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Re: MCPHU questions-Photos



You have numerous options in regard to photo storage, many of them
determined by the types, sizes and number of photos with which you are
dealing. Other factors, of course will include your budget, space
considerations, and time available to devote to housing or rehousing
your photos.  If you can get a rough estimate of the types and varying
sizes, this will help you to plan your photo housing and storage.

SAA publishes a basic manual on photo collection care and management.
Also, touch base with some photo archivists, and see what they would
recommend.  Visiting their repositories might also be helpful.  For
preservation issues, you might  pick up some additional pointers on the
conservation listserv (CoOL), which has a search engine for its archived
discussions.

Light Impressions offers a wide variety of sizes of mylar and boxes, as
well as various storage options for slides and negatives.  You might
want to comparison shop the standard sizes available through less
expensive vendors.

Some suggestions . . .

Separate board-mounted photos, if you have them, from unmounted prints.
The weight, inflexibility, and even the acid in the boards can damage
the paper prints.  Do not store board-mounted photos in mylar since they
are too thick for the mylar to create the static charge that seals out
dust and debris.  Acid-free (unbuffered, I think, but you might want to
double-check) envelopes or sleeves are best for these.  Board-mounted
prints can be stored upright, provided you have enough them to support
each another in a document box.

Personally, I'm leery of using the envelopes or sleeves with unmounted
photos, especially if the prints are fragille, chipped, or have small
tears. Sliding them in and out of the envelopes can cause additional
stress and sometimes obvious damage.  (For instance,if a tear on the
photo gets snagged on the edge of the sleeve or envelope.)  I'd place
them instead in fold-lock mylar sleeves and acid-free file folders for
grouping (by subject, inventory number, whatever arrangement you use).
Store flat.

Use drop-front boxes for flat storage.  They make it a lot easier on
your photos when you or a researcher needs to find a file in the middle
or at the bottom of the box.

Try to get the appropriate sizes of mylar for your prints and resist the
temptation, should it occur, to double- (or triple or more) up on prints
per mylar sleeve.  It may be tempting, since mylar is so expensive, but
again, it interferes with the static cling.  Small prints sliding around
in large mylar sleeves?  Not good.   The same could be said regarding
the size of the box.  If you have a collection or a large series of
small photos, better to house it in smaller boxes.

I hope this helps!

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