Conserving Your Family's Treasures

CONSERVING YOUR FAMILY’S TREASURES: Organizing and storing your family heirlooms

I. Inventory

• Tell where this item is stored.
• Indicate significance (who the artist is, why we have this).
• List origin of items (the term is “provenance”).
• Explain the sentimental and genealogical value, not necessarily market value.
• You can use this as part of an estate packet.

A. These items are tangible personal property and the list can be a legal document entitled ”Personal Property Memorandum”. B. Even if you list a price the administrator of your estate may or may not have to re-appraise the value. C. You can specify to whom the item is bequeathed.

II. General Guidelines

• Store your collection in a climate controlled location (not an attic, basement, garage, or non-climate controlled storage building/unit).
• Store your collection at least 6” from the floor in case of flood.
• Keep your collection out of direct sunlight.
• Keep your collection in better repair by not overloading storage containers.
• Monitor for signs of pests. Bugs love to eat books, paper, and early photographs.
• Handle your collection with clean hands.

III. Papers such as birth, death, baptism, marriage certificates, deeds, and family group sheets

• Encapsulate in mylar sleeves or sheet protectors and/or
• Scan and save to a CD (using a standard file format like JPEG, TIFF, PDF, TXT, RTF) or
• Photocopy onto archival quality paper or
• Use a digital camera to save the image.
• Do not repair tears with regular scotch tape - instead encapsulate or use book mending tape on the back.
• If you have a large item such as a map, roll the item and tie with ribbon or put in a poster tube rather than fold.
• Try to avoid metal staples and paper clips and rubber bands.
• Lamination and clear contact paper yellow over time so avoid these treatments.
• Wash in distilled water (if you dare).

A. This works well on printed materials, but handwritten materials should be tested by dropping a few drops of water on a corner before immersing the document in water. B. If smudged with fingerprints or dust, wash with distilled water in a plastic tray (a kitty litter pan works well) to remove dirt and acidic emissions. You will see the yellow acid come off in the water as well as loose ink. Alternately, use a plastic drafting eraser or crumbled gum art eraser to remove surface dirt and dust. C. Shake and blot dry using sewing paper. D. Pile weights on top to dry flat.

• Use preservation solution (if you dare).

    A.  Commercially available Wei T’o solution.
    B.  Archival Mist brand solution.
    C.  Bookkeeper solution.
    D.  Homemade Milk of Magnesia solution.

IV. Newspapers

• Photocopy onto acid free paper and/or
• Encapsulate.
• Wash or use preservation solution as above.
• Use cotton gloves to handle whenever possible.

V. Books and Bibles

• Store upright, firmly supported by other books or bookends.
• Store oversized books horizontally, but do not stack more that 2-3 together.
• If books are falling apart, store individually in snugly fitting boxes.
• Books are designed to be cradled in hands or laps. For use on a flat surface, support the edges of the books with other books, or use a towel that has been rolled on either end for support.
• Use a pencil for marking, rather than pen, which can bleed.
• Use non-adhesive notes rather than Post-it or sticky notes, which leave behind adhesive to gum up pages.
• Dust leather-bound books rather than using oil or other leather treatments. They will only cause the leather to break down faster.
• If a book is moldy, consult a professional.

VI. Bible inscriptions

• Make photocopies, scan, or use a digital camera to make a copy and submit to the Ohio Genealogical Society Bible Records project.

Ohio Genealogical Society 713 S. Main St. Mansfield, Ohio 44907-1644

VII. Photographs in boxes, albums, and frames

    A.  safest storage = archival box
    B.  next safest = acid free folder
    C.  next safest = archival encapsulation in album
    D.  next safest = scrapbook (acid free)
    E.  next safest = scrapbook

• Handle photographs as little as possible. Handle with clean hands. Use cotton gloves to prevent oils from your hands from getting on the images.
• Do not use magnetic or sticky albums! If you do have photographs in these albums it is best to remove the photos from these albums immediately. Put the images in a new acid free scrapbook album or pocket album. Magnetic albums destroy the images and the colors of photographs. Use dental floss to work the photos free of the pages if they are stuck.
• Use photo corners rather than glue or tape when possible.
• Use pockets or sleeves or page protectors for larger photographs or papers in scrapbooks.
• Use polypropylene not vinyl or acetate pockets. If you can smell the “plastic” odor then do not let it touch the photograph or paper.
• Store albums upright.
• If you are going to crop images crop only a reproduction not an original.
• Keep pictures in frames keep out of the light as much as possible. Consider having them framed using archival quality glass, available at most frame shops.
• Use mats to separate the photographs from the glass in frames so the photo does not stick to the glass.
• Carefully label the backs with a soft pencil, Stablio pencil, pigma micron ink pen, or another pen that is acid free and safe for writing on photographs. Make sure to write in a dark area of the photograph in case the ink bleeds through.
• If you want to use a printed label on a back of a photograph, typewriter ink or laser printers are better lasting than most ink jet printers.
• With today’s technology it is fairly easy to reproduce and restore photos so it is recommend that you use copies for display purposes and keep originals in boxes out of the light.
• If they rip, do not use regular scotch tape to repair – use archival quality tape or scan and print a new restored copy.
• Some ways of arranging photographs:

