Storage Methods for Specific Formats

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• Prints: 

• An inert polyester sleeve with 2-ply acid free board behind the print for added support (esp. for brittle items)
• Place vertically in an acid free folder and then into an acid free Hollinger box
• Ensure box is snugly filled to prevent sagging or curling
• Items larger than 11x14 should be stored horizontally (clamshell box)

• Oversized Prints:

• Can be placed in acid-free map folders, or interleaved with polyester/mylar sheets
• Stored in large document boxes or in map storage drawers

• Framed Photos: 

• Best to remove from frame and store as above

• Glass Plate Negatives:

• Store individually in seamless paper enclosures
• Arrange vertically on their long edges in a Hollinger box
• Boxed plates are heavy in weight, so ensure that shelving has adequate strength
• Clearly label each box as "fragile/glass" and "heavy"

• Nitrate Negatives:

• 1889 - 1951: extremely unstable, nitrate deteriorates via breakdown of cellulose nitrate plastic support
• can emit nitrogen oxides which attack the silver image, binder and layer of other photographs
• always house in buffered paper enclosures (never plastic)
• keep isolated from other photographic media and keep well-ventilated
• low temperatures and low RH will slow deterioration

• Cellulose Acetate Negatives:

• Known as "safety film" and was designed to replace nitrate in the 1930s
• Over time, cellulose acetate will shrink as the solvents evaporate out
• Film base then becomes increasingly acidic (acetic acid or "vinegar syndrome")
• Early acetate negatives should be stored separately from prints
• Deteriorated items should be stored in buffered paper sleeves
• Recently produced safety film negs (acetate or polyester) can be stored in plastic enclosures
• low temperatures and low RH will slow deterioration

 

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