Preservation of Old Photos and Postcards

If you collect old postcard or have a lot of old family photos, time, light and handling will deteriorate them. So, we aim to preserve them for as long as possible. The following steps will lengthen the life of your precious originals.

Handling – Cotton gloves should be worn to handle old photos and postcards. The oils on your hands will get on the paper and deteriorate it. Avoid skin contact.

Scanning – scan all your photos and postcards and make a backup copy. Scanning should be at a minimum of 300 dpi, preferably more.

Storage – Then, place them in a box, each one separated by acid free paper. I use A4 sheets, fold them in half and place the photo or postcard inside the fold. Make sure the box is also acid free.

Darkness – Once the photos are in the box, put the lid on and keep them in darkness. Light will speed deterioration.

Once they are in the box, they should be handled as little as possible (i.e. never). You can use a copy of your digital image, for restoration work, printing, viewing, or whatever else you need to do.