Your mother’s baby picture; your father in uniform; your grandmother’s wedding – these pictures can never be taken again. They are priceless and you’ll cherish them forever. Unfortunately, they can become damaged through improper care, neglect, or a natural disaster.

Here are a few tips to preserve family photographs for future generations to enjoy:

• To prevent photographs from sticking to the glass in humid weather, mat your photographs. Display or hang them away from direct light such as the sun’s ultraviolet rays and artificial light.
• Acid-free paper and ultraviolet-resistant Plexiglas are better than standard mounting materials for preventing deterioration of photos.
• A center hall closet on the main floor of a house is an ideal storage location for photographs. Basements and attics are too damp.
• Ideally, rare photographs – especially from the 19th century – should be stored in individual protective covers. Archival quality boxes or photo albums are also suitable for larger collections.
• Avoid magnetic photo albums. The pages can eventually deteriorate and stick to the back of the photographs, and the plastic cover sheets can discolor the image.
• Polyethylene or polypropylene sleeves, instead of polyvinyl chloride (PVC), are preferred when storing photographs or slides.
• Try not to write directly on a photograph – use an enclosure sheet instead. If you must write on a photograph, use a pencil.