Archival materials for family items, storage ideas

In My Humble Opinion
1

Being the family historian I’ve started to come across a lot of family items that I’d like to keep in the best shape possible. So far it’s mostly a ton of photos, a few letters, a bible and a few photo albums.

I’ve asked at the local historical society and they gave me a catalog from Gaylord Brothers. That helps a bit, but I’m still pretty confused about what types of things to buy, how large they should be, what to keep them in etc.

What I’d like to do is be able to have the letters readable and possibly in some sort of book, I’d also like to keep the envelops and letters together as much as possible. I bought a few memory book sleeves to hold the letters and while they are the right size, if you turn them over the letter falls out, not good if someone doesn’t pay much attention.

I currently have one bible, it’s 60 or so years old, but I know I should start protecting it now. There are also two other bibles in my grandmother-in-law possession that I’d like to have her store properly. I know to get a box, but I don’t know how much bigger to make it, what to put in it, and all that type of stuff.

I have a ton of photos, hundreds of them from all different years. I don’t think I could afford to put each and every photo into a separate envelope so I’ll need a way to keep them as best as possible.

I also have a collection of WWII Medals from an uncle that I’d like to keep as nice as possible. As well as a few other odds and ends.

The problem is I have no idea where to start. I don’t mind paying for what I need, but some things I’ve seen are extremely expensive, as in $50 a box though that was at a store. I need as much help as possible, what types of things work, what will not work and to stay away from, places to buy, and any other tips and tricks that I might need. I know we had at least one museum person around here, but I don’t think I’ve seen her in a few years.

2

Scan the letters, pictures, etc. and put them on digital storage.

Reading it on screen is not quite the same as holding the original, faded, delicate paper letter in your hands, but you can’t do that anyway if you are trying to preserve them. And you do get the meaning from the digital copy.

3

In my custom framing business people bring me these sorts of things for display all the time. More often than not I recommend exactly what** t-bonham@scc.net **said, we scan and print digital copies and keep the originals preserved out of light.

There are plenty of preservation measures a framer can take, so a nice shadowbox display for the medals wouldn’t be inappropriate.

For storing the paper items and photographs you want any paper/board materials that you use to be lignin free. Many photo storage and scrapbook products are labeled “acid-free” which is good, but not the whole story. Some products are buffered to be acid-free at the time of production, but change according to their environment rapidly.

My sister is the family historian, but she maintains the digital copies and then gives me the stuff. I do construct a lot of my own storage from mat boards and things I have lying around at work, but for other supplies I order from University Products. They have a lot of products geared specifically towards photograph storage.

If you have any items that need professional attention this is the resource I use to find conservators: AIC Find a Conservator No matter what you read I would strongly urge you against any home treatments that involve spraying, or soaking, or any moisture of any kind. There are deacidification sprays and they seem like they’d be easy to use, and can work without a hitch, but can also cause splotches, and haven’t been available long enough for the long term effects to be certain.

On a sepate note, scan the photos and documents, and use online storage in addition to any drives and discs you might have at home. Many of the times I have had to find a conservator for a client were the result of unplanned events such as fires, or flooding (water heater leaked kind of flooding as well as hurricane kind of flooding).

4

I don’t need anything restored, at least not now. I’m mostly trying to prevent things from getting destroyed. Luckily most of what I have is in good shape.

I have scanned most of what I have, but I’m not planning on scanning everything, at least the photos, as there are way too many of them. I have scanned the letters as well, but I figured that putting them into something so that they could be kept flat and such. Most things would not be taken out, well ever since not a lot of people are interested in what I have which is why a lot of stuff has been thrown out as is.

The shadow box is a good idea, though some of the medals I have are of the German kind so I’ve been told they can’t be displayed.

I just don’t want to spend hundreds if not more when I don’t really have to.

ETA: I also take copies of my work to work so if something were to happen I wouldn’t lose but a couple of weeks worth of work. I also tend to send stuff out to my brother every so often so not everything is at home.