Memory Organization: The Importance of Archiving Your Photos and Memorabilia

ar•chive: (noun) collection of documents: a collection of documents relating to a place, organization or family, such as letters, official papers, photographs, or recorded material, kept for their historical interest

ar•chive: (verb) to place or store a document(s) in a place where a collection of items are stored, such as a library, or by electronic means.

As mentioned in my last post (The Problem with Prints), photos printed decades ago are often faded and/or discolored. They can help trigger memories, but don't provide an accurate representation of an event or person. And even worse, once printed, they are immediately at risk – for fading, discoloration, creases, crumpling, sticky fingers, hurricanes, fire, and loss or theft. Irreplaceable photos are just that – irreplaceable.

I also mentioned in my last post that placing these photos in archivally-safe scrapbooks can help stop the "attack" of acids on photos and memorabilia. While that's true, it doesn't help repair the images once fading or discoloration has occurred. Once that's happened, it's time for technology (and me) to step in.

You can "repair" damaged photos through digital technology. You can scan them with a flatbed scanner, then import them into a graphic/photo editing program like Photoshop or PaintShop Pro. You can use the editing tools to "repair" the images, tweaking the color, contrast, and generally improving the image. This takes a lot of time, as well as skill and patience. But it's so worth it.

Once your photos, artwork, documents, and/or memorabilia are scanned as digital images, and saved to a DVD, they are preserved in pristine condition for years to come.

Just imagine how wonderfully simple it will be:

• You can quickly and easily make copies of individual images or complete DVDs for friends or family members.
• You can store one copy of the DVD at your home, and another in a safe-deposit box, secured away from natural disasters and robbery.
• You can use the images to create your own digital crafting projects, any time you like.
  

As I said, scanning photos and memorabilia to digital images is a time-consuming process, but it's one we'd love to help you with. Visit www.okpicturethis.com to learn more about our Memory Archiving and related services.

Photo Preservation: The Problem with Prints

Look at any number of photos printed in the 1970's or 1980's, and you may notice the prints are slightly discolored. The colors may have simply faded, or they may have even turned slightly orange or green. Even photos printed with modern technology have problems – they can suffer water damage, get crumpled, or even lost. Not how you want to remember your loved ones!

Pull out artwork or newspaper clippings from your childhood, and you'll probably find that they are yellowed and brittle. Most documents and memorabilia cannot stand "the test of time" on their own.

Both scenarios are caused both the effects of improper storage, time, and "acid attack".
You may have heard the term "acid-free", and maybe even "lignin-free". "Acid-free" has become somewhat of a marketing term, highlighted on packaging to help sell craft products, but there is a reason for it. All the concern about "acid-free" comes from the fact that acids in paper break down the chemical composition of photos. These acids come from oxidation, as well as the chemicals used in photo developing and papermaking.

This isn’t acid like liquid battery acid – scientifically, it means the paper has a pH level that is acidic, rather than alkaline. So you won’t see any bubbling or smoking like one might associate with the term "acid". This acidic reaction causes anything that’s on paper to become yellow and brittle, be it photographs, letters, postcards, drawings, or diplomas. And lignin is a material found in wood pulp, and so is found only in paper, not pens or glues. Lignin causes the same yellowing and damage to paper that acid does.

You can easily see the results of lignin and acidic damage in the old magnetic albums that have turned yellow along the edges. And consider the mechanics of a magnetic album: when you lift up the plastic cover, a thin layer of the adhesive sticks to it, then you press that plastic back on top of your photo. So you’re actually putting glue on top of your photo! Not a good idea, even if the adhesive is acid free. You can also see acidic damage in Polaroid pictures – the chemicals are right in the photo themselves, and can start discoloring after just 5 years.

But how do we stop this acidic "attack"? Remove your photos from their inhospitable climates, and place them in an acid-free, lignin-free photo album or scrapbook and use all acid-free embellishments.

That often seems like a daunting task, considering the years of photos currently housed in unsafe albums, or even still in photo development envelopes. No time (or inclination) to place mountains of photos in archival-quality albums in creative layouts? We can help you with that. Check out the following services to help keep your photos, documents, and memories safe:

Memory Archiving: http://okpicturethis.com/products_detail_memory_archiving.aspx

Custom Collages & Kids' Artwork: http://okpicturethis.com/products_detail_custom_picture_boards.aspx

Custom Memory Books
http://okpicturethis.com/products_detail_custom_memory_books.aspx

We want to help make your "photo rescue" project easier. Contact us today to get started.

Welcome to our site!

I am Tabitha Geary, your blog hostess and resident Memory Organizer. I am really excited about using this blog to provide you with resources and ideas to make the most of your memories.

Readers of this blog can expect to learn about such topics as:

• organizing your memories – photos, documents, and memorabilia
• the importance of creating a digital archive of your memories
• the technical and scientific elements of document preservation
• the information and digital archiving industry
• options for displaying your memories in your home
• how to make your own creative digital projects with your archived items

You also expect regularly posted articles on the above topics, and prompt response to any of your digital archiving and organization questions.

A little bit about me…

I am the founder and owner of OK, Picture This...Inc., a memory organizing company. My company helps people just like you to organize and archive their memories. So many memories are gathering dust in drawers and boxes, in closets, and under beds. It just breaks my heart. It's my job to take the memorabilia found in all those dusty corners and turn them into something you can use, display, and enjoy. Imagine what a relief it would be, knowing your family's precious memories were safe for generations to come! I love that I get to help families tell their stories, and preserve them for generations to come. I have five children of my own, so I know the value of family memories and stories.

In fact, I started my company because of a scrapbook my grandmother made. She created digital photo albums for my children, her grandchildren. I was truly touched by her gift, and their reactions to these keepsakes. Through these books, my children are able to get a sense of where they come from, through the eyes of their grandmother. Those memories and stories are truly irreplaceable and precious. I knew I wanted to create a place where people could drop off or mail in their pictures, and I would help them organize and archive them. That place is OK, Picture This…

I also love technology and have a passion for making things easier, so this job really is the perfect fit for me. People who don't have time to spend on scrapbooking hand over their memorabilia to me, my team and I organize it for them, and then give it back, with everything neatly archived in scrapbooks, CDs DVDs, or projects to display in their homes. Win-win.

Enough about me. It's time to get started sharing tips, tricks, and ideas. I can't wait.

Any questions?