Virtual Preservation Roadshow 2022

Collection of 600 letters, 1904-1964

Submitted by: Sam Why is this item important to you?: This is a remarkable collection of letters, showing the earliest years of this line in my ancestry, moving through the depression, loss of two family business, lovely letters from my grandparents children and more. I would like to be able to search the digitized copies. Expert Advice (Todd Pattison): This is a large collection of letters on machine-made wove paper with manuscript ink notations. From the images, it appears that each letter has its corresponding envelope, also machine-made wove paper with manuscript ink addresses and dated postal cancellation stamp; the stamps themselves may be missing. The envelopes have gummed adhesive flaps that are activated with the application of moisture, which would have been done when the envelopes were originally sealed. Some of the letters (maybe all) have been folded to fit into the envelope. There is minor water damage and wear to the envelope, probably from being handled in the postal system, but the letters are in remarkably good condition except for the folds and some browning to the paper from age. The letters and envelopes have pressure-sensitive labels adhered in the upper, right-hand corners with matching numerical codes written in black manuscript ink. Recommendations: You have digitized about 15 percent of the collection and you should continue this project to get all the letters digitized. This will provide you with copies of the information that you can share with other interested people and will provide a backup copy in case anything happens to the originals. It is not known when the pressure-sensitive adhesive labels were added to the letters and envelopes, but these can damage paper objects over time. As the adhesive ages it can stain the paper and over time it can dry out and the labels will fall off. A better system for organizing the letters and keeping track of the corresponding envelopes would be to write the numerical code in soft pencil directly on the paper. This can always be erased in the future if written lightly and graphite pencil will not damage the paper over time. If you wanted to have the labels removed now, before they have caused any damage you should probably contact a conservator as removing the labels has the potential to damage the paper depending on the adhesive used. There is a Find a Conservator page on the AIC website that allows you to search for a conservator by specialty and location; you would want a paper conservator experienced in dealing with pressure-sensitive adhesives. Storage and Handling: Given the good condition of these items, you will want to make sure you have good storage to keep them safe. You mention that the letters are currently stored in manilla envelopes in a large plastic storage box. It would be better to house these objects, both the envelopes and letters together, in acid-free folders and a flip-top archival box. You should be able to store more than one letter per folder but given the large size of this collection you will probably need more than one archival box. The boxes can be labeled to make finding individual letters much easier. Storing the letters within a plastic box is good protection from water damage but it has several disadvantages, including the potential to create a harmful micro-climate with extremes in humidity and plastic can off gas as it deteriorates and the plastic with also trap any off gassing from the chemical reactions happening within the letters. Good environmental storage conditions, especially if the adhesive labels are left on the items, is even more important as higher temperatures and humidity will increase the chemical reactions that will deteriorate the pressure-sensitive adhesive. Handling of the letters should be limited but they do not appear fragile so you should wash your hands with soap and water before handling but don’t wear gloves, as they will reduce your sense of touch and could lead to damaging the paper.

Photograph, 1920s

Submitted by: Elaine Why is this item important to you?: I just want to preserve it. I'm not entirely sure who she is. It was in a box of my great-grandfather's things. He had 5 sisters born between 1886 and 1903. She could be one of them. She might also be his mother who was born in 1861. Expert Advice (Todd Pattison): The photo you submitted is most likely a gelatin silver print, the most common photographic process in the first half of the 20th century, although it is possible that it could be an albumen photograph. From the black paper residue on the back, it would appear that it was at one time overall adhered into a photograph album with black support pages. This gives a probable date for the photograph album as very late 19th century or more likely early 20th century, although the photograph could have been older and added to an album at a later date. There was serious damage done to the photograph when it was removed from the album; it has some loss to the photographic image and the clipped corners may have also been lost during that process. From the image of the back of the photograph it looks as if there is pressure-sensitive tape applied to the back, maybe to hold some of the damaged areas together. Recommendations: I would encourage you get high-quality scan made of the photograph. This will allow you to make a copy to frame and display, you can share the image with other interested people, and the image can be stored in multiple formats in case something happens to the original. A high-quality digital surrogate would also allow for a digital restoration of the photograph, replacing missing areas and created a version that looks like the photo did originally. A photograph conservator, preferably one who is a member of the American Institute for Conservation (AIC), could treat this object. There is a Find a Conservator page on the AIC website that allows you to search for a conservator by specialty and location. They should be able to remove the residue black paper from the back of the photo and can stabilize any tears or reattach loose fragments. The greatest concern is the pressure-sensitive tape, which already appears to be discoloring. Over time, it will continue to discolor and will begin to stain the photograph, so you should consider having a conservator remove the tape now before it has caused any damage to the image. Storage and handling: You mention that the photograph is currently stored in an envelope. It is best to store photographs in envelopes or folders made from paper that has passed the Photograph Activity Test (PAT). The PAT looks at the interaction of the paper with a variety of photographic processes to make sure the paper is safe for all photographs. There are polyester sleeves for photographs that would allow you to see the image without taking it out of an envelope and can also provide some protection during handling. For even more protection during storage and when handling you can get a folder with a mylar front and a matboard backing. For instance: https://www.universityproducts.com/clear-front-storage-display-folders.html This will give a stiff backing that should prevent the damaged photograph from getting stressed during handling as the rigid backing offers greater protection. The photograph should be stored out of the light in an area that has temperature and humidity controls. Higher temperatures and swings in relative humidity will speed up the chemical processes that are breaking down this object. You should avoid handling the photograph as much as possible. If you do handle the photograph you should wash your hands with soap and water but not wear gloves. Gloves will lower the feeling in your fingers so it would be more likely that you would damage the photograph further, especially given the fragile condition. Try not to touch the surface of the photograph.

Photograph, 1860s

Submitted by: Connie Why is this item important to you?: My 2nd great grandparents. This picture was in my grandparents’ house. Expert Advice (Todd Pattison): Your photograph appears to be a crayon enlargement, which was one of the first photographic processes in the late 19th century that allowed a negative to be blown up to a larger print photograph. The process to make the image larger tended to soften or blur it slightly, so they were usually retouched with black crayon which gives it more of the look of a drawing but at much less cost. The photograph was mounted to an acidic board that appears to be quite brittle. The core is made of groundwood pulp that contains lignin, which darkens over time and is quite acidic. As the large corner of the brittle mount broke off it took the part of the photograph that was adhered to it with it. Recommendations: I would encourage you get high-quality scan made of the photograph. This will allow you to make a copy to frame and display, you can share the image with other interested people, and the image can be stored in multiple formats in case further damage happens to the original. The photograph can also be “restored” digitally to provide a better image. A photograph conservator, preferably one who is a member of the American Institute for Conservation (AIC), could treat this object, removing the photograph from the acidic backing and mend it back together and remount it on a stable, acid-free board. There is a Find a Conservator page on the AIC website that allows you to search for a conservator by specialty and location. If you do not pursue conservation treatment, some type of protective housing will be extremely important. There are polyester sleeves for photographs that would allow you to see the image without taking it out of a folder. It would also provide some protection during handling. For even more protection during storage and when handling you can get a folder with a mylar front and a matboard backing. For instance: https://www.universityproducts.com/clear-front-storage-display-folders.html This will give a stiff backing that should prevent the edges of the current board from breaking off further. Storage and handling: The photograph should be stored out of the light in an area that has temperature and humidity controls. Higher temperatures and swings in relative humidity will speed up the chemical processes that are breaking down this object. You should avoid handling the photograph as much as possible. If you do handle the photograph you should wash your hands with soap and water but not wear gloves. Gloves will lower the feeling in your fingers so it would be more likely that you would damage the photograph further, especially given the fragile condition. Try not to touch the surface of the photograph.

Discharge Papers, 1865

Submitted by: Stacia Why is this item important to you?: My husbands 3rd great grandfather's paper Expert Advice (Todd Pattison): This is a machine-made wove paper object with black printing ink and manuscript ink notations; there is also a purplish stamp ink date July 14, 1865, on the front. The paper is discolored and stained with a small tear at the left-hand edge. The paper has planar distortions from being folded, possibly for many years. Recommendations: I would encourage you get high-quality scans made of this object, both the front and the back, if you have not done so already. This would allow you to make physical copies to display, if you choose, while allowing you to share the document digitally with other interested people. You could consider having a paper conservator examine the document with a goal of repairing the small tear on the edge and strengthening any of the folds that might be weak. They might also be able to humidify and flatten the document to try to remove some of the planar distortion. There is a Find a Conservator page on the AIC website that allows you to search for a conservator by specialty and location. You would want to make sure to contact a paper conservator with a specialty in manuscript documents, particularly 19th century objects. Otherwise, I would think the document is fairly stable and you can focus on storage and handling. Storage and handling: You mention that the Discharge Papers is stored in a safe. Storing it in a safe can create a microclimate with higher temperatures and humidity, which would speed up the chemical reactions that will deteriorate the paper over time. You may want to consider housing this in its own folder, possibly in an archival box with other paper materials. The box should be stored out of the light in an area that has temperature and humidity controls. Given the condition of the document it should be safe to carefully handle, but you should still limit handling as much as possible. You should wash your hands with soap and water before handling but not wear gloves. Gloves will lower the feeling in your fingers so it would be more likely that you could cause damage to the paper, especially along the weakened fold lines.

