Tweet How to preserve magazines and what not?

Weird question but I probably should ask it. I've amassed a small collection of 20s mags and some sheet music, a few stills. Some of it is framed, most of it is in a pile waiting to do something with it. What should I do to keep it nice for another 80 years?

[Mike Gebert]

As a former employee of a research library:

Neglect is better than a lot of messing with. That said, keep them where they won't get wet, keep them somewhere that the humidity is fairly steady, if you want to buy acid-free stand-up cartons you can do that, but stacking them neatly and leaving them alone is probably as good as anything.

To support what Mike said, as a former museum/library worker myself:

Two examples:
Avoid most scrapbooking procedures--Don't staple anything! I have inherited some originial combat photographs taken during World War I. Some well-meaning family member stapled them to black construction paper. Both the staples and the dye in the paper have caused trouble, fifty years later. I'm investigating how to remove the staples without causing any more damage. Some of the fragile things in this collection (such as train tickets and postage stamps) that weren't "preserved" fair better.

The library where I worked has some very old journals, academic or popular, many dating back to the the 18th century at least. The support staff will take great steps to keep them in their original binding. Those that were published on acid paper are deteriorating rapidly, and the university is undertaking a program to scan these works, and make digital copies. You might scan your pieces, if that process won't damage them further.

There are some sorts of plastic archival materials that can cause trouble, too. You might want to contact a professional about how best to look after the materials you have, but following Mike's advice until then is a good bet.

[Danny Burk]

And keep them away from cardboard boxes, especially corrugated...that's an acid nightmare. There's a company that sells archival storage materials called Light Impressions; they have everything but they're very expensive. Look to see what they have, then look elsewhere for better prices.

By the way, re: framing, don't use low-priced ordinary matboard such as you'd get at Michael's, Hobby Lobby, etc. It's NOT acid free and will yellow. You want 100% cotton rag matboard, which is inert and won't harm the things that it touches.

Otherwise, common sense stuff, such as keeping it away from sunlight, direct heat sources, etc.

Also, pay attention to the type of paper used. Pulp paper should be stored in such a way as to minimize oxidation rate -- it will turn brown and crumble. Slick paper is more stable.

It would also be a good idea to wear cotton gloves or at least wash and then dry your hands before opening an old magazine or book to read.

Bob

And keep them away from cardboard boxes, especially corrugated...that's an acid nightmare. There's a company that sells archival storage materials called Light Impressions; they have everything but they're very expensive. Look to see what they have, then look elsewhere for better prices.

By the way, re: framing, don't use low-priced ordinary matboard such as you'd get at Michael's, Hobby Lobby, etc. It's NOT acid free and will yellow. You want 100% cotton rag matboard, which is inert and won't harm the things that it touches.

Otherwise, common sense stuff, such as keeping it away from sunlight, direct heat sources, etc.

Oh now see its good I asked this! I have some sheet music, some flyers (from modern screenings), and an autograph of Mary's in these little 8X10 styled plastic holders that have what Im pretty sure is a white cardboard background (like a 3D frame). So I should take them out of those?

Some of my magazines might be scannable...but a lot of them have very flimsy bindings...Id be scared to constantly fold and scan them. But then again it might be worth it in the end...

Thanks guys!

I recall about 1985 checking out the piano music that sat inside the piano stool at my parents' spinet for, oh, twenty-five or thirty years and it showed some signs of oxidation, but nothing major. However the sort of inks used on magazine covers do tend to oxidize and become brittle. So be very careful handling those.

If you are willing to spend some money, there are things you can do. Go over to a local comics store. You can store old magazines in the sort of glassine bags that comics come in -- typically the interior of a comic book up until the early 1970s was printed on pulp and the cover was printed on a low-quality slick paper. Storing them with those drying air gels will work, but you can also use something as simple as dry rice. There are compound that come be used to lower the acidity of paper, but talk to someone about them, as I suspect they may be something as simple as baking soda, but as I gave up collecting comics in 1969 and pulps in 1980, I can't be sure. If you do use glassine bags, close them off with scotch invisible tape, and not cellophane, as cellophane will turn brittle and the adhesive will degrade, while the 'invisible' variety is much more stable, withless volatile components.

Bob

[silentfilm]

Office Depot and Office Max (as well as comic book places) sell archival sleeves that are perfect for 8x10 photographs. A package of these is only a couple of bucks more expensive than the cheap ones, so the price is definitely worth it. I keep all of my stills in these sleeves and then in 3-ring binders for easy access.

As Jack said, keep framed photos and posters out of direct sunlight -- it can make the paper brittle, and fade the colors on your poster/picture.

Also, don't store paper items in a garage where they could be subjected to hot or cold temperature extremes, or high humidity.

If I may for my first post.
I own several comic book webshops and have been
an active and avid collector for 35+years. I have no
affiliation to the following company, but AM and have
been a customer for a while now.
They specialize in paper storage.
http://www.hotflips.com/

Gaylord and University Products are two more sources for archival material. My suggestion for you is to find what you want, get on the mailing list, and then wait until they have a sale.