How to Store Old Family Photographs So They Do Not Deteriorate

Old photographs deteriorate unnoticed. They fade, develop stains and stick together in the box. Often people notice only when a picture can no longer be saved. A few rules can extend the life of paper photographs by decades.

What harms photographs

The main enemies are light, damp, heat and temperature swings. Direct sun burns out the image, damp causes mould and sticking, and heat speeds up fading. So the worst places are a windowsill, a balcony, a bathroom and a storeroom near hot pipes. The best place is a dark, dry, cool cupboard with an even temperature.

How to arrange them

Not in a heap in a box, where pictures rub against each other and stick. Better in albums with paper or archival pockets, without aggressive glue and without cheap plastic film, which over time “eats” the image. Between valuable pictures you can put acid-free paper.

How to handle them

Hold them by the edges and do not touch the surface, because fingerprints show up over time. Do not use tape, and do not write on the front with a ballpoint pen, which presses through into the image. A soft pencil on the back is better.

Digitise, then caption

But even perfect storage is not forever. The most reliable insurance is to digitise: a digital copy does not fade, can be duplicated and can be kept in several places. Keep the original as a relic, and share and use the copy. And caption every picture. A name preserves more than a face. In Heritage AI, digitised photographs are linked to the people and events of the family.

You can start with a free research plan: /en.