Photo of Russel Miller (1830-1889)

Submitted by: Charmaine Why is this item important to you?: He is my maternal great grandfather, and my grandmother's handwriting is on the back. Expert Advice (Todd Pattison): The photo may be an albumen photograph mounted on paper with manuscript ink and graphite pencil notations on the back. There is also what appears adhesive residue on the back; it looks like it may be animal glue. This suggests that the photograph was attached to a support page or other object at some point in time. You mention that the photograph is almost detached from the paper backing; it is possible that this happened during a water incident or when it was removed from the support page or other object. The photograph has some slight loss of emulsion and cracking in the beard area along with some spotting stains. Recommendations: I would encourage you get high-quality scans made of the photograph. This will allow you to make a copy to frame or display, if you are interested in doing that, and you can share the images with other interested people, allowing the information to be stored in multiple formats in case something happens to the original. A photograph conservator, preferably one who is a member of the American Institute for Conservation (AIC), could treat the damage to the photograph and remove the adhesive residue on the back. They might also be able to address the delamination of the backing paper. There is a Find a Conservator page on the AIC website that allows you to search for a conservator by specialty and location. There are also photo restorers than can take a digital image of the photo and restore it digitally, which would be an alternative to having the original treated. Storage and handling: Housing for the photographs is very important, especially for a photo mounted on paper, as the paper doesn’t provide much support and there are planar distortions in the photo which suggests that it has been slightly creased at some point. You mention the photo is in an envelope in a folder, which is not a bad way to store it, but there are polyester sleeves for photographs that would allow you to see the image without taking it out of an envelope. It would also provide some protection during handling. For even more protection during storage and when handling you can get a folder with a mylar front and a matboard backing. For instance: https://www.universityproducts.com/clear-front-storage-display-folders.html This will give a stiff backing that should prevent further damage. The photograph could then be stored back in the current folder, as this will protect it from light. The cabinet the folder is stored in should be in an area that has temperature and humidity controls. Higher temperatures and swings in relative humidity will speed up the chemical processes that break down photographs. You should avoid handling the photographs as much as possible. If you do handle the photograph you should wash your hands with soap and water but not wear gloves. Gloves will lower the feeling in your fingers so it would be more likely that you would cause damage, especially given that the photo is almost detached from the backing paper. Try not to touch the surface of the photograph by handling it by the edges.

Bible pages, bef. 1901

Submitted by: Deborah Why is this item important to you?: Family history Expert Advice (Todd Pattison): The pages were removed from a Bible that was printed about 1830 in Boston. They include the decorative title page and two pages of vital records. The pages appear to be wove paper printed in black ink with manuscript notations in a variety of inks and hands. The paper is discolored, stained with some small tears at the edges. Some of the manuscript ink may be iron gall ink that has faded in places, feathered, and has sunk into the paper and is now visible on the opposite side of the sheet. Recommendations: You appear to already have high-quality images of these pages. It will be important to manage those images in the future, as they will need preservation measure as much as physical objects do (migrating them to new hardware and software and storage mediums as technology changes). You may want to have a conservator test some of the inks to verify that they are iron gall and check their state of deterioration. They could probably be chemically stabilized. There is a Find a Conservator page on the AIC website that allows you to search for a conservator by specialty and location; you would want a paper conservator experienced in dealing with deteriorating iron gall ink. They could also do some paper repair to these pages if that was desired. Storage and Handling: You currently store these pages in polypropylene sheet protectors, which is considered safe for the storage of paper. This is an acceptable storage, but I would prefer to see these pages in individual acid-free, buffered folders. The plastic can create a microclimate for the pages, which can increase the deterioration of the iron gall inks if the humidity is high. The acid-free, buffered folders will provide passive help to the pages through the alkaline buffer. It is important to have good environmental storage conditions for the pages, especially stable temperature and humidity, as higher temperatures and humidity will speed up the chemical reactions leading to the deterioration of the objects. These pages should be handled as little as possible given the condition of the paper, but they can be handled with care. Before handling you should wash your hands with soap and water but don’t wear gloves, as they will reduce your sense of touch and could lead to damaging the paper.

Bible, 19th c.

Submitted by: Nancy Why is this item important to you?: A valuable piece of my history - I cried when my mother presented it to me. Expert Advice (Todd Pattison): The Bible page is a machine-made wove paper with notations in various manuscript inks. Some of the inks appear to be feathering, which may be a sign of ink deterioration. It is not possible to tell from the photograph if the two older pieces of paper are adhered in some way to the more recent, larger sheet, but if so that could be a concern. The tears and losses in the two smaller pieces at the edges would suggest that those pieces of paper are fragile. The marriage certificate is machine-made wove paper with printed inks and manuscript ink notations. It appears to be in fairly good condition. From the slight fading of the photograph this appears to be an albumen photograph, which was a common photographic process at the time. The photograph appears to have some fading and yellowing, which can be a result of light exposure. Recommendations: I would encourage you get high-quality scans made of all three objects. This would allow you to make physical copies to display if you chose while allowing you to share these materials digitally with other interested people. You might want to have the Bible page looked at by a paper conservator to examine the inks for deterioration and to make sure that any adhesives, etc. that might be used to adhere them to the third piece of paper are not damaging. There is a Find a Conservator page on the AIC website that allows you to search for a conservator by specialty and location. You would want to make sure to contact a paper conservator with a specialty in manuscript documents. You mention that the items are currently in a photo album under safe plastic. You would want to make sure that the plastic used is polyester, polypropylene or polyethylene and not Polyvinyl chloride. You may want to consider using individual sleeves for these objects or store them in acid-free, permanent/durable folders, including ones that pass the Photo Activity Test (PAT) to make sure that they will not react with the photograph. The folders could then be stored in an archival box. Storage and handling: The items should be stored out of the light in an area that has temperature and humidity controls. Higher temperatures and swings in relative humidity will speed up the chemical processes that will break down these objects over time. All three items appear stable enough to handle, although handling should be limited. If you do handle these items, you should wash your hands with soap and water but not wear gloves. Gloves will lower the feeling in your fingers so it would be more likely that you would damage the objects. Try not to touch the surface of the photograph; you should be able to hold it by the edges.

Photograph, mid 19th c.

Submitted by: Steve Why is this item important to you?: The couple are my 5G grandparents. It is oldest photo in my collection. Man died in 1850. Couple born during Revolutionary War and married when Jefferson was president. Expert Advice (Todd Pattison): The photo may be an albumen photograph mounted on a board. The size of the card would suggest that this is a cabinet card, which had the greatest period of popularity in the 1880s and 1890s, although it was first developed in the 1860s. The edges do appear to have been cut down so it might have been a much larger mount when first produced. The photo has an embossing at the bottom “H. Rives No. 74” – this could possibly be the photographer, H. Rives and the street address, No. 74. While this photograph probably dates to the last quarter of the 19th century the original was probably taken some time in the late 1840s as the man pictured in the image dies in 1850. The original photo would have been a daguerreotype, which would have been a unique photo, not a copy from a negative. In order to get other copies of this image the daguerreotype would have been copied using the technology of the time, a cabinet card photo. You can see evidence of the oval mat of the daguerreotype in this image; the oval mat would have been removed when copying but the tarnishing from the reaction of the mat with the silvered copper shows in this image. It also looks like the edge of the metal plate of the earlier photograph is visible as well. Albumen prints tend to turn yellow and fade when exposed to light and the condition of this print would suggest that it has this deterioration. It is also possible, although not as likely, that this is a salted paper print, which was an earlier photographic technology and would date the photo closer to the 1850s. Exposure to strong light can also lead salted paper prints to become deteriorated in the same way. Recommendations: If you have not already done this, I would encourage you get high-quality scans made of the photograph, both the front and back. This will allow you to make a copy to frame or display, if you are interested in doing that, and you can share the image with other interested people, allowing the information to be stored in multiple formats in case something happens to the original. A photograph conservator could examine this photograph and let you know if it is an albumen print or a salted paper print. They could also better advise you on treating this photo, as it may be advisable to remove it from the cardboard mount, as these are usually quite acidic and can become brittle with the potential to damage the photo. There is a Find a Conservator page on the AIC website that allows you to search for a conservator by specialty and location. Storage and handling: Housing for the photographs is very important, especially for a photo mounted on brittle board, as the board could have a tendency to snap when handled, which would also cause the adhered photo to tear. You mention the photo is in a clear plastic sleeve in an archival box stored vertically. This is an acceptable storage as long as the plastic is archival quality, but it may be better to store the photo in a stiff folder to provide better support. For instance: https://www.universityproducts.com/clear-front-storage-display-folders.html Higher temperatures and swings in relative humidity will speed up the chemical processes that break down the photograph so you will want to store it in an area with good environmental controls. You should avoid handling the photographs as much as possible. If you do handle the photograph you should wash your hands with soap and water but not wear gloves. Gloves will lower the feeling in your fingers so it would be more likely that you would cause damage, Try to handle the photo by the mount so that you do not touch the surface of the photograph.

