FROM THE ARCHIVES: Caring for your photographs
By Freya Harrington, Archives Officer (Textiles & Conservation)
Earlier this year, I had the opportunity to attend a two-day Photograph Conservation Workshop at the Grimwade Centre for Cultural Materials Conservation, Melbourne, run by Cheryl Jackson – Photograph Conservator, National Library of Australia.
This allowed me to expand my skills in the practical care of photographs. At the Archives, we care for a variety of photography collections ranging from the mid-19th century to the present; and featuring everything from clergy and religious, to churches and events.
These form an important part of the records of the Catholic Church in Tasmania, and help tell its story, just as our personal photos are a narrative of our lives.
So, this month, I’d like to share a few tips on identifying and caring for your printed photo collections – be they family, parish or business.
Outside of museums and archives, the most common types of photographs found today are digital prints, which are printed with inks onto glossy photo “paper” – usually a type of thin plastic sheet.
If you are lucky enough to have any older photos, you might have some albumen prints.
The most common print from the 1850s–1910s, they have a warm tone and are often in the form of carte de visite or the larger cabinet cards (as in the photo of Fathers O’Callaghan, left, and Murphy from the 1880s).
Neutral tone black and white photos from the 1910s–1940s are often gelatin prints, which have a glossy surface.
Before handling any type of photo, be sure to wash your hands well; this will reduce the amount of natural oils from your skin transferring to the photo.
These oils attract dust and moisture, both of which will damage a photo over time.
For the same reason, only handle a photo by its outer edges (or wear nitrile gloves – available from supermarkets). Try to handle them as little as possible, especially when old or damaged.
Unfortunately, many commercial photo albums are not safe for long-term storage. As the albums age, their adhesives degrade and can stain photos, and their plastic sleeves can become sticky and damage the surface of photos.
Ideally, scan your photos as a form of digital preservation. Then, re-house your favourites in sleeves that have passed the Photographic Activity Test (search the National Archives of Australia website); or create an album with PAT approved paper and photo corners. Kits can be purchased from the Archival Survival website (archivalsurvival.com.au).