Tucked away in historical societies, archives, and family attics are the forbearers of today’s scrapbooks. These testaments to personal expression are a lot more than just scraps and paste.
Beginning in the sixteenth century educated men and a few women kept albums of quotes, poems and sayings they found worth retaining. These common-place books began as a way to record important items of interest. But their pages soon contained household memos, recipes and jokes contributed by the whole family, not just an individual. In the nineteenth century, individuals created scrapbooks with a purpose.
Whether just collections of colored ephemera or news clippings, these scrapbook are likely in need of care. [By the way, ephemera refers to disposable paper items such as tickets, labels and even report cards.] Here are some tips for caring for the scrapbooks in your family:
- Start by placing your scrapbook in an acid and lignin free box wrapped in acid and lignin free tissue paper to prevent loose pieces from getting lost.
- You can also place sheets of acid and lignin free paper between the pages, but this can break the binding of the book. These materials are available from museum suppliers (see below).
- If your album is in serious condition, you can call a conservator, but it’s likely to be expensive. A free referral service for professionals in your area is available through the American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works. They can stabilize the damage.
Store your ancestral scrapbooks in a windowless closet in special containers away from water pipes and direct heat to protect them from damage. If you can limit the fluctuation of temperature and humidity, you’ll extend the life of the albums.
If you’re creating scrapbooks today, make sure the materials you use are safe for photographs and acid and lignin free.
By Maureen Taylor
Maureen Taylor AKA the Photo Detective is a professional genealogist, author and journalist on the topic who’s written a bunch of books and magazine articles, as well as being a contributing editor at Family Tree Magazine and editorial board member of Legacy Magazine. She’s also been a featured expert on CNN, the Today Show and in Martha Stewart Living. Maureen can be contacted through her website Photo Detective or on Twitter at @PhotoDetective.
And while we’re on the topic of preserving your old scrapbooks, our team at ScanDigital would like to remind you that having your scrapbooks digitally preserved is a great way to assure they will be around for future generations. Physical scrapbooks will fade, curl and yellow over time, and no matter how well you preserve them, will run the risk of decay. Once your memories are digital, that aging process in essence will be stopped. Our highly trained editors can enhance the photos on your pages almost back to new, leaving you with a better-than-the-original copy. For more information, please learn more about our Scrapbook Scanning here.