Scrapbook, 1911-1918

Submitted by: Anne Why is this item important to you?: I was very close to my grandmother so the scrapbook is very precious to me. Together with a dozen photo albums, her "line-a-day" diaries, and letters from this time period, I am able to piece together her life as a young woman in the 1910s. Expert Advice (Todd Pattison): The scrapbook appears to have been commercially produced scrapbook that would have been available at a stationary or bookstore. The binding has a leather spine with marbled paper on the boards. The exterior of the binding appears to be quite worn, and from the bowing of the front board it appears that too many enclosures have been added to the support pages. There are quite a variety of objects inserted in the volume and many of them overlap or consist of multiple pages. They appear to be adhered to the support pages with some type of adhesive. The support pages are quite acidic and possibly brittle, along with being discolored and dirty. Some of the support pages have manuscript ink notations. Many of the of the items adhered to the support pages appear to be in fairly good condition, although there are some enclosed items that are dirty, deteriorating or causing other issues. Recommendations: Given the size and condition of the volume it is important to keep it stored flat, to put less stress on the brittle support pages and the attachment to the binding of those pages at the spine. I would encourage you to get the volume imaged; if you are not comfortable doing this yourself you should look to an outside vendor. You may want to consider having imaging done of the pages in sequence, to get context of the contained materials and the connections they may have with each other and then also imaging the individual items for a higher-quality capture of the information they contain. Digital surrogates will limit handling of the originals and will also allow you to share this information with other interested parties. It will also preserve the information in case the scrapbook is damaged or lost. It appears that it might be possible to image the scrapbook as-is, but it might be better for the safety of the volume to consider disbanding before imaging. The amount of material added to the volume, and the distorted boards, would make handling difficult. Disbinding should only be undertaken by a qualified book and paper conservator, hopefully one with experience treating scrapbooks. There is a Find a Conservator page on the AIC website that allows you to search for a conservator by specialty and location. After the volume is disbound it will probably be better to store it in folders (one support page per folder) and an archival box (possibly two) instead of putting it back together again. The folders can be labeled and housed in order, replicating the sequence of the bound volume. This will improve the storage condition and make access to the individual pages easier, since the folder containing that page can be consulted instead of having to page through the entire volume. Storage and Handling: Besides storing the scrapbook flat in an archival box you will also need to make sure that the object has a good environment with stable temperature and humidity; paper-based and other organic objects with deteriorate more quickly in higher temperatures and swings in relative humidity. You would want to inspect the scrapbook periodically to make sure that it is not attracting bugs or other creatures because of the wide range of enclosed material. It appears that the scrapbook can be handled with care using cradles to prevent opening the volume too much, which would put stress on the already weak support pages. If you do handle the scrapbook, be sure to wash your hands with soap and water but I would not recommend that you wear gloves. Gloves will lower the sensitivity of touch in your fingers and hands when handling the brittle support pages, so you would be more likely to damage the scrapbook when handling it with gloves on.

Photo Album, 1910s-1933

Submitted by: Deb Why is this item important to you?: It was created by paternal grandfather (mariner) and spans his career at sea to 1933: family in Nova Scotia, ships and voyages: S. America, Caribbean, Europe,1916 Halifax Explosion, WWI footage in France, transiting Panama Canal, last photos this album are diplomatic voyage to India. Some 1920s trips included family aboard. Concerned because some images are becoming "silvery sheen" on surfaces. Expert Advice (Todd Pattison): This is an early 20th century photograph album with black support pages and a leather covered binding. The photos appear to be silver gelatin developing-out paper (DOP) photographs which were extensively used in the 20th century. The photos are adhered overall to the black support pages; there are white manuscript notations accompanying the photographs. You mention that the leather binding is “crumbling” along the edges which would indicate that the leather is acidic and becoming brittle. The photographs are exhibiting minor mirroring in the dark areas, a silvery sheen that is caused by the silver in the photographs migrating to the surface. This commonly occurs with this type of photograph, especially when they are stored in conditions with higher humidity or when in contact with acidic wood pulp paper or backing boards. Although visible, the mirroring does not seem to be overly visually distracting and is relatively minor compared to mirroring exhibited on other photographs from the time period. Recommendations: From your description of the box and interleaving you are doing everything right when it comes to this album. You mention that you have imaged the individual photographs and captions but there is no mention if you have done sequential imaging of the full pages of the album to show relationships between photographs and probable timeline. If not, I would encourage you to do that to capture the photograph album as a whole instead of the individual photographs contained within. Be sure to also image the covers and endpapers. You mention that the interleaving tissue was advertised as being appropriate for photographs, which is a good thing, but we would recommend using interleaving papers that have passed the Photograph Activity Test (PAT). The PAT looks at the interaction of the paper with a variety of photographic processes to make sure the paper is safe for all photographs. The tissue you used may have passed PAT but this is something you would probably want to check. Given the condition of the photographs and album depicted in the images, I would not recommend any conservation treatment at this time. Most photograph conservators do not treat silvering of photographs except when the condition is quite unsightly or makes the photograph difficult to view. Current methods for treating silvering either add a coating or clean the photograph with the risk of removing the sliver image. Both of these processes are not reversible. There are also some chemical treatments, but they can run the risk of bleaching the image. Storage and Handling: Storing the album flat in a box, which you are currently doing, is the best way to protect it. The only recommendation I might make to what you are doing is to have a custom-made drop-spine box made for the volume that fits exactly to the dimensions of the album. This would prevent it from sliding around inside a larger box, although you can use acid-free tissue to take up extra space in a commercially available box. Custom enclosures can be manufactured by a local bookbinder or conservator but there are also options from online vendors for size specific products. You will also need to make sure that the object has a good environment with stable temperature and humidity; paper and leather-based objects will deteriorate more quickly with higher temperatures and swings in relative humidity. Protecting the album from higher humidity is especially important given the type of photographs included, as higher humidity will likely make the silvering worse in the future. Handling of the album should be limited because of the condition of the binding. If you do handle the volume, you should wash your hands with soap and water, but you do not need to wear gloves as long as you don’t touch the surface of the photographs, just touch the support pages. Gloves will lower the feeling in your fingers so you would be more likely to damage the album handling it with gloves on.

Photograph, ca. 1935

Submitted by: Heidi Why is this item important to you?: Only picture of Uncle and his wife. Expert Advice (Todd Pattison): The photo you submitted is most likely a gelatin silver print, the most common photographic process in the first half of the 20th century. The photograph appears to be in fairly good condition. You mention that it is in a photograph folder, but there is no image of the folder. Some studio portraits at this time would have been given inside a pre-made folder from the studio, sometimes with the name of the studio printed or embossed in a corner of the folder. If this is the case, the folder may not be the best material to store the photograph in, although it is part of the overall object so should not be discarded. Recommendations: I would encourage you get high-quality scans made of the photograph, both the front and back and the folder if it was issued with the photograph. This will allow you to make a copy to frame or display, if you are interested in doing that, and you can share the images with other interested people, allowing the information to be stored in multiple formats in case something happens to the original. If the photograph is in a contemporary commercial folder, perhaps one given by the studio or photographer who took the photo, it is not necessary to remove it from the folder, but you should consider interleaving the photo with a tissue that has passed the Photograph Activity Test (PAT). The PAT looks at the interaction of the paper with a variety of photographic processes to make sure the paper is safe for all photographs. This will create a buffer between the photograph and the folder, which may react with the photograph over time. Storage and handling: The photograph should be stored in a document storage box or other quality storage enclosure, out of the light and in an area that has temperature and humidity controls. Higher temperatures and swings in relative humidity will speed up the chemical processes that break down photographs. You should avoid handling the photograph as much as possible. If you do handle the photograph you should wash your hands with soap and water but not wear gloves. Gloves will lower the feeling in your fingers so it would be more likely that you would cause damage, especially given the fragile condition of the one photo. Try not to touch the surface of the photograph by touching the edges or the folder it is housed in.

Tintypes, 19th c.

Submitted by: Emily Why is this item important to you?: These are my ancestors. Expert Advice (Todd Pattison): If your photographs are on metal these would be a tintype, also known as a ferrotype because the metal is iron and not tin. This is a direct photographic process that does not use a negative. The light captured on the metal plate is that reflected off the scene, in this case your ancestors. This is likely a collodion photograph, where the chemicals are applied to the plate and then exposed and developed before those chemicals dry. Tintypes would typically have a thin varnish applied to the face of the photograph since the image rests on the top of the plate and is not otherwise protected. Both photographs have their gold-colored mat and preserver, the metal frame that wraps around the mat and photograph at the edges. Many early photographs with mats and preservers were also placed within wood cases that were covered in leather or cloth, although tintypes were sometimes not placed within a case. The two other photographic processes that received this treatment were daguerreotypes, a photo on a silver-coated copper plate, and ambrotypes, a photo on glass using a technique like tintypes. Both would feel heavier in the hand as they would have a glass layer to protect the surface of the photo. Both of these photos look in reasonably good condition. There is some cracking to the varnish but no flaking or loss in the image area. The mats and preservers have some corrosion. Recommendations: I would encourage you get high-quality scans made of the photographs, if you have not already done so. This will allow you to share the image with other interested people, and the image can be stored in multiple formats in case something happens to the original. You should also get high-quality images of the backs as well. A photograph conservator could look at the images to see if there are any condition issues that don’t show up in the submitted photo. There is a Find a Conservator page on the American Institute for Conservation (AIC) website that allows you to search for a conservator by specialty and location. You would want a photo conservator with some experience examining and treating tintypes. Storage and Handling: It is important that the tintypes be properly housed, especially since the photographic layer is susceptible to scratching and abrasion since there is only a thin layer of varnish protecting them. You have several options for housing, including polyester sleeves that would allow you to see the image without taking it out of a folder or other housing. It would also provide some protection during handling. Just make sure to get sleeves mad out of polypropylene, or polyethylene. You mention that the tintype is currently stored in a folder inside an archival box, which can be an acceptable housing as long as the photos do not slide around in the folder and do not have too much pressure from other materials inside the box. You could also consider a sink mat which will protect the tintype by creating space for the thickness of the metal preserver, preventing rubbing of the photos or undue pressure during storage. Sink mats are used in framing, but ones can be constructed within a folder as well. The photograph should be stored out of the light in an area that has temperature and humidity controls. Higher humidity is particularly problematic for many objects, but tintypes can rust if exposed to high humidity and there is already corrosion to the metal mat and preserver. Handling of the tintypes should be limited. If you do handle the photographs try not to touch the surface of the photograph; instead, hold it by the edges of the preserver.

