Should I buy a laminator to preserve old newspapers, photos?
Eric Ghost
I am new to genealogy, and am wondering if it is standard practice to
laminate old newspapers, photocopies, photos, etc. in order to
preserve them better over time. Does the laminating process slow down
the decomposition of paper or does the plastic react with it and
actually ruin it over time? Can the heat from the actual lamination
cause any damage? Thanks in advance for any suggestions.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Eric Ghost - Renton, WA
gh...@eskimo.com
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------------------
- Eric Ghost - Renton, Washington -
- gh...@eskimo.com -
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Unknown
Jeanette
Eric Ghost <gh...@eskimo.com> wrote
> I am new to genealogy, and am wondering if it is standard practice to
> laminate old newspapers, photocopies, photos, etc. in order to
> preserve them better over time. Does the laminating process slow down
> the decomposition of paper
> or does the plastic react with it and actually ruin it over time?
> Can the heat from the actual lamination cause any damage?
Eric the easiest way to store such articles is in polypropylene
(not plastic) envelopes or between two sheets of mylar sealed
with double-sided tape: If it does not need to be clear - a pocket
folded from acid free paper or card makes a good alternative
for documents. There are lots of good photo albums around
these days
Cheers......Jeanette
Ed Gyllenhaal
Hi Eric,
Don't ever, ever laminate! It's the worst thing you could possibly do.
Here's
a net source for preserving photographs, "Guidelines For Preserving Your
Photographic Heritage."
http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/6662/photopre.htm
Also, a few months ago Family Chronicle magazine had an article on
preserving old documents and photographs, directed at the beginner. Here's
their home page:
http://www.inforamp.net/~magazine/
Does anyone know of other net sources for paper and photograph conservation
aimed at family historians?
Eric Ghost <gh...@eskimo.com> wrote in article <E4KwF...@eskimo.com>...
> I am new to genealogy, and am wondering if it is standard practice to
> laminate old newspapers, photocopies, photos, etc. in order to
> preserve them better over time. Does the laminating process slow down
Kathleen and Jim Beilstein
Ed Gyllenhaal wrote:
>
> Hi Eric,
>
> Don't ever, ever laminate! It's the worst thing you could possibly do.
I wouldn't laminate photos, but is it really that bad for newspaper
clippings? Won't it protect them from turning yellow and disintegrating
over time? Would you suggest photocopying newspaper clippings onto acid
free paper?
Kathleen
KSWeiner
gh...@eskimo.com (Eric Ghost) wrote:
>I am new to genealogy, and am wondering if it is standard practice to
>laminate old newspapers, photocopies, photos, etc. in order to
>preserve them better over time. Does the laminating process slow down
>the decomposition of paper or does the plastic react with it and
>actually ruin it over time? Can the heat from the actual lamination
>cause any damage? Thanks in advance for any suggestions.
No!!!! The process of lamination begins a process that will eventually
destroy the document you mean to protect. There have been a number of
posts concerning this subject in the past. You can check the archives to
read them. You may also want to contact archivists in you local museums
for their opinions on how best to preserve documents.
Regards,
Kenneth S. Weiner, CPA
Fort Lee, NJ
during my early break from tax season
Doug Murphy
>I am new to genealogy, and am wondering if it is standard practice to
>laminate old newspapers, photocopies, photos, etc. in order to
>preserve them better over time. Does the laminating process slow down
>the decomposition of paper or does the plastic react with it and
>actually ruin it over time? Can the heat from the actual lamination
>cause any damage? Thanks in advance for any suggestions.
As a followup, what's the best way to preserve something that has already
been laminated? For example, at a recent family funeral, all the close
relatives were given a laminated rememberance card...
Doug Murphy -- dougla...@lucent.com
Ed Gyllenhaal
Hi Kathleen
Newspaper clippings should go into archival quality mylar sleeves/envelopes
or whatever. Some plastics are bad, so make sure you get yours from an
archival supply company like University Products. (Get their catalog,
800-628-1912 in U.S.) Some of these sleeves are unbelievably expensive, so
shop around. Some are quite reasonable, just a few cents each. The ones
whose sides are *not glued* are best.
