can also trap moisture.
- If you discover insects in an old book (and they do like to chew on leather bindings), place the book in a plastic bag with a few mothballs (figure B). Make sure, though, that the mothballs don't come in contact with the book, or they'll stain the leather (figure C). Seal the bag for a week. When you open it and remove the book, the bugs will be dead.
More questions for Bruce:
Q: Newspapers are hard to preserve and store. Any ideas?
A: If you leave newspapers folded, you'll get a permanent crease that will damage them. So completely unfold them, lay them flat, and then put them between two pieces of acid-free posterboard from an art-supply store. Then store it at the top of the closet or under the bed -- someplace it can stay flat.
Q: We have several old photographs that we want to share with other members of the family, but nobody has any idea what happened to the negatives. Should we make photocopies?
A: Absolutely not! The photocopy light will actually fade the photo. Instead, take it to a photo shop, where they can make a negative without damaging the original.
Q: What is the proper way to identify the people in our photographs?
A: Don't write on the photo with a ballpoint or felt-tip pen. Instead, write on a self-adhesive label and then attach it to the outside of the plastic sleeve. Web site resources for Keepsakes: Care and Use of Antiques from HGTV.com How Do I Care for My Collectibles from Leisure Time Shops.com How to Care for Toy Collectibles from About.com The Collectibles Care Guide from Swift Site.com Care and Repair of Your Antiques from About.com Basic Collection Care from About.com Books: Care & Repair of Antiques & Collectibles
By Albert Jackson & David Day
ISBN: 1561582174
The Taunton Press Publications (1998)
63 S. Main St.
Newton, CT 06470
Customer Service Phone: 800-243-7252
E-mail: webmaster@taunton.com
Care & Repair Everyday Treasure: A Step-by-Step Guide to Cleaning & Restoring Your Antiques & Collectibles
by Judith Miller
ISBN: 0895779242
Readers Digest (1997)
P.O. Box 235
Pleasantville, NY 10570-0235
Phone: 800-310-6261
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