Scrapbook, 1910-1912

Submitted by: Amy Why is this item important to you: The scrapbook contains rare ephemera from the school I attended, largely for the continuity of traditions. It is a challenging object because it contains self-destructive materials--a food wrapper that still smells like mint chocolate and a tallow taper candle, one of which has attracted hungry critters and leeches into the paper. What options are there for preserving these items while mitigating risk not only to the binding but also objects stored in proximity to it? Expert Advice (Todd Pattison): The scrapbook appears to have been manufactured for this purpose, as the name of the dormitory is stamped in the leather near the spine edge. It is possible that this was done to a commercially produced scrapbook but the font matches that used for the title stamped on the cloth of the front board. The binding has a leather spine with cloth on the boards, which would also suggest a bespoke or at least a more expensive binding. The exterior of the binding appears to be in good condition, but the contents have damage and condition issues. In particular, the support pages appear to be discolored, acidic, brittle, stained and have losses from insect damage. Some of the support pages have manuscript ink notations. Many of the scraps, letters and other material contained on the support pages appear to be in fairly good condition, although there are some enclosed items that are deteriorating or causing other issues (the candy wrapper that may be attracting bugs and the tallow candle that is staining surrounding pages). Recommendations: You are storing the volume flat in an acid-free box, which is good protection from light, dust, and rapid swings in humidity. Given the condition it is also important to keep storing it flat, to put less stress on the brittle support pages and the attachment to the binding of those pages at the spine. I would encourage you get high-quality scans made of the information contained in the scrapbook. You may want to consider having imaging done of the pages in sequence, to get context of the contained materials and the connections they may have with each other and then also imaging the individual items for a higher-quality capture of the information they contain. Digital surrogates will limit handling of the originals and will also allow you to share this information with other interested parties. It will also preserve the information in case the scrapbook is damaged or lost. It appears that it might be possible to image the scrapbook as-is but it will also need some rehousing and you may want to consider conservation treatment. At the very least certain items within the scrapbook should be separated from the support pages and other items as they are causing damage. The tallow candle and the candy wrapper could be placed in archival plastic to limit the possibility of their causing problems in the future. This could be a polyester film sleeve or a polypropylene or polyethylene enclosure (possibly a small bag that could be sealed. You may also want to consider putting thin interleaving acid-free tissue in between the pages to prevent materials on one page from affecting materials on a facing page. This should only be done if the addition of this material would not create too much bulk to the pages, which could cause damage to the spine and hinges of the binding. You could also consider separating the tallow candle from the volume and having a boxed created with a compartment or sink mat to store the scrapbook and tallow candle together but not in a way that the candle could damage the scrapbook further. Further conservation treatment on the album could include the replacement of the brittle supports pages with no ink annotations with new, permanent/durable paper of a similar color. This treatment would be costly and potentially difficult (the adhesive used to adhere the scraps to the pages is not known) but this would improve the visual look of the scrapbook along with the stability of the scrapbook in the future. This treatment should only be undertaken by a qualified book and paper conservator, hopefully one with experience treating scrapbooks. There is a Find a Conservator page on the AIC website that allows you to search for a conservator by specialty and location. Storage and Handling: Besides storing the scrapbook flat in the present archival box you will also need to make sure that the object has a good environment with stable temperature and humidity; paper-based objects with deteriorate more quickl

Scrapbook, 1920s

Submitted by: Gordon Why is the item important to you?: Binder is a scrapbook of letters home from my grandfather during World War I. Expert Advice (Todd Pattison): This is a commercially produced scrapbook intended for letters, but it was not manufactured specifically for these letters and the other information that the scrapbook contains. In some ways, the scrapbook binding can be seen as a type of box, meant to organize, hold, and protect the letters. Unfortunately, it was manufactured from poor-quality materials; in particular, the support pages appear to be discolored, acidic and brittle. Also, more materials were put in the scrapbook than it can reasonably handle, causing the joints to fail and the volume to be distorted. There appear to be other materials in the volume besides the letters, including newspapers and other material in other envelopes. Recommendations: You are storing the volume flat in an archival box, which is good protection in the short term. The scrapbook has condition issues that probably make it very difficult to use and it will likely break down further without some type of conservation treatment. I would encourage you get high-quality scans made of the information contained in the scrapbook, both the letters and the other items for context and the connections they may have to the letters. Digital surrogates will limit handling of the originals and will also allow you to share this information with other interested parties. It will also preserve the information in case the scrapbook is damaged or lost. The scrapbook may need some conservation treatment to prepare the object for digitization; both to make sure that all the information can be captured and to ensure that no further damage will happen to the scrapbook in the imaging process. You will want to make sure that any digital provider has experience working with fragile items and it would be a good idea to consult a conservator first to make sure the object could be digitized safely as-is or treated prior to digitization. There is a Find a Conservator page on the AIC website that allows you to search for a conservator by specialty and location. Even if the scrapbook can be digitized as-is you may want to consider consulting a conservator given the condition of the scrapbook. Normally scrapbooks have value from the order in which they were put together and the formatting of the material gathered, and you would not want to change that order. However, in this specific case it may be more appropriate to deconstruct the volume and house the materials, including the scrapbook binding, in folders and a box. This would be in keeping of what might have been the original purpose of the scrapbook, to protect and keep together the letters and other information. You would want to be sure to use folders of acid-free, permanent/durable paper or card stock of good quality for the folders. There are several styles of custom enclosures, including cloth-covered, drop-spine boxes and phase boxes (there are several styles of phase boxes) that would be an acceptable enclosure to protect the foldered items. Placing the individual items in folders and then a box would allow for some, if not all, of the letters to be stored flat with one letter and its corresponding envelope per folder. This would also accessing the physical object much easier than using the present scrapbook as the individual items could be handled without disturbing the rest of the material. It would also offer much better protection for the materials than the present scrapbook binding is able to do, even if it received conservation treatment itself. Storage and Handling: Besides storing the scrapbook flat in the present archival box you will also need to make sure that the object has a good environment with stable temperature and humidity; paper-based objects with deteriorate more quickly in higher temperatures and swings in relative humidity. Handling of the scrapbook book should be limited as much as possible, at least until conservation treatment can be performed to stabilize the object and put it into a form that will allow the individual pieces to be handled.

Tribute book, 1840s

Submitted by: Margaret Why is this item important to you?: This book represents relationships forged between my great great grandmother and her students in educational settings in several locations in Ohio in the mid 1840's. In a narrow sense I believe it expresses the value her family placed on educating its young women, and then more broadly, through its varied contents, the effect of her work through the tributes of her students. Expert Advice (Todd Pattison): Your great, great grandmothers’ gift album is covered in quarter sheep leather and marbled paper with leather corners and an applied gold-tooled, leather label on the front board. The text block consists of ruled pages with manuscript ink inscriptions in various inks and hands. Overall, the condition of this volume appears to be very good. The binding has some wear to the leather at the spine and edges and some of the surface marbling has worn off the covering paper but this is not unusual for a bound volume that is almost 200 years old. Most likely, this was a bound volume that was produced by a local bookbinder as part of a stationary or bookstore and then it was individualized with the leather label at the time of purchase. It appears that it was always intended to be written in, as opposed to a sketchbook or other use, because of the ruled pages. The paper appears to be in good condition with no water damage or heavy foxing and the inks still appear to be legible and not damaging the paper. Your family must have been good custodians to keep this book in such good condition over many years. Recommendations: I would encourage you get high-quality images made of the volume, both the binding and pages. You may want to include blank pages for context so there is an understanding that the volume is not full, or pages were skipped, if any were. Digital imaging will provide use copies that will limit handling of the original and also allow you to share this information with other interested parties, which could be other family members or local historical societies or research centers as material like this helps to provide a fuller picture of history. It will also preserve the information in case the original is damaged or lost. The volume may need to be imaged one-up, or one page at a time, with an overhead camera to protect the binding depending on how the volume opens. This would allow for quality capture of the information without opening the volume more than 90 degrees, preventing stress of the sewing or page attachment. I would also strongly recommend that you have the book boxed in a custom enclosure. There are several styles of custom enclosures, including cloth-covered, drop-spine boxes and phase boxes (there are several styles of phase boxes). The key to any enclosure is that it fit the volume exactly. If you measure this yourself you need to make sure that you find the largest square dimension, as the box will be square even if the volume is not. A cloth-covered box can be made by a conservator or bookbinder while phase boxes are usually ordered from a vendor. If there are any places where the manuscript inks appear to be damaging the paper of the volume (bleeding through the paper to the opposite side, burning the paper, or causing tears) the volume should be looked at by a conservator to determine if any treatment is necessary. There is a Find a Conservator page on the AIC website that allows you to search for a conservator by specialty and location. Handling and storage: Handling of the objects should be limited. When handling the volume, you should wash your hands with soap and water but not wear gloves. Gloves will lower the feeling in your fingers so it would be more likely that you would damage the object. You should always place the book in a cradle so as not to stress the joints or page attachment when viewing this object. There are foam supports that are available to cradle the volume, but you can also just use clean towels rolled up or even soft, clean pillows. The volume should be stored out of the light in an area that has temperature and humidity controls. Higher temperatures and swings in relative humidity will speed up the chemical processes that will damage this object over time.

