Preserving Historical Documents

[Grosert]

Hi Everyone, this question has probably been asked previously, but I am very fortunate to have some handwritten documents dating back to 1770. How should I preserve these documents. I am going to scan them to have a computer copy, but I am not sure whether to put them in plastic sleeves or sealed plastic crates or whatever. Any assistance would be greatly appreciated.

Helen

[Glen in Tinsel Knickers]

Historic documents in plastic sleeves are a bit of a no no to be honest.

Archivists would always store such documents in a paper wrapper & ideally then placed within a card folder or archival quality card box.
If folded they should be stored "as is" if possible, trying to flatten a folded document can cause stress wear and damage to the folds. Light and moisture are the biggest enemies, most archives will have some enviromental control in place to protect books and documents. Books on the other hand should really be kept upright as the spine is less likely to suffer breakage (and you struggle to stand sometning in the top edge of a book, unlike the front or back cover!)


Ink in historic documents can damage or even rot paper, ink transfer onto plastic sleeves (solvents used in the sleeves tends to make this happen), and the paper itself can start to stick to the sleeve.

Removing and inserting the document into a sleeve also increases the chance of damage. Handling should be kept to a minimum and the oils in the skin can cause problems depending on the paper and inks hence the use of gloves in many cases.


The "right way" depends on the particular document(s) involved as the size/type etc can have an impact on the method but there are some useful guidelines on the following link,

http://www.nedcc.org/resources/leaflets/4Storage_and_Handling/01StorageMethods.php

Always worth having a word with a local archivist/document conservation officer too.

[Grosert]

Thank you so much. I am just so excited to have the documents. There are letters and lots of family history dates, names, places etc. It is a real family treasure.

I really appreciate your assistance.

Kind regards