Whole newspapers should be stored flat, separated from other newspapers
with acid free paper or mylar. There are more expensive ways to go, too.
Laminating really does speed up the deterioration process. There's nothing
you can do to stop the eventual disintegration of most kinds of newspaper,
but it can be greatly slowed down. Photocopying onto acid-free paper is an
excellent idea; that's what I do myself. Some places now throw out their
newspapers after they've been microfilmed, an acknowledgment of the fact
that disintegration is inevitable.
I found this list of links on the subject:
http://www.oz.net/~cyndihow/photos.htm
Ed
(Who is *not* a conservator, just a curator)
Kathleen and Jim Beilstein <beil...@voicenet.com> wrote in article
<32EC1D...@voicenet.com>...
J. Davis
Kathleen and Jim Beilstein wrote:
>
> Ed Gyllenhaal wrote:
> >
> > Hi Eric,
> >
> > Don't ever, ever laminate! It's the worst thing you could possibly do.
>
> I wouldn't laminate photos, but is it really that bad for newspaper
> clippings? Won't it protect them from turning yellow and disintegrating
> over time? Would you suggest photocopying newspaper clippings onto acid
> free paper?
>
> Kathleen
There is very little that can be done for newspaper because the paper
itself is so acidic. Encasing newspaper in anything just keeps the acid
close by to eat the paper fibers. If you con't enclose it, the acid can
migrate to other items stored with it.
In other words, don't ever store newspaper with anything else you want
to keep. Really consider your decision to keep newspaper. Is it the
*newspaper* you want or the information it contains?
All paper that is not listed as acid-free has some acid in it; cardboard
backing on framed photographs is pretty bad, too. There are some
treatments to conteract or buffer the acid. Again, contact a local
museum or historical society or the various conservation materials
catalogs for help.
J. Davis
Fort Sam Houston Museum
TCH6535
First of all-make xerox copies!!!!
Second-Do not laminate!!!
Third-Obtain archival safe mylar protectors!!!
Fourth-Contact Library of Congress for suggested preservation processes!!!
Terry Howard (tch...@aol.com)
Walt Hingerty
- To the folks who asked about laminating
- I used to do stuff like that and I used Contact paper. The same company that makes contact paper makes a glossy clear and a satin sheen clear. Ive used it for everything from Nat geo maps to photos to newsclippings. It works great and I have some that are over 20 years old. KMart, WalMart etc have it in either in hobbys or homeware sections.
- walt
jktho...@earthlink.com
20 years isn't exactly "preservation"
Salier
gh...@eskimo.com wrote:
>
> I am new to genealogy, and am wondering if it is standard practice to
> laminate old newspapers, photocopies, photos, etc. in order to
> preserve them better over time. Does the laminating process slow down
> the decomposition of paper or does the plastic react with it and
> actually ruin it over time? Can the heat from the actual lamination
> cause any damage? Thanks in advance for any suggestions.
>
> Eric Ghost - Renton, WA
> gh...@eskimo.com
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------> ---------------------
> -------------------------------------------------------------------
> - Eric Ghost - Renton, Washington -
> - gh...@eskimo.com -
> -------------------------------------------------------------------
For best archival preservation, newspapers should be de-acidified and
kept in acid-free storage boxes.
Other documents should be encapsulated in non-reactive mylar plastic.
Do not laminate valuable documents.
Best of luck. Ed Salier
Nancy & Rick Johnson
"Light Impressions" is a company in Rochester, New York that makes
archival quality materials for storing documents, photos, etc.
Rick Johnson
joh...@flagstaff.az.us
Brian D. McKinney
I don't recommend laminating. Laminating is very permanet. For
newspapers I photocopy them on acid-free paper. For photographs there
are plastic archival sheets for preserving them. I have even
photocopied photographs to place in books with storing the photographs
in a different location.
This what I was taught. I am a conservator a major university.
Brian D. McKinney
mcki...@msnotes.wustl.edu