Pass it On: Saving Heritage and Memories

OBJECTIVES Preservation is to save memories

• Review preservation strategies for public caring for their treasures

• Talk in detail about some objects• Provide resources

Family Treasures

• What are family treasures?• Why preserve them?• What to preserve?

Deterioration

Internal Vices + External Vices

Object Composition Environment

Causes of Deterioration and Damage

• Environmental Conditions• Storage Conditions• Display Conditions• Handling

Dog chewed book

Faded photograph

Environmental Conditions

• Temperature• Humidity• Light• Pollutants• Pests

Temperature + Humidity

• Promotes chemical reactions

• High temperature increases decay rate

Humidity• Too dry is damaging

• Too humid is damaging

• Wild fluctuations is damaging

• Sensitive to humidityOrganic materials and

metals

Light Damage

• Cumulative• Irreversible• Fading, Color change,

Brittle

• Sensitive to lightOrganic materials-paper, photographs, textiles,furniture, ivory

Dust and Air Pollution

• Dust• Gaseous

• Housekeeping

• Sensitive to pollutionSilver/metal tarnishes, corrodesFibers breakdown in paper and textiles

Leather Deterioration Light Damage

Pests Termite damage

• Insects• Rodents

• SensitiveOrganic materials, Building structures

Storage Location

• Determine best place to store• Dry, cool, stable environment• Beware of attics, basements or garages• Insects • Rodents

How to Display Treasures

• Avoid heat sources• Limit light exposure• Install shades and close

curtains • Hang on interior walls• Safe locations from

bumping, hitting, unnecessary handling

• Use proper matting and frames

• UV filtering glazing

Safe Handling and Use

• Know your walking path and have a safe place to put down the object

• Two hands when needed

• Clean Hands• No Lotion

Do No Harm

• Paper clips• Rubber bands• Tapes• Sticky notes• Glue

• To remove staples, clipswww.nedcc.org/resources/leaflets/7Conservation_Procedures/08RemovalOfFastener

What to Do?

How Should Objects Be Stored?

• On shelves• Off the floor

• Protective enclosures- folders and boxes

• Labeled

Think Inside the Box

Storage Materials

• Durable• Provide physical

support• Boxes closed without

gaps• Match size of object

Storage Materials

• Term Archival-Quality isConfusing

• Paper enclosures- Low-lignin or lignin-

free- Buffered

• Use unbuffered papers for: blueprints, some art on paper, color photographs, textiles

Photographs- papers passed Photographic Activity Test (PAT)

Storage Materials

• Preservation Grade Plastics- Brand name: Melinex

516

- Polyethylene and polypropylene okay if no plasticizers used

• When not to use!Pencil, charcoal, friable media due to static properties on plastic

Doll Storage, Textile Padded Hanger

Should I Do a Repair?

DO NO HARM

• Home repairs? Control Yourself• Self–adhesives tapes are not safe• Stains – Learn to live with them• Lamination – Just say no!

When to Call in the Experts?

• Severely damaged• Valuable• Poor framing• Mold damaged• Pest Infestation

• Read about how to select and find a conservator www.conservation-us.org

• Regional Alliance for Preservationwww.rap-arcc.org

Disaster Preparedness

• Security• Fire protection• Natural disasters • Insurance• Salvage

Salvage

• Safety first• Assess damage• Make a plan• Start as soon as can• Handle objects as little

as possible• Care in handling• Call an expert

Packing boxes

Disaster Resources

• Heritage Preservation• www.heritagepreservation.org• Council of State Archivists• www.statearchivists.or/prepare

Other Issues

• Appraisalwww.loc.gov/preserv/appraiserref.html

• Donatinghttp://www.archivists.org/publications/donating-familyrecs.asp

• Organizing and documenting treasureswww.mnhs.org/people/mngg/stories/orgpapers.htmwww.netnebraska.org/extras/treasures/

Family Papers

Family Papers

• Store- Folders, sleeves, boxes

• Separate newspapers• Copy

- Newspapers , frequently handled

• Display- Copies if possible

• Stable environment• Low or no light• Seldom fold or unfold• Do not use: clips,

rubber bands, tape, etc.

Before and After

Books

• Store- Flat, upright or spine

down- Shelving or boxes

• Use wrappers sized to book

• Stable environment• Low or no light• Clean hands• No head cap grabbing• No sticky notes or tapes• Dust properly

Photographs• Store

- Sleeves- -plastic or paper

- Folders, boxes or albums

• Display- Limit time- Use a copy- UV filtering glazing

• Stable environment• No light• Use clean white cotton

gloves• Avoid adhesives• Avoid overcrowding• Photographic

reproduction

Digital Images

• Back-up files• Tag files• Migrate and Save• E-mails• Store safely

• How to embed photo metadatahttp://www.photometadata.org/META-Tutorials

Textiles

• Store- Flat, rolled, hanging- Unbuffered tissue

• Display-Frame with UV glazing

- Hanging system

• Stable environment• Low or no light• Pest prevention• Cleaning ? Ask a

conservator• Regular inspection• Handle without your

jewelry on

Wedding Dress

• Clean prior to storage• Determine dress

condition• Select dry cleaner• Acid-free, lignin free

tissue and boxor

• Padded hanger if safe

• Stable environment• No light

Wood Furniture

• Cleaning- Dusting- No waxes, oils, sprays

• Handling- Pick up at strongest place- Check weak areas

• Stable environment• Low light• Pest prevention• Water spills• Good quality wax for

protective layer

Silver

• Storage- Wrap in tissue, place in Pacific soft flannel bag, then polyethylene bag

• Learn how to clean

• Silver is soft- subject to denting

• Pollution tarnishes• Avoid too much

polishing• Use cotton gloves

Key ResourcesI would like to acknowledge the main resources used to develop this power point program.• Hold on to the Memories: Saving Family Treasures. Prepared

for the California Preservation Program and the Inland Empire Libraries Disaster Response Network by Sheryl Davis, 3/5/2005http://calpreservation.org/services/programs.html#saving_family

• Preserving Family Collections: A Workshop Manual. Clement Bautista and Gina Vergara-Bautista, 2008 http://efilarchives.org/pdf/Preservation_Manual2-2_web.pdf