    A.  Scrapbook – chronological.
    B.  Memory book – 
    1.  About one person, frequently compiled for graduation or a funeral or 

2. One event like a wedding or reunion.

    C.  Heritage book or heritage box - a compilation of genealogical information intended to be passed down.  It may also include small objects.

VIII. Hair, pressed flowers, other organic Items such as leather goods

• Save in

    A.  An envelope or 
    B.  Memorabilia pockets available to use in scrapbook, or 
    C.  A glass case out of the sun.

• Check on it a few times a year to make sure there is no vermin or water damage.

IX. Paintings

• Keep them from direct light or heat.
• Dust oil paintings by using a soft paintbrush.
• Encapsulate drawings, inks, and charcoals to prevent smudging.
• If storing,

    A.  Wrap painting in paper.
    B.  Cut pieces of cardboard to cover the front and back.

X. Fabrics – quilts, afghans, clothing, wall hangings

• Roll, don’t fold. You can roll it around a newspaper roll or fabric bolt roll.
• Store woolens in a cedar chest or closet or cardboard archival box.
• Store cottons on top of unpainted wood or cardboard archival box.
• Wrap quilts or other fabrics in a plain white cotton sheet.
• Use yarn or thread or to loosely tie a label to the item. Do not use pins.
• Check on the item a few times a year to make sure there is no vermin or water damage.
• If the item is stored in a box, a wood or cardboard box “breathes” with the fabric so it is better than plastic. If using a plastic box wrap the item in a plain cotton sheet then place in box.

XI. Computerized resources –

• Backup and store in a separate location
• Make multiple copies
• Update to new storage system when computers change (i.e. convert 3 ½ inch floppies to CD-ROMS).
• Laser printing on acid neutral paper stands up well.
• If using an ink jet printer use archival ink and paper.

XII. Videotapes, home movies 8mm, audiotapes, record albums, 8 track, etc.

• Label where and when they were recorded, what topics are, and who participated.
• Punch out the tabs on tapes!
• Leave rewound, not in the middle of the tape.
• Transcribe as soon as possible. Pay someone to do this for you if you must.
• Play the tapes once a year to prevent “stickage”.
• Transfer to new media when possible (currently CD or DVD or MP3), make copies and store copies elsewhere.

XIII. Furniture

• Dust or use vacuum covered with cheesecloth or a plastic screen to avoid scratching.
• Avoid temperature extremes.
• Use paste wax yearly.
• Try to keep the original finish.

XIV. Jewelry & Silver

• Store in a cloth or felt lined bag or container.
• Dust with soft cloth or paintbrush.
• Most items are better preserved if used occasionally rather than never used.

XV. Time Capsule

• With your family compile and bury a time capsule on your property. Make a map and set a date 10 or 20 years in the future to exhume it.

XVI. YOURSELF

The most important treasure you have – YOU - Share your memories.

    A.  Autobiography or biography of a family member

You do not have to do this “cold turkey”. Use books to get outlines, ideas, and “memory joggers”. Many helpful resources are available at the library.

• Try to tell stories, not just facts.
• Tell lessons you learned from incidents in your life.
• State your opinions on current events or historic events.
• Be honest and true to your own personality.
• Write your memories of deceased family members, start with your grandparents, then your parents, your aunts and uncles, your cousins, your siblings, your spouse, your children, your grandchildren. Make these people real by telling about times you spent with them.
• Write down or audiotape or videotape information about yourself.
• Use Timelines

1 Relative time line – this happened before this a. My life: the beginning years b. My life: the school years c. My life: the military years d. My life: early marriage e. My life: career and raising family, include years of births f. My life: retirement 2 Event-related time line – try taking 10 events from the listing of events in U. S. History as reported in the World Almanac. Relate them to your life – how they affected you, what your life was like at the time. a. This happened in my life before the Korean War. b. This happened in my life after the Korean War. c. This happened in my life during Kennedy’s Presidency.