Civil War Letters, 1864

Submitted by: Brenda Why is this item important to you?: 2 letters written to 2G Grandmother (Amanda Robinson Stover) by her brother (James Robinson). He had served early in the war and had a brother who finished his enlistment. The brother was killed at the 1st battle of Gaines Mill. James re-enlisted in the New York 18th Light Artillery Battery on 19 Sep 1864. The letters were written as his unit traveled down the Ohio & Mississippi rivers to battles at Baton Rouge & New Orleans. Expert Advice (Todd Pattison): The Civil War letters are machine-made paper with black printed ink and what appears to be graphite pencil notations, although they could be manuscript ink. The letters are sandwiched in between glass, and it appears that the glass is directly against the paper with no spacer in between. There appears to be spotting on both pieces of paper, which may be foxing. There do not appear to be any tears or losses but both sheets were originally folded in half, though they are now framed flat. Recommendations: Storing the letters directly against glass provides a lot of structural stability but it has several disadvantages. The glass could get broken and sharp edges could damage the paper. Plain glass does not block any harmful light and there is a tendency to want to display framed items, which can lead to light damage. Any changes in relative humidity and temperature can cause condensation on the glass, which could then lead to water damage to the paper. The glass will also not allow the paper to breath at all, trapping any residue from the chemical breakdown of the paper. I would encourage you get high-quality scans made of these letters. This would allow you to make physical copies to display, if you choose, while allowing you to share these materials digitally with other interested people. If the letters are written in graphite pencil and some areas are faint you could have the letters imaged under UV light, which would fluoresce the graphite making it easier to view, although this should only be done if some of the writing is hard to read. You might want to have a paper conservator examine the letters to determine if there is foxing, what might be causing it, and if there are any corrective measures that could be taken. There is a Find a Conservator page on the AIC website that allows you to search for a conservator by specialty and location. You would want to make sure to contact a paper conservator with a specialty in manuscript documents, particularly 19th century letters. The letters should be carefully removed from the frames and placed in acid-free, lignin free buffered folders. The folders can then be placed in an archival enclosure, possibly with other paper documents if you have any others. Storage and handling: The letters should be stored out of the light in an area that has temperature and humidity controls. Higher temperatures and swings in relative humidity will speed up the chemical processes that will break down these objects over time. The letters appear stable enough to handle, although handling should be limited. If you do handle these items, you should wash your hands with soap and water but not wear gloves. Gloves will lower the feeling in your fingers so it would be more likely that you would damage the objects. If the manuscript notations are graphite pencil you will want to be careful when handling the letters to make sure not to disturb or smear the graphite pencil.

Photo Album, 1920

Submitted by: Tamsen Why is this item important to you?: This is a photo album made by my father in law, Maynard Munger. He traveled to China in 1920 and the album contains historically significant photos of the area and documents his trip. Expert Advice (Todd Pattison): This is an early 20th century photograph album with black support pages and what appears to be a textured leather covered binding. The pages are attached with screw posts; this results in a restricted opening and puts stress on the hinges and paper support leaves near the spine edge. It appears that the front cover is cracking at the front joint. The photos are attached to the support pages using photo corners, so they are probably not adhered to the pages with adhesive. The photos may consist of more than one type of process but many of them appear to be silver gelatin developing-out paper (DOP) photographs which were extensively used in the 20th century. One of the photographs visible in the image appears to have had some development problems and is now a little faded and brown. Otherwise, the photographs appear to be in fairly good condition. Recommendations: I would encourage you get high-quality images made of the volume, making sure to capture the binding and possibly any blank support pages. It would be safer to disband the volume first by removing the screws but make sure to note the order of the pages so it can be put back together in the proper order again. Digital imaging will provide use copies that will limit handling of the original and allow you to share this information with other interested parties. It will also preserve the information in case the original is damaged or lost. You could consider interleaving the volume to better protect the photographs from adjacent photos. You would want to use interleaving papers that have passed the Photograph Activity Test (PAT). The PAT looks at the interaction of the paper with a variety of photographic processes to make sure the paper is safe for all photographs. It does not appear that the album needs conservation work from the pages in the images, but you might consider storing the volume disbound in folders and an enclosure, as the binding has a restricted opening. Again, the order would need to be noted so that the volume could be put back together again. If you keep the album bound I would strongly recommend that you have a custom enclosure made for the volume. There are several styles of custom enclosures, including cloth-covered, drop-spine boxes and phase boxes (there are several styles of phase boxes). The key to any enclosure is that it fit the volume exactly. Storage and Handling: Storing the album flat in a box is the best way to protect it. You will also need to make sure that the object has a good environment with stable temperature and humidity; paper and leather-based objects will deteriorate more quickly with higher temperatures and swings in relative humidity. Protecting the album from higher humidity is especially important given the type of photographs included, as higher humidity will likely have an adverse effect on the photographs. The current storage in a fireproof safe is great protection from fire but it can lead to a microclimate that could have a different temperature and humidity from the room the safe is in. Handling of the album should be limited because of the page attachment and restricted opening. Cradles should be used when viewing the volume so that it doesn’t open beyond a 90-degree angle. When handling the volume, you should wash your hands with soap and water, but you do not need to wear gloves as long as you don’t touch the surface of the photographs, just touch the support pages. Gloves will lower the feeling in your fingers so you would be more likely to damage the album handling it with gloves on.

Civil War Enlistment Roster

Submitted by: Laura Why is this item important to you?: My g-g-grandfather R.J. Strickland was the officer of this unit. I have several of the documents from this regiment, but this one seems particularly important and historic because of all the names and original signatures. Expert Advice (Todd Pattison): This is a machine-made wove paper object with black printing ink and manuscript ink notations in various inks; it appears that there may be some graphite pencil notations as well. The paper is discolored, stained, torn and it appears have been folded or rolled up at some point. There appear to be some areas of loss in the paper, including some areas with information. Recommendations: I would encourage you get high-quality scans made of this object. This would allow you to make physical copies to display, if you choose, while allowing you to share these materials digitally with other interested people. If there are notations written in graphite pencil and some areas are faint you could have the roster imaged under UV light, which would fluoresce the graphite making it easier to view, although this should only be done if some of the writing is hard to read. You should probably consider having a paper conservator examine the enlistment roster with a goal of having some conservation work done before imaging, to make sure that you get the fullest capture of the information. Some of the areas that appear missing may just be folded underneath other areas of the object. A conservator should be able flatten the enlistment roster and make paper repairs to make it easier and safer to handle the object. There is a Find a Conservator page on the AIC website that allows you to search for a conservator by specialty and location. You would want to make sure to contact a paper conservator with a specialty in manuscript documents, particularly 19th century objects. Storage and handling: You mention that the enlistment roster is stored in a folder with other civil war items. You may want to consider housing this in its own folder, and if conservation work is done on the item, you will probably need to store it in an oversize folder as ideally the piece should not be folded. The enlistment roster should be stored out of the light in an area that has temperature and humidity controls. Higher temperatures and swings in relative humidity will speed up the chemical processes that will break down this object over time. Given the current condition of the enlistment roster handling should be strictly limited. The fragility of the paper makes it likely that more damage will occur if it is handled. If you do need to touch this object, you should wash your hands with soap and water but not wear gloves. Gloves will lower the feeling in your fingers so it would be more likely that you would cause damage. If the manuscript notations are graphite pencil you will want to be careful when handling the letters to make sure not to disturb or smear the graphite pencil.

Land record, 1820s

Submitted by: Althea Why is this item important to you?: This is an example of a small group of very old land records that came to me among a family 'collection' that has been kept and added to by several people over several generations. Expert Advice (Todd Pattison): This is a handmade, laid paper document with black manuscript ink notations and a red sealing wax impression in the lower, right-hand corner on the recto. The paper is discolored, stained, torn and it appears that it was folded in several places horizontally at some point in time. There are a few small places of loss in the paper at the edges. The manuscript ink appears to be iron gall ink that has faded in places, feathered, and appears to be damaging the paper. There is at least one area of heavy ink that appears to have a loss in the paper where the ink has reacted with it. The red seal has cracked and appears to be crumbling at the edges with small amounts of loss. Recommendations: You should get a high-quality image of this piece and any other land records that you have. This would allow you to have this material in a format that can be shared with other interested people and would provide copies of the material if anything happened to the original. The land record would benefit from conservation treatment as the manuscript inks are damaging the paper; this damage will likely continue if not addressed. There is a Find a Conservator page on the AIC website that allows you to search for a conservator by specialty and location; you would want a paper conservator experienced in dealing with deteriorating iron gall ink. Storage and Handling: The land record is currently stored in a plastic bag. It would be better to house this object, and any other paper land records, in separate acid-free folders and a flip-top archival box. Storage in plastic can create a micro-climate with extremes in humidity and it will also trap any off gassing from the chemical reactions that are deteriorating the object. Good environmental storage condition, especially stable temperature and humidity are important for this item as higher temperatures speed up the chemical reactions leading to the deterioration of the object. Higher humidity, in particular, will cause the iron gall ink to deteriorate more quickly. The land record should be handled as little as possible given the condition of the paper, but it does not appear so fragile that it could not be handled at all, as long as you are careful. Wash your hands with soap and water but don’t wear gloves, as they will reduce your sense of touch and could lead to damaging the paper.

Newspaper on scrapbook page, 1930s

Submitted by: Jane Why is this item important to you?: It is about my father playing the Southern Idaho State titlist in a golf tournament in 1934-35. Expert Advice (Todd Pattison): I’m assuming that these two pages are part of a larger group of pages and the recommendations will be based upon that. You do not mention if there is a binding still extant, but it should probably be housed with the rest of the scrapbook. The support pages appear to be part of a commercially produced scrapbook from the early 20th century, and it’s a common size for the time period. The support pages appear to be discolored, acidic, brittle, and have losses at the edges. They would have been bound along one edge but probably because of the brittle nature of the paper they have detached. Newspaper clippings are adhered to the pages with an unknown adhesive that so far has not caused any staining. The newspapers themselves are discolored and likely weak but they otherwise seem in relatively good condition. There do not appear to be any manuscript notations on the support pages but there are a few manuscript ink numbers on some of the newspaper clippings. Recommendations: You are currently storing the pages in a “mailing” envelope which probably provides some protection but is not ideal. It would be better to store the pages in folders – storing up to as many as five support pages per folder but you could also put them in folders individually. The folders could then be housed in an archival box to keep them all together. [The suggested products are just examples and should not be seen as an endorsement of any particular vendor.] The folders can be labeled and housed in order, replicating the sequence of the formerly bound volume. If you still have the binding that can be placed in its own folder and boxed with the others. I would also encourage you get high-quality scans made of the information contained in the clippings. You may want to consider having imaging done of each support page to show the relationship and layout of the clippings and then image each clipping individually to get a higher-quality capture. Digital surrogates will limit handling of the originals and will also allow you to share this information with other interested parties. It will also preserve the information in case any of the support pages are damaged or lost. Storage and Handling: Besides storing the support pages flat in folders in an archival box you will also need to make sure that the object has a good environment with stable temperature and humidity; paper-based objects with deteriorate more quickly in higher temperatures and swings in relative humidity. It appears that the support pages are stable enough to be handled with care, but you would want to limit handling as much as possible. If you do handle the pages, be sure to wash your hands with soap and water but I would not recommend that you wear gloves. Gloves will lower the sensitivity of touch in your fingers and hands when handling the brittle support pages, so you would be more likely to damage them when handling it with gloves on.

