If you have many heritage items that have been passed down to you from ancestors, it is important to remember that many of these items can be harmful to your photos.
I would like to share some ideas about keeps those heritage photos safe while preserving the memorabilia that is so interesting and important.
Do not store newspaper clippings or other paper items right next to your photos unless you have treated them with a deacidfing spray such as Archival Mist because it can cause damage to your photos.
Archival Mist is very easy to use and with neutralize your paper so that it will be safe for your scrapbook. To use the spray, work in a well-ventilated area and apply a coat of the spray to the paper. Allow it to dry and it is then safe to use in your scrapbook. Once treated with the spray, it is safe to store the photos and memorabilia together.
If you have stacks of old handwritten letters, you may want to scan them into your computer. This will preserve the record of your ancestor’s handwriting. You could still use the original letter in a scrapbook after treating it with deacidifing spray or just print a copy after scanning it. You could use ink to give you paper an aged look.
Another idea to consider when using newspaper clippings and other paper items is making a copy of the item onto acid free and buffered paper. You could then store the original in a memory box and the copy in your scrapbook. You could use cream-colored paper to make your copies to give it more of antiqued look.
Use archival safe storage when storing your heritage items. Several companies sell storages items such as file folders, newspaper boxes and photo boxes. These items have been treated so that they are acid free. They are also buffered so that acid from items cannot migrate to the storage box.
Here are a few sites that carry these archival safe storage solutions:
archivalmethods.com/
www.printfile.com/
Taking these precautions when storing your memorabilia with will ensure that these items are still around for future generations enjoy.