Storing Family Photos for Future Generations

If you are like the average family, you probably have a box of old photographs in your basement or attic that someone passed on to you. If you continue to store the photographs in that old box, they may not still be around when you are ready to pass them on to your own children. Old photos are delicate and require special storage if they are going to stay preserved for several generations.

Box Storage

Storing your photos in a box is not necessarily bad, but you need to do it properly. Purchase a box that is intended for storing old photos. Look for one that is "acid free." Then, go through the photos and remove any tape, staples, or paperclips from them, as these will damage them over time.

As you remove these damaging items from your photos, take the time to label the pictures if they are not labeled. Write the person's name and the age they were or the year the picture was taken. You may know exactly who is in the picture, but that does not mean your children will remember when they are adults and are inheriting the box from you. However, do not use a ballpoint pen to do this labeling. Purchase a photo safe pen so that the ink will not bleed through the picture and damage it.

Album Storage

Storing your photos in albums is a slightly better option. It makes it easier to find a photo when it is needed, and it also helps you sort through the pictures. Fancy, artistic scrapbooks are great, but not necessary if you need to get the photos stored quickly.

Again, when choosing an album for your photos, make sure it is acid free. If your pictures are already in an old album, take them out. Old albums are full of glue, paper, and plastic that are damaging to pictures. Purchase a modern, acid and lignin free album to store your pictures in. Only use glues or pens that are photo safe.

Digital Storage

Boxes and albums are great, but they do create a few problems. First, they take up space to store. If you have a lot of old photos, this can become problematic. Also, you can only pass the photos on to one person with this storage option. Finally, even with the most careful preservation methods, photographs will fade with time or get damaged as they are handled.

The best way to archive old photographs is to turn them into a digital file. Photo scanning companies can take those old pictures, scan them on high resolution photo scanners, and then give you a CD full of your family memories. You will also still get the picture back, so you can make albums or display them in frames while still having an archival image to pass on to the next generation.

With digital storage, you also have the opportunity to fix some of the flaws in the picture, such as a tear or worn area, by taking advantage of restoration and enhancement options. Digital storage for old photos is the best solution, because it offers the ability to preserve old photos indefinitely, share them online, and send copies to anyone who wants them, all at an affordable price.