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Post by scrapperal on Aug 4, 2015 4:21:29 GMT
I've recently inherited some old photo albums/photos where the photos were glued onto into old scrapbooks. Most are those old black pages. I don't know if those old pages are acid-free or not, but the photos are all in really great shape. The photos are 50 to 80 years old and the albums are probably 25 to 50 years old.
Do you think it would be better to try to remove the photos from the pages (I'm not comfortable with Un-do) or just cut away as much of the black paper that I can?
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Post by 950nancy on Aug 4, 2015 4:29:37 GMT
I have never had a problem with Un-do, but completely get your avoidance of it with such special photos. I know I have Googled this before and there was a lot of good info on maybe the Smithsonian site??? Cutting the black paper does seem safer.
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oaksong
Drama Llama
Posts: 6,167 
Location: LA Suburbia
Site Supporter
Jun 27, 2014 6:24:29 GMT
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Post by oaksong on Aug 4, 2015 4:40:20 GMT
I know this isn't what you asked, but can you use the black pages as-is, and just remount or embellish, leaving the entire page intact. I would definitely not try to remove them from the paper, especially since they are in such good condition. They might end up cracking as you pull on them.
I have an album like this that is about 60 years old. I ended up scanning all of the pages. Then I cut out the scanned pictures, remounted them into a new scrapbook.
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Post by anniefb on Aug 4, 2015 5:16:48 GMT
I know this isn't what you asked, but can you use the black pages as-is, and just remount or embellish, leaving the entire page intact. I would definitely not try to remove them from the paper, especially since they are in such good condition. They might end up cracking as you pull on them. I have an album like this that is about 60 years old. I ended up scanning all of the pages. Then I cut out the scanned pictures, remounted them into a new scrapbook. I agree about leaving them on the background paper as you might do more damage trying to remove them. |
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Post by ScrapsontheRocks on Aug 4, 2015 7:20:43 GMT
Try looking at a scrapbook store/ online place for an tester pen and test the black pages. Good luck!
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Post by houston249 on Aug 5, 2015 0:06:34 GMT
I concur with oakfish.
I wanted to add if the glue looks clearish, brown and probably cracked it is mucilage glue. Musilage was made from fish or certain plants depending on the era it was produced. That stuff Is crazy hard, almost impossible to remove and lasts forever. My g-ma used it in her scrapbook and it is still holding strong 90 years later, the photos and paper also look great. She was not happy when she found out they stopped producing it. The most famous musilage glue was LePage. Its delivery system was fantastic, a little rubber top with a slit in it, the harder you pressed the more came out of the bottle. State of the art scrapbooking in the early 1900's.
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Post by anniefb on Aug 5, 2015 1:06:33 GMT
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Post by birukitty on Aug 5, 2015 17:35:51 GMT
If the photos are in really great shape why remove them at all? I suggest scanning the photos and then printing from the scans if you want a copy of the photos to make new scrapbook pages. You could by a pen that tests paper for acid as another Pea suggested, but the thing is if you are going to remove the photos you can't get them off the paper anyway due to the glue.
Is the scrapbook they are in in terrible shape? Is it falling apart?
Debbie in MD.
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Post by myboysnme on Aug 5, 2015 17:37:39 GMT
I decided to leave my mom's book intact. I scanned copies of the photos to scrap. normally I am all about getting original photos into a safe setting, but these photos have done pretty well on their own.
One thing I did do was cover each photo with paper and then spray the black page with archival mist to remove the acid from the paper. But many of those black photo pages were made especially for photos which is why they have done so well, and have also not been exposed to light, air, dust and oils.
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Post by anniefb on Aug 5, 2015 20:59:05 GMT
I decided to leave my mom's book intact. I scanned copies of the photos to scrap. normally I am all about getting original photos into a safe setting, but these photos have done pretty well on their own. One thing I did do was cover each photo with paper and then spray the black page with archival mist to remove the acid from the paper. But many of those black photo pages were made especially for photos which is why they have done so well, and have also not been exposed to light, air, dust and oils. Sounds like a good outcome. |
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Post by scrapperal on Aug 6, 2015 4:32:54 GMT
I do plan on scanning the photos and doing some minor retouching, but otherwise will leave the scans as is (I'm not an Photoshop expert). As for the actual albums, my aunt tore out various pages and handed them to me (insert gasp of horror). Other pages will go to other relatives. I did not want to be responsible for all the family photos so I let her do what she wanted. I feel some obligation to do the best scans that I can since no one else in the family cares about high quality scans. Of course I will share them with the family even though no one else shares photos or genealogy info they've gathered (yes, that annoys me).
As for the actual photos themselves, I will most likely trim the black pages to the edge of the photos or to whatever size fits into sleeves or photo pockets. If nothing else, it will keep everyone's fingerprints off the photos.
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Post by birukitty on Aug 6, 2015 5:30:39 GMT
Oh my, I can't even begin to image how frustrating that must have been to you. To be handed torn out pages from a scrapbook from a family member so she could share the photos with other family members, when in this day and age, that entire scrapbook could have stayed intact, been scanned and everyone in the family could have copies made of whatever photos they wanted. Doesn't it irk you all sometimes when other people don't get it? Obviously it isn't their fault, they just don't know any better.
I think your idea of keeping them on the black paper makes sense then. I would caution you to consider using archival sleeves or photo pockets to slip them in. These are easy to find with a quick search on Google, if you need any help just PM me. These old family photos are true treasures.
I'm currently working with my parent's on labelling their old photos and getting them into slide in memo photo albums (so we can put the information down next to it). The next step will be to scan them, but my father doesn't want them sent out of the house to get this done. I bought the albums from a place that sells archival albums. When I scrapbook these photos it will be prints made from the scans.
Debbie in MD.
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Post by infochick on Aug 6, 2015 6:03:34 GMT
I concur with oakfish. I wanted to add if the glue looks clearish, brown and probably cracked it is mucilage glue. Musilage was made from fish or certain plants depending on the era it was produced. That stuff Is crazy hard, almost impossible to remove and lasts forever. My g-ma used it in her scrapbook and it is still holding strong 90 years later, the photos and paper also look great. She was not happy when she found out they stopped producing it. The most famous musilage glue was LePage. Its delivery system was fantastic, a little rubber top with a slit in it, the harder you pressed the more came out of the bottle. State of the art scrapbooking in the early 1900's. Completely unrelated to the original post, but the comment about the LePage musilage glue brings me right back to my childhood. Going to school in Canada in the 80s, I remember this being the glue I used on my kindergarten art projects. Given the above comment I'm sure some of those projects are still intact in a box in my parents basement! |
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