Preserving Memories

Ask the Organizer
February 11, 2010

How do you preserve your family's photographs and old documents and keepsakes? For example, I have my grandmother's birth certificate and naturalization papers and I don't know what to do with them to keep them from deteriorating!
Meredith, Madison, CT

Preserving our memories properly is a major part of organizing many homes. All of us have sentimental items that may not mean that much to an outside observer, but hold a lot of emotion for us. Photographs and paper mementos can both be a treasure and a burden for loved ones. I commend you for looking to preserve these important items properly. It is unfortunate when family treasures are damaged because they were thrown quickly in a cardboard box or shoved in a free space on a shelf in the basement. If you are going to save items, it is important to treat them as the treasures they are, otherwise they will appear to have the same value as all of the items you threw in a box to clear your dining room table quickly before company came.
There are several factors that can contribute to the deterioration of photos and treasured papers. Temperature, humidity and sunlight are all environmental factors that can cause damage. In addition, rapid changes in temperature such as humidity followed by cold weather, often occurring in attics and basements, can cause cracking and ruin the image. Other damaging agents are dirt, dust and oil. Photographs can stick together, curl or get moldy in damp environments. Insects and rodents can also tear away at paperwork. Therefore, attics and basements are not the ideal locations for storing precious documents.
Ideally, they should be stored in place with a consistent temperature of 65-70% and a humidity level of about 50%. Not all homes can maintain such consistent climate control. Safety deposit boxes can be a safe environment for valuable papers and photos if another option is needed.
When packing away photographs, the first rule of thumb is to avoid placing negatives with the photos. In case something happens you will have a better chance of recreating the photos if they are in two different locations.
Another suggestion is to avoid using anything acidic, such as a ball point pen to write on the back of your photos. Acids can break down the photos over time and destroy the image. If a document or photo needs special protection, consider wrapping it in acid free tissue or paper to protect it from environmental elements. Plastic bags, storage containers or non-acid free photo boxes should be avoided when storing valuable pieces. While these are cheap and easy to find at your local drug store or discount store, they will not protect your papers in the long run. Shop for lignin free, acid free, un-buffered paper for photographs and papers. These specialty products can also be used in between pages in photo albums. Use only PVC-free plastics such as Polyester, Mylar, Polypropylene, Polyethelyne and Tyvek.

When you are making the decision to display a valuable paper or photo in your home, consider making a copy and keeping the original in storage. Sunlight can slowly fade the photograph. In addition, glass can sometimes adhere to the photo in the picture frame. To be safe, make a high quality photocopy to further ensure the preservation of the original.
If you follow these simple steps, you will be able to enjoy your mementos for many years to come!
Kristin Mastromarino is a professional organizer and owner of Livable Solutions Professional Organizing and The Organized Lifestyle retail store in Guilford, CT. (www.theorganizedlifestylestore.com). You can e-mail her your questions at Kristin@livablesolutions.com.