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"Along Those Lines"
3/15/2002 - Archive
Caring for Your Family's 35mm Slide Collection
First, let me begin this week by thanking the many readers who took
the time to read the 1 March 2002 "Along Those Lines . . ." column titled "Why
Label Your Photographs?" The outpouring of e-mail on the subject of preservation
is heartening because, as genealogists and family historians, we inherit the
responsibilities of protecting and preserving the family treasures of all sorts.
While it is physically impossible for me to respond to each e-mail sent, let
me assure you that every one is read and your outpouring of concern and support
is greatly appreciated.
One gentleman wrote to tell me that he has thousands of slides stored in plastic
trays and inside the original pasteboard boxes. He also indicated that he also
has some stored in the original cardboard boxes in which they came from the
developer. In light of the damage that acid and lignin in newsprint can wreak
on all types of materials, the fumes that some less stable petrochemical products
(like plastic) can produce, and the many ways in which materials stored inside
wooden containers can be damaged, he is wise to ask whether his storage situation
is a problem.
In "Along Those Lines . . ." this week, let's consider the importance of the
35mm slides your family may have taken over the decades, and how to protect
that priceless family photographic collection for posterity.
Slide Basics
We've all seen 35mm slide presentations. I have vivid (and unsettling) memories
of being subjected to one set of neighbors' inexhaustible numbers of slide carousels
full of vacation pictures. If you were invited to a dinner party soon after
their winter vacation to the Caribbean, you were sure to see dozens of slides
of "our Bruce the Egret," "another idyllic sunset in Paradise," and umpteen
images of "scallop and conch shells washed up on the pristine beach." And then
there were the slides endured through countless business presentations. (Yawn!)
Okay, perhaps I'm not the best audience for a slide show. However, I certainly
recognize that those family occasions committed to the 35mm slide medium are
of inestimable value to the family. They are a chronicle of life's events and
need to be preserved. 35mm slides were often touted as the more ideal method
of developing the 35mm film, because slides were more stable than prints, and
you could always have a print made from a slide.
Let's focus for a moment on what a 35mm slide is, because it is this essence
that is the central subject of your care. A slide is actually a piece of 35mm
photographic film that was exposed in the camera. One side of the slide is actually
an acetate base, while the other side, which possesses the image, is a complex,
multi-layered film of gelatin and dyes. Both sides are delicate and slides should
therefore be handled with extreme care from the outset. Early slides used a
nitrate base, which over time, destabilized and became highly inflammable. Acetate
became the more stable base.
The older color slide films have life expectancies of approximately twenty to
twenty-five years if they are well cared for. Low heat, low light, low humidity,
and vertical storage in a slide mount are essential. There is no 'best' 35mm
slide film. Kodak, Fujifilm, and a number of others produce exceptional quality
film products for use with different lens speeds, for different lighting environments,
different 'graininess,' as well as color vs. black-and-white types. The professionals
always suggest experimentation until you get the look and effect you want.
Mounting and Storage
All that said, the little piece of delicate film needs to be placed in a mounting.
The majority of slides have been mounted by default in cardboard mountings.
The mounting is like a picture frame. Ideally, the film is not stuck to the
mount; rather the mounting material simply holds the piece of film in place
by its frame borders. Most of the slide mountings are probably high-quality,
safe materials, unless you went a "budget developing route." (Kodak, Panaflex,
Fuji and other names are always trustworthy.)Cardboard slide mounts are always
questionable for acid and lignin content. If you re-examine some old slides
and see the mounts are yellowing, browning, warping, or the ply is separating,
you may want to take action. Companies like Light Impressions Direct (www.lightimpressionsdirect.com/),
for example, sell plastic or, better yet, glass slide mounts for the especially
important slides you want to preserve. Keep in mind that the film is delicate,
and protecting it in a quality mount, and between glass, will prevent scratches,
gouges, tears, and will lower contamination risks from other compounds.
Slide carousel trays themselves are plastic and may be a source of contamination.
