If you have old print photos, albums, slides, negatives or all of the above - chances are they are not receiving a lot of TLC. They are far more likely to be sitting at the wrong end of a Grimm's fairy tale and languishing in a basement, attic, closet, under the bed, under the stairs or (give me strength) in the garage!
Feeling g-u-i-l-t-y yet ????
I know you are, and guilt's a bad feeling so I'm going to cheer you up by suggesting you go shopping - See? - all better 🙂
Even if you aren't ready to organize all your prints, slides, negatives etc. - job one would be to buy a few attractive archival boxes to store them so they don't deteriorate any further. See this great article in the New York Times for more details (including why plastic bins won't do.)
My preferred USA supplier of awesome photo stuff - Archival Methods
My preferred Canadian supplier of awesome photo stuff - Carr McClean
If you've had a quick look and you're thinking these are a bit pricey - please also give some thought to the value of your photos - very often identified as our most precious possessions - the first thing we'd rescue in a fire after our kids and pets! They are seriously more important than a pair of shoes!
Of course to keep your photos really safe they should also be digitized and backed up - so hire me when you're ready to get that done - but until then stop treating your treasures like trash, give them a nice new acid-free room of their own - your future generations will thank you!
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