Scrapbook, 1980s

Submitted by: Wendy Why is this item important to you?: My father-in-law was an important local character, the presidential candidate for the Progressive Party in 1952. A big scrapbooker all his life (1896-1992) he ignored his own life until he reached his 90's when he haphazardly assembled all the bits and pieces he had saved into four volumes. Important memorabilia of national and local history are included. Expert Advice (Todd Pattison): These are pages from four spiral bound notebooks with drawing paper supports with scraps collected during decades that were put into the scrapbooks in the 1980s. The scraps include newspaper clippings, letters, printed paper objects and photographs. The objects were put down using an unknown adhesive, presumably overall on the back of the objects. It appears that some of the support pages are detached from the metal spiral, which is not unusual because the pages are perforated at that point to fit into the metal fastener. The condition of the objects adhered to the pages varies quite a bit both because of the age of individual items and the materials they were constructed from; the newspaper clippings appear to be in the poorest condition as they are quite yellowed and discolored. Some of the support pages are discolored from contact with the newspaper clippings. Some of the support pages have manuscript ink notations and they appear to have manuscript ink page numbers, although it is unclear if the support pages are paginated in individual volumes or across all four volumes. It is difficult to tell if the adhesive used to attach them is discoloring the newspaper clippings. Recommendations: It is very important that you get high-quality scans made of these scrapbooks as they will continue to deteriorate given the materials they are composed of. You may want to consider having imaging done of each support page to show the relationship and layout of the objects and then image each object individually to get a higher-quality capture. Digital surrogates will limit handling of the scrapbooks and will also allow you to share this information with other interested parties. It will also preserve the information in case any of the scrapbooks are damaged or lost or as they continue to deteriorate. You may want to consider storing the pages in folders individually and then housing the folders could then be housed in an archival box to keep them all together, or possibly more than one box given the amount of support pages. [The suggested products are just examples and should not be seen as an endorsement of any particular vendor.] The folders can be labeled and housed in order, replicating the sequence of the formerly bound volumes. Be sure to use acid-free folders that have passed the PAT test because of the photos included. You could also consider having the scrapbooks treated by an experienced conservator. They will be quite challenging to work on as the adhesive may not be one that is easy to remove. One possible treatment might be to remove the original photographs and printed material where possible but to just print out copies or photocopy the newspaper clippings. This would allow you to recreate the scrapbooks, if that is a priority, using better quality materials. There is a Find a Conservator page on the AIC website that allows you to search for a conservator by specialty and location. Storage and Handling: Besides storing the support pages flat in folders in an archival box you will also need to make sure that they have a stable, good environment with controlled temperature and humidity. Higher temperatures and humidity will speed up the chemical reactions that are at work deteriorating the scrapbooks. It appears that the support pages are stable enough to be handled with care, but you would want to limit handling as much as possible, especially as the support pages and newspaper clippings become more fragile over time. If you do handle the pages, be sure to wash your hands with soap and water but I would not recommend that you wear gloves. Gloves will lower the sensitivity of touch in your fingers, and you would be more likely to damage them when handling it with gloves on.

Medical License, 1893

Submitted by: Matthew Why is this item important to you?: Great-grandfather's medical license with County Clerk certifications for each county that he lived. Expert Advice (Todd Pattison): You have submitted a late 19th century machine-made paper document with printing ink areas and manuscript ink notations in various hands on the front and back of the paper. There are at least three embossed seals in the paper and a red Board of Pharmacy stamp with a number on the back. The document has been folded several times at some point; there are tears along the fold lines and the object is now in several pieces. The paper is stained, discolored and dirty. One of the signatures has been crossed out in red ink. There appear to be at least two other documents spot adhered to the back of the larger document with mucilage adhesive, which is staining the paper brown. These documents also consist of machine-made paper with black printing ink and various manuscript inks. Recommendations: I would encourage you get high-quality scans or photographs made of the documents, although this may require some conservation treatment in order to improve the appearance and handling before imaging. Reformatting will provide use copies that will limit handling of the original and will also allow you to share this information with other interested parties. For the conservation work you would want a conservator with experience treating 19th century paper documents. There is a Find a Conservator page on the AIC website that allows you to search for a conservator by specialty and location. A conservator should be able to remove the documents adhered on the back, and the mucilage adhesive residue, and do paper repairs to reconnect the loose pieces and fix any tears. The crossing out in the red ink could make the treatment more problematic, as this type of red ink is often water-soluble. Storage and handling: You mention that the item is currently housed in an archival folder, which is good storage for paper documents like this. You may want to consider housing the folder in an archival box if it is not already. The folder would provide some support but would not be stiff enough to keep from bending or folding on its own. You should avoid handling the document in its current fragile condition. If you do need to handle it, you should wash your hands with soap and water but not wear gloves. Gloves will lower the feeling in your fingers so it would be more likely that you would cause further damage, especially wear gloves could catch on the corners or torn areas of the paper.

Cased Photograph, 19th c.

Submitted by: Martha Why is this item important to you?: Photo may be of my GG-Grandfather. My question is about conservation and identifying tell-tale signs of when (and where) the photo might have been taken. Expert Advice (Todd Pattison): This photograph is an ambrotype, a photograph on a glass plate with a mat and preserver (the gold-colored metal parts around the photo. The other photographs that would have been presented the same way are daguerreotypes and tintype; a daguerreotype is on a silvered copper plate and a tintype is a photo on a thin iron plate. Most ambrotypes were produced between the mid 1850s and the mid 1860s. Ambrotypes were typically housed in a leather covered wood case, which appears to be missing from this photo. The ambrotype appears to have a few issues with the glass; glass is an amorphous solid, so it is somewhat between a liquid and a solid. While most glass is considered quite stable it can also break down over a long time period. The haloing visible in the photo is likely from either the glass breaking down or possibly a varnish on the photo (to protect the image) deteriorating. The environmental factors that would increase the deterioration enter the photo package from the edges, which is why it has this particular pattern surrounding the center of the photo. Recommendations: Besides this haloing the ambrotype appears to be in reasonably good condition. You should get a high-quality image made of this photo and consider imaging the back as well as the fronts. You might also want to consider having the seal on this photo replaced, which would better protect it from the outside environment. This seal is usually underneath the preserver, which can be taken off. A photograph conservator, preferably one who is a member of the American Institute for Conservation (AIC) and has experience treating case images, could replace the seal and examine the photograph for any possible treatment. There is a Find a Conservator page on the AIC website that allows you to search for a conservator by specialty and location. This would also allow the ambrotype to be removed from the mat and preserver to get a better image capture. Storage and Handling: You mention that the photograph is currently housed in a Ziplock bag, which is not an ideal environment as storage in plastic can lead to a micro-environment that is higher in humidity and should be avoided. A stable environment is important, especially making sure the humidity does not get too high. You should consider getting a custom-fitted box for the ambrotype, which would in some ways replace the case that it would have originally had. There are commercially available archival boxes, but you could also have one made by a book conservator or preservation specialist. Since the ambrotype is essentially a glass object it is considered fragile from that standpoint. You should avoid handling this object, although it can be handled safely with care. Be sure to wash your hands first with soap and water but you do not need to wear gloves as this can limit the sensitivity in your fingers and hands.

Glass Photograph, ca. 1904

Submitted by: Lynn Why is this item important to you?: This is Mary Cathern Cain Bratley, my great grandmother, and shows her on her farm in Cadiz, Wisconsin. My great grandfather, William C. Bratley, emigrated to America in 1840. Expert Advice (Todd Pattison): The early 20th century photo you submitted is framed but you state that it is on glass. It is difficult to tell from the images but there were two ways to get a photo on glass at this time period. One is an ambrotype, a photograph on a glass plate that is an underdeveloped negative, which needs a black background to make it appear positive. Most ambrotypes were produced between the mid 1850s and the mid 1860s, although they could still make them in the early 20th century even though they would be quite rare. The second way of getting a photograph on glass was to adhere a photo with adhesive to a piece of glass. Although still somewhat unusual, there were more of these types of photographs produced in the early 20th century, although they were often adhered to rather thick pieces of round glass. From the area of white along the right-hand side and the look of the metal frame, this may very well be a very rare example of an ambrotype from this date. If it is one, it should have a black paper or cloth on the back. It might also be painted black on the back. Recommendations: I would encourage you get high-quality scans made of the photographs, which is not always that simple since you need to image this through glass. A professional would use a setup that includes a black board with a hole for the camera to photo through so there is no reflection on the glass. After reformatting you may want to consider having a high-quality printout made that can be displayed and then boxing the original. Being on glass the photograph is at extra risk as any break or damage to the glass will also damage the photograph. You may want to have this examined by a photograph conservator to identify the type of photograph and make sure there is no damage that is not showing up in the images you submitted. There is a Find a Conservator page on the AIC website that allows you to search for a conservator by specialty and location. Storage and handling: Housing for the photographs is very important to provide protection, a box that is sturdy enough to protect the glass would be important. The photograph should be stored out of the light in an area that has temperature and humidity controls. Higher temperatures and swings in relative humidity will speed up the chemical processes that can damage the photograph over time. You should avoid handling this photograph as much as possible so as not to damage the glass. If you do handle the photograph you should wash your hands with soap and water but not wear gloves. Gloves will lower the feeling in your fingers so it would be more likely that you could cause damage. Thank you for submitting such an interesting photograph.

