Do your photos a favor

I recently had to remove photos from one of these photo albums, pictured below. This particular album was from the 1970’s. I could tell after the first photo they were not going to come out easily.

These albums have strips of tacky glue (which are highly acidic) holding the photos in place then the photo is covered by a clear piece of plastic or PVC, which accelerates the deterioration of the photos.

I needed to get these photos out of the album so I could scan them for my memorial board and slide show. After researching the best method I found these tips: 

1. Get some waxed dental floss and run it between the picture and the album.

2. Slide a small metal spatula (micro spatula) under the photo. (Found in art/craft stores)

3. Purchase a product called Un-Do. You can find this in craft stores. The trick is to try to get it under the picture. I recommend trying it on a not so desirable photo. The product is not meant to be used on the front of the photo. You can watch their tutorial here: https://www.un-du.com/How-To.html

4. Avoid using sharp objects as you could potentially damage the photo.

I managed to get my photos out damage free and completed my memorial board and slide show. 

If you have any of these photo albums I recommend removing the photos sooner than later. The ideal situation would be to scan the photos once they are removed from the album and save them to your computer plus in two other locations one of them being in a different location. 

 If you don’t have a scanner there are several phone apps that allow you to take pictures of your printed photos. If scanning is not an option at least remove them and store them in an archival box or photo album. Make sure they are photo safe, acid, lignin and PVC free. Amazon and the Container Store carry archival boxes.

Happy memories