You might want to check on that, but typically the trays are designed of high-quality,
high-impact, heat-resistant plastic (or even old bakelite) and will remain stable
and relatively neutral. However, a carousel is not where you want to store your
slides for extended periods.
When you aren't taking slides to be presented, they should be stored upright
in acid-free containers. I remember the paperboard boxes the slides came in,
and the larger cartons in which we lugged the loaded carousels from place to
place. They were probably not acid- and lignin-free, and the glue used to hold
the carton structure together was probably not of a neutral chemical content.
An examination of your collection today and the condition of those paperboard
and cardboard boxes will generally show any problems. Discoloration of the cardboard,
decomposition, fading of color in the slides, yellowing mountings are all warning
signs. However, today there are many storage options for you.
Light Impressions Direct has had a clearance sale on through its Web site for
.040 TrueCore boxes, which hold seventy-six slides each and which have metal
reinforced corners. They're now on sale for $2.79, a great price for the item,
and these boxes ARE archival safe. Other people use larger storage containers.
Personally, I've always preferred metal drawer storage cabinets. They are better
than plastic units and certainly better than wooden units because they don't
deteriorate, and there are no wood glues or varnishes to emit damaging fumes
and other contaminants. Now, I admit the metal units can get pricey, so there
are certainly polypropylene storage and transport boxes and clear-view slide
trays and boxes with lids that can do a similar quality job for a smaller price
tag.
And don't forget the labeling process! You will want to label your slides,
the boxes, the drawers, and other containers with the date, location and subjects'
names.
An Action Plan
The bottom line here is that you should excavate your 35mm slide collection
from the closet, basement, or attic, and check its condition. If you are serious
about protecting and preserving them, you'll need to determine the scope of
your collection and its problems, decide on what supplies you will need, develop
a reasonable budget, and set about the project.
Start by donning a pair of white cotton gloves for handling the slides. Look
at individual slides, paying careful attention to the condition of the film
and to the mounting material. If the cardboard mounting is yellowing, deteriorating,
warped, separating, or otherwise damaged, you need to replace it. Depending
on your budget and the scope of your collection's needs, you may choose from
archival quality cardboard mounts, plastic mounts of various types and colors,
and glass mounts between which the film can be sandwiched.
Replacing slide mountings should not be a difficult task. With a little training
and experience, the right tools, and some patience, you can do all the work
yourself. Again, check photographic supply houses and Internet-based archival
supply companies for supplies, and don't overlook volume-pricing discounts for
which you might qualify.
Finally, with the mounting work under way, you will want to decide how best
to store the slides over the long term. Storage boxes, bins, plastic and polypropylene
cases and pocket sleeves, and metal or high quality plastic drawer units are
all among your options.
And While You're Working . . .
Don't rush headlong through your archival preservation project. Take the time
to view share your finished slides with other family members as you go along.
Ask for help in identifying people, places and dates, and you may be surprised
how many helpers will want to help in various ways. As you watch your skills
grow and the collection become more organized, you are sure to rediscover images
of people, events, and things you'd completely forgotten. You also may kindle
the spark in the next family historian, genealogist or archivist. What a great
legacy to give to your family: a well-organized, restored, and preserved visual
heritage in 35mm slides. And I personally promise not to yawn through your after-dinner
slide show. Just invite me over for coffee and dessert and see.
Happy Hunting!
George
George G. Morgan is a proud member of the International Society of Family History
Writers and Editors, Inc. (ISFHWE) at: www.rootsweb.com/~cgc/cgc2.htm.
He also is the Program Chair for the FGS/FSGS 2003 Conference in Orlando, Florida.
Lecture Proposals are now being accepted and are due by 1 May 2002. You can
learn more at the FGS Web site at fgs.org and at
fgs.org/2003conf/FGS-2003.htm.
He would like to hear from you at atl@ahaseminars.com
but due to the volume of e-mail received, he is unable to answer every e-mail
message received. Please note that he cannot assist you with your individual
research. Visit George's Web site (ahaseminars.com/atl)
for information about having him speak at your event.
Copyright 2002, MyFamily.com. All rights reserved.
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