Storing Press Photos question

[billyb]

I am still fairly new regarding collecting press photo, and am wondering the best way to store these photos. Now they are in archival sleeves, top loading, as I have seen others use same method, but, Is there a better way??
Also, do you display your press photos at home, if so, what is your favorite method, framed, encased, or do you just display a copy???

[repsher]

I store my photos in polypropylene bags with magazine backing boards (acid free). I also place a piece of microchamber paper behind each photo.

They are then stored in acid-free archival boxes. Stored flat and not vertical.
You can read about the benefits of microchamber paper here:

http://www.conservationresources.com...croChamber.htm

I don't display my photos, but if I would I would take a hires scan, make a copy, and then frame that for display.

[billyb]

Ryan,
Thank you for the reply. A few extra dollars spent to protect the photos is well worth it. The microchamber paper behind the photos is a good idea.
Thank you,

Billyb

[thecatspajamas]

A lot of it has to do with how much you are going to be handling the photos and whether or not you will want to see both sides of the photo later on. Plan ahead, because you are more likely to do damage to the photo and/or any attachments by putting it into and pulling it out of sleeves, pages or toploaders than it would sustain once inside.

Personally, I use a combination of magazine bag and boards (8x10's), golden age comic book bag and boards (7x9's), silver age comic book bag and boards for smaller photos down to 5x7 size, and toploaders for anything 5x7 and smaller. For me, that's a combination of cost, handling, storage space, and shipability, but then I'm also not looking to be storing most of my photos long-term (not intentionally anyway, though some stick around longer than others simply because nobody buys them).

If I were storing long-term, I would probably spend a little more for mylar bags (which are also readily available in magazine and golden and silver age comic sizes) over the polypropylene, and since the thicker mylar sleeves have a little more rigidity on their own, would probably do away with the boards in them. I will say though that laying the photo on a backing board slightly larger than the photo and any protrusions and sliding both into a sleeve (whether you leave the board in, or slide it back out once the photo is in) can save a lot of damage to photos from existing tears, ragged edges, or protruding paper captions getting snagged on the edges of the sleeve as the photo slides in. Same with a toploader, though it may not work as well if the toploader size is very close to the size of the photo.

I also think that the photo in a sleeve in a toploader is a perfectly good way to go though, especially if you're going to want to flip it over and look at the back very often. The microchamber paper sounds like a good additional measure as well, though I have never used it, so can't speak from experience.

[billyb]

Lance,
Thanx Lance, great information. Not all photos are going to be stored, so great information. I am going to follow up on all information I get here. As I stated early on, I want to know the very best ways of storing, and I am sure that the experienced collectors, on this site, have many variations of storing their photos. I would like to hear them all. As there are many other new photo collectors on board, I hope this thread helps us all.

[drcy]

If you have a large pile of lower condition vintage news photos, storing them in a stack is acceptable. Being in a stack offers protection. In general, the less handling the better if you want to avoid adding more wear. It's known as the let sleeping dogs lie theory of conservation.

[billyb]

David,
Thanks I agree, Right now they are in archival sleeves, wanted to display both sides. But I am about to sharped my buying skills here very soon, money a little tight now, but first of year, wife's retirement kicks in then we will be doing great. Then I will jump into the bidding pool. These photos are just way to cool to pass up.
I have been studying the photographers and their accomplishments recently also, and your site has really helped.