Wednesday, March 23, 2011

March 12 is Genealogy Day

March 12 is Genealogy Day

Organizing Your Family Photos--part 2

As stated last week, you will amass a large amount of photos while conducting your research. Here are some more helpful tips for storing them safely.

Archival products--There are products made specifically for storing photos. They are acid-free to prevent fading and wear. This includes plastic pages, boxes and even markers and stickers for scrapbook use. They are available at retailers such as The Container Store and online companies like Creative Memories. Before using anything for photos, verify that it is archival and acid-free.

Plastic pocket pages--These come in a variety of sizes to fit all your photo needs. Older photos are different sizes, depending on their age, so you may need a variety of pocket pages. Place only one photo (or two back-to-back) in each pocket. These pages can be kept in binders.
Keep negatives separate--Never store your negatives with your photos. This will not only keep your photos safe, it will give you a back-up should something happen to the photos. Negatives should be stored in a cool, dark place with low humidity.

Identify people/place-- When storing your photos, mark the names of any people in the photos, along with the place and date. Never write on the backs of the photos. Instead, purchase pocket pages that have a white strip specifically for documenting this information. Future generations will appreciate this.

Storage products--There are several ways to permanently store your photos. First, there are photo albums and plastic pocket pages. As mentioned above, they come in a variety of sizes so you can keep different sized photos in one album. Second--photo boxes. These are easier to use, as photos can be dropped into the box and separated with dividers. You can identify photos by writing on the dividers. However, they only accommodate photos up to 4"x6". Third, there are traditional scrapbooks. While these are beautiful works of art in themselves, they are also the most time-consuming. It can take hours to do just a few pages. Fourth, there are digitized scrapbooks which take digital photos of any size and arrange them to create bound books. No matter what you use, make sure all your products are acid-free.

Categorize your photos--Just like you categorize and separate your documents, do the same with your photos. Separate by event, family member, year, etc. Whatever works best for you.

Taking the time now to organize your photos and files will save you and your family hours of stress later.

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