Each photograph has a story, which is different, but the ending is usually the same. People are sometimes desperate to save a bit of their history, and often it is crumbling before their eyes. These photographic treasures often need magic to take a faded, torn, wrinkled, or water-stained snapshot and restore it to its original beauty.
Why would you want to read an article about the care of old photographs? Because one day they may be important to you, and if you think there is reason to protect them now rather than wait a year or so, consider that one day you might have to go through the expensive and generally aggravating experience of re-creating something that would be so easy to protect now.
Sometimes it is just good to spend a little time with old photos just to reflect - it's good for the soul and the rewards always exceed the cost. Proper care for what has been handed down to you at no cost to you, and with only an imaginary value, should not be taken lightly. Idealistically, care of family artifacts should, from one generation to another, be properly carried out. There are countless mishaps to family photographs that might have been prevented if only someone had taken some simple precautions.
So what are these simple precautions? For the most part they will be easy to explain, but first you must locate the family photographs and carefully assess their current condition. Hopefully, they will still be in the shoebox in the attic and the roof hasn't leaked. Handling of individual photographs can make all the difference in the world, chances are if you have photographs that were produced before 1950, they were made from silver salts, which also include the ones that look brown or are colored with oils. Over the years the paper hardens and so does the emulsion, which contains the image you wish to preserve. They become brittle and very easily and permanently damaged should they get bent. Plastic in newer prints also gets brittle over time and first shows signs or deterioration when very small splits begin to appear on the surface.
Bending the photograph accelerates splitting of the emulsion until a crack becomes clearly visible. Generally, this is irreversible damage. Nobody could be that negligent you might think, but most damage is accidental. One very common mistake is to try to remove a photograph that has been glued into an album. Most often, it will rip apart. Damage usually occurs accidentally and often while the entrusted material is in your custody. It also happens while on loan to others, in the mail system, or by a concerned someone who didn't understand proper handling techniques. Since most photographs are one of a kind, it is best to understand the risks involved before you begin to gather your materials.
The archival part of real black & white, sepia, or oil-tinted photographs is the silver process itself. Silver is a metal and cannot degrade any further. When it combines with other compounds such as sulfur sulfite in a toning process, the resulting processes yield different chemical formulas and with different chemical formulas you get different visual effects, but most have silver as their base principal component. Other metals such as gold or platinum may also be incorporated in photographic imaging. When silver, gold or platinum salts aggravate a paper surface after being exposed to light, the result is the image you see. When the paper dries after processing, the image hardens as a very thin emulsion and should never be bent. Photographs printed on tin or glass have rigid substrates, but can be easily damaged by scratching or high humidity.
The daguerreotype is generally considered the oldest of the old and even though some may be more than 160 years in age, one in good condition is a sight to behold. Unlike the process of contemporary color as most of us know it, the silver process used in black and white photography is far more stable and hicker than the multitude of dyes used in the manufacture of color photo paper today. Early photographs generally contain high contents of silver, which account for their exceptional ability to with stand time and capture the past. Often you will see a photograph shine when the silver has been exposed to high humidity, but rarely will the image disappear entirely.
Natural color photos, as we know them, need to be protected from ultraviolet rays of the sun. Because they are made from chemical dyes, their ability to maintain the color intensity level we see when we first get them depends in large part on the protection they get from exposure to the high energy of UV light. Over time, a ed or green image is left which is not easily restored to its original condition. Products on today's market, such as those generated from computers, often boast permanent inks, but they remain untested. So far, the only color pigments I have found in the thousands of photos I have worked on that are archival are the oil based pigments and pastels. Generally, a skilled artist applies them to a photograph. To resist scratching and moisture, the photograph was sometimes finished with a sealing lacquer.
It is also important to have an understanding of what archival quality is as it pertains to photographic materials and a general knowledge of the way they are constructed. Simply put, a black and white photograph is an arrangement of silver molecules imbedded in a clear gelatin resting on a paper surface. On the other hand, a color photograph is an arrangement of chemical compounds sandwiched on the surface of the paper and deteriorates and looses the image. Restoration of a faded color photograph often cannot be recovered without in-depth digital technology combined with an artists skill to add color back to the photo. Once you have identified the photos you wish to put into your album, you should assess their condition and determine what is necessary to preserve what you have, then keep them dry, flat, and out of direct sunlight.
A simple way to save large quantities of images or transfer them to others is to scan them into a computer and onto a CD. It is cheap and easy. Though the visuals lack the personality reflected in the character of the originals, they are still fun for you to enjoy.
Simple precautions often prevent permanent damage. When asking to borrow photographs from others, bear in mind they probably are one of a kind and you are entrusted with an important responsibility. Someone who has not had their photos returned to them in the past is unlikely to loan them out in the future. In summary, never bend them and keep them away from liquid moisture, high humidity, and direct sunlight.
When photos are well preserved, they will be easier to see and appreciate. Always, they lead to stories, some good, some sad, and others just plain remarkable.
William Heroy Owner of Old Photo Specialists Founded in 1973
If you would like more information:
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http://www.oldphotospecialists.com OR email us at oldphotospecialists@triad.rr.com
Old Photo Specialists is a highly specialized restoration studio. We provide a variety of services including original restoration, digital restoration, archival black and white and sepia tone printing, hand oil tinting, oils on canvas and a large variety of photography services. We educate our clients on how to take care of, preserve, and archive their precious family photos.
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Old Photo Specialist
909 N. Elm St.
Greensboro, NC 27401
(336) 271-6960
