Preserving photos- Creating a Preservation Photo Album

PHOTOS, PHOTOS, EVERYWHERE!

I have been fortunate to inherit family memorabilia as grandparents have passed away and my family knew I would preserve memories as I work on our family's genealogy.

If you are like me you have old photos, boxes of 4x6's, and then digital photos. And with each generation the photos multiple. 

There are thousands of blogs about scrapbooks and such but my topic today is a preservation album. Preserving one of a kind photos and documents that have been handed down through the generations. The ideal situation would be to put them in an acid free envelope and then in an acid free box. However, that can be expensive and doesn't allow for easy access. So I have created preservation binders.

What is the difference between a scrapbook and a preservation album? A scrapbook is more decorative and detailed. It can include cutouts, stickers, journal entries, and digital records. It can take hours to do a single page. A preservation album is simple, straight forward, and a way to preserve a large amount of photos quickly but safely.

Here is a video and some photos of the finished product with instructions below.

 
So how can you make a preservation album? Below are the steps to this process. 

Supplies:

  

• Acid free sheet protectors
• Acid free paper- Black and Cream work best for vintage photos. Keep it simple. The idea is to preserve photos using a simple, quick process. 
• Acid free photo corners- Do not glue down the photos. Photo corners keep the photos in place but the photo can then be removed if necessary
• Acid free pens- if using black paper a white acid free gel pen works best
• Cloth- cloth to wipe photos. Must be gentle enough to be used on old photos
• Tweezers- helps when placing small photos and also prevents oil from finger prints getting on the photos
• Gloves (optional)- When working with delicate photos there are gloves specifically made for that purpose or you can get surgical gloves

Preparation

• Clear off a table so you can place the photos out while working with it
• Wipe down the table you want to remove anything that can get on the photos or scratch the photos
• Wash your hands. You want to remove any dirt and oil from your hands if you are not using gloves.

The Process

Gather all your photos for the surname you are working on or maybe even just the one family. If you don't have a lot of time work by family. Remember this is a preservation folder for original items. 

If doing a large group of photos start dividing photos by surname and then by generation. If you will not be able to keep the photos out, place them in sheet protectors and then in a binder. You can pull out the photos you need a section at a time.

Here is a video I created to help explain how I divide my photos:

Once all photos are divided pull out one section. And sort the photos with the layout that works for you. 

Use photos corners to mount the photo. Write the name (including birth year), location, and any pertinent information next to the photo.

In large photos you can use a photo editing software to add names to a COPY of the photo and add that page.

If information is printed on the back you can scan the back of the photos and print out the back information on acid free paper or write the information under the photo.

You can also include original documents in the binder.

Once done put the photos in the sheet protector and place in order in the binder. You now have a preservation binder where your photos are safely stored, portable, and viewable.