Ramon M. Jackson, PhD

May 19, 2024

The Learning Lab series provides practical tips, advice, and guidance on specific historic preservation topics that are relevant to African American preservation projects. We hope these posts help community members and leaders better navigate the complexities of historic preservation work successfully.  

1.    Identify and Plan to Protect Your Precious Family Artifacts:  What is a family artifact?  The good news is you decide!  In most cases, family historians tend to save documents, photographs, oral histories, and videos to illuminate the past.  There are countless types of family artifacts that don’t fall into these categories.  Heirlooms could include wedding rings, christening dresses, quilts, a war medal, musical instruments, decorative items, handmade crafts, or anything with sentimental value.  That said, you should choose wisely and develop a preservation plan. Ask yourself: Does the artifact truly strengthen your family history?  Do you have enough storage space?  Can the item be easily identified, transported, protected, and maintained? Will another family member be willing to take ownership in the event of an unfortunate event?  Answering these questions will help you determine what needs to be saved. 
2. Label Everything: Each artifact should include a label or card with basic information describing the item, relevant historical information, and why it is important to your family’s story.  This information will develop a chain of ownership, strengthen your family history, and, if desired, help appraisers determine its value.  Objects without labels can sometimes be mistaken for trash. Don’t risk losing your precious items!
3. Keep Em’ Clean, Cool and Safe: All documents, photographs, and heirlooms should be kept clean and free of dust and other contaminants.  Minimize handling and safely store your items.  If you have dirty or damaged artifacts, use preservation-safe techniques to clean or repair them, or consult a museum, archive, or professional conservator for advice.  Storing items in cool, dry places and inside an appropriate box, sleeve, or container is a great first step! Check out Gaylord Archival (gaylord.com) for options.  
4. Preserving Family Letters and Documents: Documents, letters, and other family papers can last a long time when properly cared for.  When preserving paper, be sure to unfold, remove all rubber bands and paperclips, take them out of envelopes, and lay them flat.  Store papers in acid-free folders and boxes in a cool (below 75 degrees), dry place.  This will slow decay and reduce the chances of mold and infestation.  Minimize handling by digitizing your documents. You can easily share and store digital files and build detailed family trees on Ancestry, FamilySearch, and other genealogical websites. If you must handle the original, be sure to wash and dry your hands first.  Also, avoid eating, drinking, or smoking around valuable family papers. 
5. Displaying Family Letters and Documents:  It is difficult to resist the urge to hang an attractive, old family document on the wall.  Consider framing a copy and storing the original.  This will decrease exposure to light, which causes documents to fade. 
6. Preserving Books: Family Bibles, scrapbooks, atlases, recipe books, and other manuscripts are treasured possessions in most families. While these bound books are like documents, they also present a host of their own unique problems and solutions.  Store books in clean, dry places.  Avoid garages, attics, or basements unless they are temperature regulated or located in dry environments.  Books should be stored flat in archival quality boxes to protect them from dust, sunlight, and the stress caused by upright storage.  Unfold page corners, remove rubber bands, paperclips, and bookmarks.  Be careful when opening old books.  Try to avoid opening them all the way flat, which can damage the spine and binding.  Always grip the middle of the book if you are pulling it from the shelf, instead of yanking from the binding. 
7.      Preserving Scrapbooks:  Most older family scrapbooks are a preservation nightmare! They were often made of poor-quality, acidic paper that deteriorates rapidly and damages photos or other objects attached to it.  Scrapbook pages were often arranged using adhesives (tape, glue, and rubber cement) which damaged photos, papers, and other items on the pages.  These books also have poor binding, due to badges, dried flowers, love letters, brochures, and other fun extras.  Don’t pull your hair out trying to disassemble and preserve each page!  Place thin, archival quality paper between each page and store the scrapbook flat in an archival safe container. 
8. Preserving Electronic Information: In this modern age, the biggest threat to the safety of our family history information is likely the possibility of our computer crashing or our toddler throwing our phone into the bathtub or pool.  Nearly everyone keeps important family information such as photos, documents, family tree charts, and other files on their computers, digital cameras, cell phones, and tablets.  Ironically, electronic files are just as fragile as documents and photos!  Always follow this simple rule: Organize and back up your information. Be sure to centralize your files on your computer or external hard drive, label everything, and get rid of excess materials.  For every important electronic file, make sure that you follow the 3-2-1 rule: Keep three copies of it in two types of media storage in at least one location other than your house.  Possibilities include your computer’s hard drive, external hard drives, thumb drives, or “the cloud” (Google Drive, Dropbox, Evernote, OneDrive, etc.).  Make sure trusted relatives and friends know about the existence and location of these important electronic files.  Revisit your backups at least once a year to make sure everything is current and transfer files, if necessary. 
9. Preserving Audio/Visual Material:  Audio and visual recordings give us intimate glimpses into the past and help us to recall precious moments with our loved ones.  Many families keep stashes of cassette tape interviews of older relatives or home videos of family reunions.  It is important to store cassette tapes, videos, and other electronic media in a cool, clean, and dry place.  Minimize handling and avoid playing damaged tapes. As time passes, playback equipment may become obsolete, making it difficult to access your recordings. When in doubt, contact an expert who can convert the content to digital files. Digitizing electronic media requires more skill and equipment than you may have readily available.  Oral histories should ALWAYS be transcribed! Doing so will provide you with a backup and an easy-to-use reference when writing or presenting your family’s story.  

Preserving Textiles and Jewelry:  When using or displaying textiles, be sure to clean and dry your hands.  Store textiles flat in a cool, dry place with minimal light (avoid sunlight).  If you decide to hand clothing, use preservation-safe hangers.  Consult a professional conservator to assist with cleaning delicate textiles.  Jewelry should be treated in a similar manner; Defer to jewelers to clean valuable items.  Store diamonds separately from other jewelry pieces to avoid scratching softer stones.  Wrap stones with archival tissue.  Silver should be wrapped in a silver cloth.  Store all jewelry in acid free boxes.