Scrapbook, 20th c.

Submitted by: Christine Why is this item important to you?: This has a lot of old photos of my grandparents and mother, but also some older photo loosely added that I'd eventually like to have time to review as part of my genealogy research. Expert Advice (Chloe Jones): We have examined the scrapbook of photographs belonging to your grandparents, and we have a few recommendations for storing, handling and preserving the material. While storing this material, we recommend that it should be removed from direct sunlight, and off of the floor away from any possible environmental hazards (i.e., flooding, mold, excessive heat). While a corrugated box is great for protecting your materials from some of these environmental hazards, we recommend that this particular item be stored in an acid-free archival enclosure. They can be purchased to size through retailers such as Gaylord Archival or Hollinger Metal Edge (these retailers are just examples and are not an endorsement over any other archival supplies company). Storing this item in an acid-free enclosure can help preserve and protect the fragile leather cover, binding and pages from mold and from pests that it may encounter in a closet. It will also protect the item from mold or pests introduced from other archival materials that it is being stored with. Another environmental factor to consider is humidity levels. Higher humidity can expediate deterioration of sensitive materials. We noticed that many photographs are placed loosely into the scrap book and are in plastic sleeve enclosures. Rather than plastic sleeves, we recommend either investing in acid-free folders to store your loose photos or purchasing archival-quality mylar for them. In addition to providing protection for your loose photos, placing them in folders may also help keep them organized and reduce the risk of accidental damage. For handling the material -- We recommend washing your hands before handling the book in order to prevent any damage to the material from oils or substances on the hands – we also do not recommend that you wear gloves while handling the material. Cumbersome gloves do not allow you to feel the page, which can lead to more damage or breakage of fragile pages. It is also advisable to lay the book flat on a clean, even surface when examining the pages. We also recommend that you consider digitizing/imaging each page of this scrapbook, due to the corrosive nature of adhesives, including glue and tape. These adhesives can deteriorate, and cause damage to the original materials, such as photographs, newspaper clippings, and the pages of the scrapbook themselves. The material should be digitized to at least 400 dpi resolution to preserve the images, in the event that the originals are further damaged. By backing-up high-resolution files, you will be able to preserve the content of the material for yourself and future generations. There are many regional organizations across the United States that may assist you in professionally digitizing the scrapbook, depending on where you are located.

Scrapbook, 1916

Submitted by: Lynn Why is this item important to you?: It is the scrapbook compiled by my grandmother, Marjory Beadle Irving, when she was in high school at Detroit Central High. She graduated in 1916 and went on to Wellesley College. She was an avid scrapbook historian, and the scrapbook she made for me on the Irving family started my interest in genealogy. I wonder if a Museum like the Detroit Historical Society would have an interest in it for their collection, as it and one other scrapbook tell the History of Detroit Central High during the early part of the 20th century in Detroit's heyday. Expert Advice (Chloe Jones): We have examined the scrapbook belonging to your grandmother; it seems to be in great condition. This is likely due to the way that it has been stored, removed from direct sunlight, and off of the floor away from any possible environmental hazards (i.e., flooding, mold, excessive heat). However, we recommend that this particular item be stored in an acid-free archival enclosure. They can be purchased to size through retailers such as Gaylord Archival or Hollinger Metal Edge (these retailers are just examples and are not an endorsement over any other archival supplies company). Storing this item in an acid-free enclosure can help preserve and protect the fragile suede cover, binding and pages from mold and from pests that it may encounter in a closet. It will also protect the item from mold or pests introduced from other archival materials that it is being stored with. Another environmental factor to consider is humidity levels. Higher humidity can expediate deterioration of sensitive materials. While your scrapbook appears to be in great condition, we recommend that you limit handling the material to keep it that way. We recommend washing your hands before handling the book in order to prevent any damage to the material from oils or substances on the hands – we also do not recommend that you wear gloves while handling the material. Cumbersome gloves do not allow you to feel the page, which can lead to more damage or breakage of fragile pages. It is also advisable to lay the book flat on a clean, even surface when examining the pages.We recommend that you consider digitizing/imaging each page of this scrapbook, due to the corrosive nature of adhesives, including glue and tape. These adhesives can deteriorate, and cause damage to the original materials, such as photographs, newspaper clippings, and the pages of the scrapbook themselves. The material should be digitized to at least 400 dpi resolution to preserve the images, in the event that the originals are further damaged. By backing-up high-resolution files, you will be able to preserve the content of the material for yourself and future generations. There are many regional organizations across the United States that may assist you in professionally digitizing the scrapbook, depending on where you are located.

School Workbook, early 19th c.

Submitted by: Virginia Why is this item important to you?: This school workbook belonged to an ancestor of my husband and has been passed down over a number of generations. Expert Advice (Chloe Jones): We have examined the school workbook belonging to your husband’s ancestor; it seems to be in excellent condition. This is likely due to the way that it has been stored, removed from direct sunlight, and off of the floor away from any possible environmental hazards (i.e., flooding, mold, excessive heat). However, we recommend that this particular item be stored in an acid-free archival enclosure, rather than in a metal file box with other papers or materials. These enclosures can be purchased to size through retailers such as Gaylord Archival or Hollinger Metal Edge (these retailers are just examples and are not an endorsement over any other archival supplies company). Storing this item in an acid-free enclosure can help preserve and protect the cover and binding, as well as the pages and ink. It will also protect the item from mold or pests introduced from other archival materials that it is being stored with. Additionally, if the item is stored laying flat, it can be better for preservation than if it was in a file cabinet resting on its binding or stored vertically. Another environmental factor to consider is humidity levels. Higher humidity can expediate deterioration of sensitive materials. While your workbook appears to be in great condition, we recommend that you limit handling the material to keep it that way. We recommend washing your hands before handling the book in order to prevent any damage to the material from oils or substances on the hands – we also do not recommend that you wear gloves while handling the material. Cumbersome gloves do not allow you to feel the page, which can lead to more damage or breakage of fragile pages. It is also advisable to lay the book flat on a clean, even surface when examining the pages. In order to preserve this workbook long-term, the material should be digitized to at least 400 dpi resolution to preserve the pages, in the event that the workbook is damaged. By backing-up high-resolution files, you will be able to preserve the content of the material for yourself and future generations. There are many regional organizations across the United States that may assist you in professionally digitizing the scrapbook, depending on where you are located.

Poster, 1987

Submitted by: Patty Why is this item important to you?: It is part of a history project Expert Advice (Todd Pattison): You have submitted a late 20th century machine-made paper document with printing ink. The document appears to have some staining or water damage near the top, is discolored and has tears along the edges. Recommendations: I would encourage you get high-quality scan or photograph made of the document, including the back if there is any information on the verso. You may want to have some conservation treatment done prior to reformatting in order to improve the appearance and handling, as the tears make the paper more fragile. There is a Find a Conservator page on the AIC website that allows you to search for a conservator by specialty and location; you would want a paper conservator. A conservator should be able to mend tears and can test the paper and inks to see if washing would be a possibility to reduce the staining. Storage and handling: You mention that the item is currently housed flat, but it could really use the protection of an acid-free, buffered folder. The folder would protect it from light damage and from dust. If the foldered object was not going to be stored in a box you would want a stiffer folder or even a portfolio to better protect it. Good storage conditions with stable temperature and humidity will also be important to prolong the life of the paper as higher temperatures and humidity will speed up the chemical reactions that will result in the deterioration of the paper. You should avoid handling the document in its current fragile condition. If you do need to handle it, you should wash your hands with soap and water but not wear gloves. Gloves will lower the feeling in your fingers so it would be more likely that you would cause further damage, especially wear gloves could catch on the corners or torn areas of the paper.

