What’s the best way to deal with water-damaged photos?

What’s the best way to deal with water-damaged photos?

Q. My customers have presented several questions concerning what can be done to attempt to preserve family albums and photos. What is the best response?

A. The American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works (http://aic.stanford .edu/contact.html) suggests damaged photographs for which there are no negatives receive first attention. Once photographs are stuck together or become moldy, saving them may not be possible. Handle wet photos carefully; the surfaces may be fragile. Wet photos may be rinsed in clean water (if needed) and sealed in a plastic bag with a tie or a Ziploc-type enclosure. If possible, put wax paper between each photograph. If a freezer is available, freeze the photos immediately. Later, the photos may be defrosted, separated, and air-dried. The Northeast Document Conservation Center (NDCC) in Massachusetts (www.nedcc.org/ home.php) also has some very good information. In fact, the Center has a whole series of leaflets on its website for the care and preservation of photographs. The NDCC suggests setting priorities to deal with wet photographs. The priority scheme should be based on the material involved. In general, films (plastic-based materials) are generally more stable than prints (paper-based materials); therefore, prints should be salvaged first. Important exceptions include older types of film, such as nitrate and safety films, which are extremely susceptible to water damage.
Photographs in water will quickly deteriorate: images can separate from mounts, emulsions can dissolve or stick together, and staining can occur. Mold can grow within 48 hours, and it often causes permanent staining and other damage to photographs. For these reasons, photographs need to be dried as quickly as possible. If photographs cannot be dried, they should be frozen. Certain types of photographs are much more susceptible to damage than others. The initial response for wet photographs is to allow excess water to drain off the photographs. Separate photographs from their enclosures, frames, and from each other as soon as possible. If they are stuck together or adhered to glass, set them aside for freezing. Spread the photographs out to dry face up, laying them flat on absorbent material, such as blotters, unprinted newsprint, paper towels, or clean cloths. Keep the air around the drying materials moving at all times. Fans will speed up the drying process and minimize the risk of mold growth. Negatives should be dried vertically. They can be hung on a line with plastic clips placed at the edges. Photographs may curl during drying, but they can be flattened later. If photographs are going to be frozen to deal with later, wrap or interleave the photographs before freezing. Use a nonwoven polyester material or waxed paper to separate the photographs. This will make them easier to separate when they are eventually treated. When it is time to remove the frozen photographs for salvage, the NDCC recommends the following steps: Frozen photographs are best dried by thawing, followed by air drying. As a stack of photographs thaws, individual photographs can be carefully peeled from the group and placed face up on a clean, absorbent surface to air dry. If slides are involved, they can be handled using slide cleaner or a similar commercial product, and air dried. Dry them by hanging them on a line or propped up on their edge. Ideally, slides should be removed from their frames for drying, and then remounted. Slides mounted between glass must be removed from the glass or they will not dry. The U.S. Library of Congress also has information on preservation of newer types of images, such as InkJet, dye-sublimation, and electrostatic prints. This information is available at www.loc.gov/ preserv/care/photolea.html.