• Publish your product. Be redundant – make copies and distribute to:

1. Family 2. Your local library - but remove birth day and other sensitive information about people still alive 3. Your hometown historical or genealogical society – again protect the privacy of the living. 4. Your school or military or professional alumni association – protect the privacy of the living.

    B.  Video tour of your life

• Create an autobiography video tour of your house or your home town or
• Videotape each of the places you go and people you see this month and label it “A Month in the Life of <insert your name here>”.

    C.  House History

Write down what you know about your house – Who lived there? When was it built? What is it made of and who built it? What makes it special? Tell about your hometown.

    D.  Cookbook

• Compile a cookbook of your family recipes.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

• = best books

Alessi, Jean and Jan Miller. Once Upon a Memory: Your Family Tales and Treasures. Lots of ways to start your research, - taking one question at a time. Good for getting your feet wet. Call # B91 A372O at Main.

Braun, Bev Kirschner. Crafting Your Own Heritage Album. Overview of organizing print materials into a genealogically significant order. Call # B91 B825C 2000 at Main and branches.

Campbell-Slan. Scrapbook Storytelling. Call # 745.593 S631S 1999 at Main and branches.

Carmack, Sharon DeBartolo. Organizing Your Family History Search: Efficient & Effective Ways to Gather and Protect Your Genealogical Research. How-to book, forms in back. Call # B91 C287O 1999 at Main and branches.

Cosby, Bill. Treasure Hunt. (Children’s Fiction). Little Bill finds out about his family. Call # Pb Cosby at Main and branches (in children’s section).

Flack, Jerry. Lives of Promise: Studies in Biography and Family History. Written by a teacher, this shows project that can be used by teachers, 4-H & scout leaders, etc.

Goodson, John F. Last Will & Testament. Call # 346.73 G 655L.

• Greene, Bob and D. G. Fulford.

To Our Children’s Children: Preserving Family Histories for Generations to Come. Full of questions you can ask yourself and others to preserve stories and memories. Call # B91 G799T at Main, Burkhardt and Troy.

Hunt, Melba. Cooking the Wright Way. Example of what foods were eaten in Midwest America around 1900. Call # 641.597 H942C 1998 at Main and branches.

• Long, Amy J. Oaks.

From Shoeboxes to Books: Writing Great Personal Histories. Good examples and a course you can follow to do this yourself. Fill in the blank forms that are easily copied and completed. Call # B91 L848F 2000 at Main.

McLaughlin, Paul. A Family Remembers: How to Create a Family Memoir Using Video and Tape Recorders. How to pace yourself in doing interviews and be approachable and organized gives sample questions. Call # B91 M161F at Main.

My History Is America’s History. Overview of preserving your treasures and your memories. Call # B91 N2772M 1999

Polacco, Patricia. The Keeping Quilt. (Children’s Fiction). Fabric from the used clothes of Anna’s family are preserved in a quilt. Call # Pb Polacco at Main and branches (in the children’s section).

Renick, Barbara. Genealogy 101: How to Trace Your Family’s History and Heritage. Overview of the field. Good to refer back to when you get stuck in a research rut. Call # B91 R413G 2003 at Main and branches.

Sturdevant, Katherine Scott. Organizing & Preserving Your Heirloom Documents: Includes Diaries, Letters, Memoirs, and More. Ideas for keeping your own notes and understanding papers of your ancestors. Call # B91 S935O 2002 at Main and Bradford.

• Taylor, Maureen

Scrapbooking Your Family History. Mostly about scrapbooks, but also lists web sites and includes information about preservation and reading handwriting. Call # B91072 T244S 2003 at Main and branches.

Various estate planning books. Call # 346.73 at Main and branches.

World Almanac and Book of Facts. Use the “U. S. Facts and History” section to compile your life timeline. Call # 317.3 W927 at Main and branches.

http://www.lcweb.loc.gov/preserv/familytreasures/index.html Library of Congress

http://opc.ohionet.org/index.html Ohio Preservation Council

http://www.conservation-us.org American Institute of Conservation for Historic and Artistic Works

Vendors: http://www.genealogicalstorageproducts.com http://www.gaylordmart.com http://www.archivalsuppliers.com

This is a handout created by Shawna Gambol Woodard and Carrie Williams for Dayton Metro Library. Dayton Metro Library 215 E Third St Dayton, OH 45402 www.daytonmetrolibrary.org history@daytonmetrolibrary.org