SOCIALIFE
COMMUNITY HISTORY
Taking Care of Your Photographs by Kelly Francis-Love, archivist at the Museum of South Texas History
The Margaret H. McAllen Memorial Archives at the . Museum of South Texas History is home to thousands of photographs. Staff members are responsible for making sure all photos are well taken care of. How do they do that? Each photo in the collection is assigned an identification number. It is then placed in an archive-quality polyester sleeve and an acid-free folder. The identification number and a brief description is written on the folder, and then the folders are stored in an archival box. Each box and each photo are documented on a finding aid, so they are easy to keep track of. This process can be easily replicated at home. Archival quality storage supplies are
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SOCIALIFE
readily available online or at art supply or craft stores. Look for products labeled acid-free, archival, or say that they have passed the P.A.T. (Photographic Activity Test). Identification of your photos is a key step in the process. While you may know the people in the image now, future generations may not. Label the back of your photos with either pencil or a pen with archival ink. Use the “who, what, where, when” formula to identify people, places, and dates. Make sure to include full names.
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