Care
- Handle photographs with clean hands or while wearing clean nitrile gloves. Consider wearing gloves when handling metal, glass, and plastic materials such as negatives, daguerreotypes, or tintypes.
- Avoid touching the image area of a photograph. Whenever possible, handle the photograph by its edges or by its housing materials.
- Whenever possible, avoid marking photographs. Limit markings and write on the back and near the edge with a soft graphite pencil. It is preferable to mark the photograph’s housing materials.
- Do not use paper clips, rubber bands, or other mechanical fasteners to mark or organize prints.
- Do not use adhesives on photographs.
- Dusting can create scratches on photographs. Use a hand blower, such as an air bulb. Do not use canned air, which can discharge liquid.
Storage
- Keep the storage area relatively dry (30-50% relative humidity) and cool(70°F or below ). Avoid storage in attics or basements; near vents, fireplaces or radiators; along exterior walls or windows. Avoid areas with the potential for water leaks, and extreme environmental fluctuations (less than 5%).
- Limit light exposure as much as possible
- Avoid exposure to atmospheric pollutants by keeping the storage space well-ventilated and filtered.
- Color photographs and film negatives should be housed in cold storage, at 40°F or below.