How to preserve your photographs and family heirlooms:

Family history is important to all of us. We all would like to have something to pass down to future generations. Scrapbooking is a great way to collect and present our history. The scrapbooking aisle has everything: beautiful papers, glitter glue, and we love it all, but do you know within fifty years these items will begin to degrade and potentially destroy your treasured memories? Shocking, I know. But don’t worry, this article will teach you how to shop for archival quality materials and how to manage your home collection to museum level standards. In order to maintain a collection there are some things you need to consider: light, temperature/humidity levels, storage and handling.

Light: Your collection should never be kept in direct sunlight. Museums purchase UV filters for lights and windows. Certain items are more susceptible to light damage than others. Everyone’s witnessed curtains that fade from years of light exposure. Fabrics, photographs and paper are most vulnerable to light exposure. For your home collection, it should be kept in a dark place unless it is in use.

Temperature and Humidity: The most damaging effects to a collection are extreme changes in temperature and humidity. Items expand and contract under these conditions causing cracking and irreversible damage. This is why collections should never be kept in attics or basements, as these are the places that experience the most climate change throughout the seasons. Your collection is best kept in a dark closet on one of the main floors of your home.

Storage: If you’re a scrapbooker, this section is for you. Make sure you buy acid free paper, folders, and boxes. Avoid dyes and only use pencil, no pens. Most importantly, be sure to purchase archival quality glue. The wrong glue will eventually eat away your photographs. If you wish to purchase these items they can be ordered online through Carr-Mclean’s, a Toronto based archival company, that supplies museums all over Ontario including, the North America Railway Hall of Fame and the Elgin County Railway Museum, with necessary materials needed to maintain a collection. Some craft shops also supply quality materials.

Handling: It is best to wear white archival gloves when handling photographs and fabrics. The oil from our fingers will react with the fibres and cause them to break down. If you don’t have gloves, avoid contact with the face of the photograph; instead attempt to hold photographs from the edges. With glass and metal, however, it is best not to wear gloves as there is more concern about dropping these items if you don’t get a proper grip. As a rule with fragile items, never pick up the item by a handle that could potentially break off, always support it from the base.

At the North America Railway Hall of Fame we are working to improve the conditions of our collection. Our collection is currently housed in improper storage areas. We have applied for funding to create an artefact storage space in the CASO station. As a historian, I hope to one day see a proper collections area that will not only increase accessibility but will also preserve items relating to railway heritage in St. Thomas for future generations to enjoy. This Christmas, I’d like to wish everyone a safe and happy scrapbooking season.

Melissa Robinson-Darnell MA
Published in the North America Railway Hall of Fame Winter Newsletter