How to preserve your memories.
How to preserve your memories:
Ok, you've had your portrait taken, you've gathered your family's momentos or you've managed to live through all that wedding planning and NOW you're trying to figure out what to DO with the precious objects in your life....right?
Here is some advice for preserving those heirlooms (& heirlooms to be) that we hope you will find helpful. We carry many helpful archival items in the store, so if you need anything, ask us!
Wedding Dresses/Quilts
Photographs
Documents
Liners
Fabrics stored improperly can quickly yellow and deteriorate from exposure to acids, moths or moisture. To safeguard your heirlooms use wrapping tissue, a reusable desiccant canister, durable storage box and polyethylene bags.
Simply wrap your fabric item with the non-buffered tissue, seal it inside a polyethylene bag along with the desiccant canister and place everything inside the archival-safe box. The tissue supports the fabric, the desiccant absorbs moisture and the polyethylene bag protects it all from insects and additional moisture. The flat box eliminates the stress that fabrics encounter from hanging in the closet.
For aged/fragile quilts and large pieces, consider storing them rolled to avoid fabric stress caused by folds. If this is not possible try to fold the piece the least amount of times possible and consider refolding it another way every year or so.
When photos deteriorate, at least one of the factors below is the culprit:
1) Chemical induced
2) Biological induced
3) light induced
4) physically induced
5) pollution induced
By providing a cool, dry storage environment, most of these risk factors can be reduced significantly. It is suggested to store photos in pH neutral albums and scrapbook with archivally sound glues and ink. It is strongly suggested that you using photo albums with the magnetic cover sheets, as those have been known to cause photo damage over time. Photo corners are a good way to affix photos to pages without applying glue to them directly and also allows for easy removal.
If your photo is framed, take care to have it matted and backed with archival matting. Special glass is also available with ultra-violet protection to preserve your photos on display from light damage.
If you have letters, papers or a document that needs special care, encapsulation is one way to keep these items safe.
To encapsulate your document, place it on one sheet of transparent mylar "type D" polyester film. Outline the image with double-coated film tape. Then place a second sheet of mylar "type D" polyester film on top. Make sure that both sheets are larger than the document.
PAPER is perfect for photos, document interleaving, xeroxgraphy, envelope making and lining.
A good choice would be paper that is acid (and lignin) free.
INTERVEAVING TISSUES are lighter-weight versions of photographic storage papers, but are made of a heavier bond than wrapping tissue.
2.5 mil weight provides a strong, crisp tissue with good transparancy. If you want to wrap items, use wrapping tissue.
Non-buffered WRAPPING TISSUE is ideal for wrapping organic material such as textiles, bone, leather, artifacts or papers. (pH neutral 7.0+ -.5)
Use the buffered version on black & white prints or metal.
Still confused? CLIX vows to carry only storage items and accessories we know to be archivally sound,
including photo albums, photo corners, glue, ink & storage boxes and tissue.
Feel free to stop in and ask us for advice!
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CLIX Photographs & Savables | 33 N. Williams St. | Crystal Lake, IL 60014 | 815.455.1092
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This site was designed & edited by Kathleen Sullivan Isacson