Diary, ca. 1905

Submitted by: Kathleen Why is this item important to you?: The daily inscriptions are difficult to read. It is my hope, over time, to wade through his description of the daily weather to find family oriented information and to transcribe some of his entries. Just preparing this submission has been helpful. I see as I photo each page I can enlarge enough to read it better. Thank you already! Expert Advice (Todd Pattison): Your diary is covered in cloth and has an extended flap with a tongue on the back board and a closure strap on the front board that the tongue fits into to keep it closed. The diary has machine-made paper with entries in manuscript ink. There are also several scraps tucked into the diary, including a newspaper clipping, coupons and a fire insurance payment bill. The cover of the diary has a lot of wear, especially along the edges and the extended flap of the back board but the volume appears to be intact. The pages of the diary are discolored and appear to be acidic. The manuscript ink has sunk into the paper in some areas and is visible on the opposite side of the page; it is possible, although not likely, that the ink may be iron gall ink that is beginning to deteriorate. Recommendations: You mention that you would like to transcribe the notations looking for family information and that taking images and enlarging them has been helpful. I would encourage you get high-quality scans made of the pages of the diary and the enclosed scraps. This will provide copies to aid transcription while limiting handling of the original. It will also allow you to share this information with other interested parties and with people that may be able to help you in some cases where the handwriting is difficult to read. It will also preserve the information in case the original is damaged or lost. The diary may need to be imaged one-up, or one page at a time, with an overhead camera to protect the fragile binding. This would allow for quality capture of the information without opening the volume more than 90 degrees, preventing stress of the sewing or page attachment. You mention that the diary has been stored with three other diaries. You should consider having all of the diaries boxed, either individually or together in one larger box. The scraps can also be placed in a folder or folders and housed with the diary in the box, keeping the information together. There are several styles of custom enclosures, including cloth-covered, drop-spine boxes and phase boxes (there are several styles of phase boxes). The key to any enclosure is that it fit the volume exactly. If you measure this yourself you need to make sure that you find the largest square dimension, as the box will be square even if the volume is not, and include the thickness the folded scraps, which should be cut to the size of the volume. A cloth-covered box can be made by a conservator or bookbinder while phase boxes are usually ordered from a vendor. The folders should be made from acid-free Bristol or other cardstock material that is lignin free. You may want to consider having a conservator look at the manuscript inks that are bleeding through the paper to the opposite side, to determine if these are iron gall inks that are deteriorating. There is a Find a Conservator page on the AIC website that allows you to search for a conservator by specialty and location. You would want a paper conservator with some experience with iron gall ink. Handling and storage: Handling of the diary should be limited. When handling the volume or the scraps, you should wash your hands with soap and water but not wear gloves. Gloves will lower the feeling in your fingers so it would be more likely that you would damage the object; cotton gloves, especially, will catch on the worn areas of the binding and could cause further damage. You should also place the diary in a cradle so as not to stress the binding when handling. There are foam supports that are available to cradle the volume, but you can also just use clean towels or pillows. You mention that the diary is currently in a brown paper bag. The bag will protect the diary from light and dust but is most likely acidic and should be replaced with a box as suggested above. The diary should be stored in an area that has temperature and humidity controls.

Artifacts of Asa Clarke, 18th and 19th c.

Submitted by: Andrea Why is this item important to you?: Wallet was carried thru Revolutionary war by Capt Asa Clarke. I believe it is important to remember the past which effects our future. My relatives kept these items for a reason. I decided to learn why. Expert Advice (Todd Pattison): This is a handmade wallet which at one time contained at least 15 documents. The two documents shown in the image are 18th century handmade paper with black printing ink and manuscript ink notations. One has a red sealing wax impression in the lower, right-hand corner on the recto while the other has an embossed paper seal, likely affixed with sealing wax in the upper left-hand corner of the recto. Both pieces of paper are discolored, stained, and torn. Both documents were stored folded for many years and have tears and slight losses along the fold lines. The wallet appears to be in very good condition for an object that was carried around by a soldier during the Revolutionary War. The red seal has cracked and appears to be crumbling at the edges with small amounts of loss. Recommendations: You should get high-quality images of the documents and also photograph the wallet to document condition. This would allow you to have this material in a format that can be shared with other interested people and would provide copies of the material if anything happened to the originals. The documents would benefit from conservation treatment as the paper of the two shown is quite damaged; this damage will likely continue if not addressed. There is a Find a Conservator page on the AIC website that allows you to search for a conservator by specialty and location; you would want a paper conservator experienced in dealing with deteriorating paper. It should be possible for a conservator to repair the paper and check the inks to make sure there are no additional issues that do not show up in the submitted photograph. Storage and Handling: The documents are currently stored in plastic enclosures that may be stable plastic, but it might be better to house the documents in separate acid-free folders and a flip-top archival box. Storage in plastic can create a micro-climate with extremes in humidity and it will also trap any off gassing from the chemical reactions that are deteriorating the objects. Also, one of the objects is stored in a plastic sleeve that is too short and does not protect the top of the object. The information that is written on the labels can be put on the folders in graphite pencil to retain that information. You should consider having the wallet boxed as well. It could be placed in a folder and put in the box with the other documents, but a separate box will provide better protection. There are several styles of custom enclosures, including cloth-covered, drop-spine boxes and phase boxes (there are several styles of phase boxes). Good environmental storage condition, especially stable temperature and humidity are important for these item as higher temperatures and humidity speed up the chemical reactions leading to the deterioration of the object. The documents should be handled as little as possible given the condition of the paper. If you do need to handle any of the items wash your hands with soap and water but don’t wear gloves, as they will reduce your sense of touch and could lead to damaging the paper further.

Typed Manuscript, ca. 1990

Submitted by: Kassidy Why is this item important to you?: my great-grandfathers memoirs about WW2 and his love affairs Expert Advice (Todd Pattison): Your book is about 30 years old and typed or computer printed on machine-made paper and bound with a comb binding. The pages are slightly discolored, at least at the edges, which may be an indication that the pages are acidic and will break down further in the future. The comb binding is plastic, which likely contains internal plasticizers. When the plasticizers leach out of the polymer then the plastic can become brittle, causing the comb binding to fail. Recommendations: I would encourage you to get high-quality digital images of the volume. This would allow you to share the information with other interested parties and provides an alternate copy of the information in case that copy is damaged or lost. You may want to paginate the pages using graphite pencil if they are not paginated. This will help to establish order in the digitized copy and locate the position of any pages that become detached. Eventually, the binding of the volume will fail as the plastic gets brittle and weak. Also, because of the perforation of the pages at the spine edge it is more likely that the pages can become detached during use. We have materials like this in our collections and typically rebind using a double-fan adhesive page attachment (with stable adhesives) and a cloth covered binding, assuming that there is enough of an inner margin for this procedure. You could consider rebinding this volume or wait until the comb binding fails and store the volume in folders and an archival, flip-top box. You might consider having volume boxed in a cloth-covered, drop-spine boxes or phase boxes (there are several styles of phase boxes) to better protect it. The key to any enclosure is that it fit the volume exactly. If you measure this yourself you need to make sure that you find the largest square dimension, as the box will be square even if the volume is not, and include the thickness of the plastic comb and not just the paper text. A cloth-covered box can be made by a conservator or bookbinder while phase boxes are usually ordered from a vendor. Storage and Handling: You mention that the volume is stored flat, which is good, but that sometimes there are other materials stored on top. As the plastic becomes brittle it will be more likely to break if materials are stored on top of it so it would be best to avoid that. The volume should be stored in an area with good environmental controls as higher temperatures and swings in relative humidity with speed up the chemical reactions that are leading to the deterioration of the plastic and paper. Freezing can also make the plastic more brittle. Handling should be limited so as not to stress the page attachment. When handling the volume, you should first wash your hands with soap and water, but you do not need to wear gloves. Gloves tend to minimize your sense of touch and they are not recommended for handling paper.

Collection of 10 Cased Photos

Submitted by: Sarah Why is this item important to you?: These photos include my 5x great grandmother, 2-3 of her sons, and my great great grandmother. Expert Advice (Todd Pattison): The photographs are housed in the original cases, which are composed of wood, leather, metal, velvet and sometimes cloth. Some of the images are missing the upper cover of the cases while others have upper covers that are detached. Seven of the images are daguerreotypes, which is the earliest type of commercially available photograph and was widely used in the 1840s and 1850s. Daguerreotypes can sometimes be dated at least generally by the case and gold mat over the photograph. For instance, Wardwell3 has what appears to be an earlier type of mat, which is less decorative than some of the later ones. In addition, the daguerreotype process was used to copy miniatures and small painted portraits, which appears to be the case with Wardwell_Lydia1. This may have been taken after her death, when it was not possible to take a living photo, but it might also have been done to provide a copy for someone who wanted it. The other three photographs appear to be ambrotypes, which were first introduced a little after the daguerreotype, but the two processes overlapped with ambrotypes being most popular in the 1850s and 1860s. A daguerreotype is a photo on silver plated copper while the ambrotype is a photo on glass. Daguerreotypes used glass to protect the photo so both types of cased images include glass. Glass is an amorphous solid, so it is somewhat between a liquid and a solid. While most glass is very stable it can also break down over a long time period. There is spotting on the glass of some of the daguerreotypes; for instance, Wardwell8 has spotting on the glass covering the image, as well as tarnishing on the silver at the edges. Silver tends to tarnish when it comes into contact with oxygen; the cases included seals when constructed to prevent oxygen from getting at the plate so this may be caused by a break in the seal. Recommendations: The glass on the daguerreotypes can be replaced, an option being borosilicate glass, which is much more stable than regular glass. A photograph conservator, preferably one who is a member of the American Institute for Conservation (AIC) and has experience treating daguerreotypes, could replace the glass and examine the photographs for possible treatment, although they seem to be in good condition. One issue to consider are the original seals, if they are still intact you may want to not disturb those but if seals are broken, which is quite possible in the images with tarnish at the edges, replacing the glass would be a good option. There is a Find a Conservator page on the AIC website that allows you to search for a conservator by specialty and location. If the daguerreotype is removed from the case to check seals and replace the glass it should be professionally imaged at that time as you would get the best image capture. There are specific techniques for imaging daguerreotypes to counter act the mirroring you normally get in a photo. The daguerreotypes would also need to be resealed and put back in the cases afterwards for protection. The ambrotypes, being directly on glass, do not allow for the glass to be replaced but they can also be examined for any issues not showing up in the photos submitted. Also, it appears as if Wardwell_Lydia2 may have an issue with the black background that is used to make the underexposed “negative” of an ambrotype appear as a positive image. A conservator could add a black piece of paper behind the image to create greater contrast and improve the viewing of the image. A conservator could also reattach some of the covers that are now detached if this is of interest. Storage and Handling: You mention that the case images are currently being stored in an archival box, but you will get individual boxes made for them. There are some boxes made for cased images from some commercial archival suppliers, but you can also have ones constructed specifically for your photographs. The key is to protect the glass with rigid boxes as glass can be fragile.