SAVING SOUVENIRS

By Paula Lupton

Society Member

I am an eclectic pack rat. Stuffed all over my house are boxes of photos, envelopes full of old letters, and newspaper clippings piled high. No matter how hard I try to simplify my life, for every old school paper I throw out, there are two special Christmas cards and three clippings of my best friend’s wedding that I can’t stand to part with.

I am not alone. The most common question people ask me is " how do I store my keepsakes?" Special collections take special care. While most things have specific needs, there are several general guidelines you can follow to help care for your souvenirs.

1. Avoid temperature extremes. Fluctuation in temperature causes expanding and contracting of many materials therefore stressing that objects composition. 68 degrees is good. 70 is probably more livable. Higher temperatures accelerate aging .

2. Avoid humidity extremes. Organic materials are more stable in relative humidity of 45 - 55%. Relative humidity over 60-65 % encourages mold growth. It can also encourage photographs and yearbook pages to stick together.

3. Avoid extreme light. Fluorescent lamps and day light contain high levels of ultraviolet light that will cause irreversible damage by initiating chemical reactions on a molecular level. Daylight also contains infrared radiation which can initiate and accelerate damaging chemical reactions. Colors can fade and fibers can rot.

4. Avoid air pollution. Inside sources of air pollution include smoke, dust, paints, stains, cleaning agents and some new synthetic materials such as insulation or carpeting.

5. Control pests. Insects and rodents will feed on wood, basketry, textiles, paper, photographs, books, leather, feathers, etc., etc, etc, and old wedding cake. Check your keepsakes at least once a year and inspect them for any signs of unwanted guests.

6. Handle your collection carefully. Tears and breakage are the most obvious forms of damage. Be careful of fingerprints on metal and photographs. Treat objects with TLC.

7. Use archival quality storage materials. Wood, wood products and many paper products contain harmful acids that can accelerate damage and cause staining. Archival quality storage boxes, mats and wrapping tissue made from cotton fibers or purified wood pulp are a better choice. Buffered products, with a calcium carbonate reserve are usually a good choice for many paper objects. Unbuffered products should be used for photographs, wool, silk and leather. Plastic storage products such as page protectors and photo sleeves should be made of non-damaging materials such as polyester (Mylar D), polyethylene, polypropylene and polycarbonate. Avoid polyvinyl chloride plastics and self-adhesive photo pages.

8. Know where to get help. Ask questions. The World Wide Web is a valuable resource. You can find advice and product listings. There are many books available to help you with specific questions. Check your local library and inter-library loan services.