Preservation Guidelines

Owned by Lowell Skoog
Last updated: Apr 17, 2014
7 min read

TBD: This page has several dead links that need to be updated.

These guidelines are based on the following references. Editorial comments are by Lowell Skoog.

General Guidelines

  • The Mountaineers Archives do not have climate controlled storage at this time. Craig Tuttle (p. 35) says the optimal environment for papers and photos is 65-68 degrees Fahrenheit, 45-50% relative humidity. He says an acceptable environment is 69-71 degrees Fahrenheit, 51-55% relative humidity. For reference, the Mazama archives in Portland, OR, are controlled to 65 degrees Fahrenheit and 45% relative humidity. For a record of climate conditions in the Mountaineers Archives click here.
  • Don Williams recommends wearing cotton gloves when handling virtually all of the sorts of things we have in the Mountaineers Archives.
  • Williams also suggests setting pest traps (for rodents and insects) in the same general space as your stuff, but not on or especially close to it. Check the traps regularly to see if you have a pest problem.
  • Saving Stuff describes three levels of preservation effort: Quick 'n' Dirty, The Middle Road, and Pharaoh's Tomb. In most cases, I've taken the middle road in these guidelines.
  • Beware of plastic storage enclosures (see NEDCC info here). Three types of plastic meet preservation standards: polypropylene, polyester, and polyethylene. It's unlikely that boxes sold for general household use meet these standards (they're probably PVC), so they should be used only for temporary moving and storage.
  • These guidelines are listed for reference. I'm not convinced we need to follow them all the time.

Books

  • See Williams (p. 185) and Tuttle (p. 57) for suggestions on storing books. General advice from NEDCC is here. Most sources suggest storing each book in its own fitted, archival (acid-free) box.
  • The Mountaineer Annuals are the most significant book collection in the Mountaineer Archives.
  • I recommend storing annuals in acid-free archival boxes (10-20 books per box). Books can be packed either flat or upright. If they are stored flat, make sure to stack only books of the same size on top of each other and do not stack them too high. If storing books upright, use spacers to keep the books from slumping or curling. Spacers should be made of acid-free cardboard.
  • Prefer many small boxes to a few large boxes. Storing too many books in a single box can cause damage and risks losing all of them at once if there is any problem (from mildew, etc). To avoid stacking storage boxes, add more shelving.
  • For collections that contain multiple copies of a given volume (like the Mountaineer Annuals), consider splitting the collection into two halves which are boxed and stored separately.

Booklets and Newspapers

  • Williams offers advice for saving comic books (p. 187), newspapers (p. 192) and magazines (p. 195) as does Tuttle (p. 57). General advice from NEDCC is here.
  • The Mountaineer Bulletins represent the largest collection of booklets and newspaper-like materials in the Mountaineer Archives.
  • Place booklets and magazines in polyester (mylar) or polyethylene bags or sleeves. Place them in an archival-grade storage box, either stacked flat or arranged vertically using archival-grade cardboard dividers for support.
  • Newspapers that are delivered with a quarter-fold (like the Mountaineer Bulletins of the early 2000s) should be carefully unfolded so you can see an entire page at once. Place unfolded newspapers flat in an archival-grade box. Separate newspapers with buffered archival cardboard or place within oversized acid-free folders.
  • Package newspapers, which are typically printed on the poorest quality paper, apart from items made with better paper to avoid acid migration.
  • For collections that contain multiple copies of a given volume (like the Mountaineer Bulletins), consider splitting the collection into two halves which are boxed and stored separately.

Photographs

  • Williams (p. 34), Tuttle (p. 59), and NEDCC discuss proper care of photographs. Temperature and humidity are important for preservation of photos, but we currently have no control over them in the Mountaineer Archives. For pre-1970 gelatin prints, Williams stresses the Goldilocks Rule: "Not to hot, not too cold, not too damp, not too dry." Post-1970 resin-coated prints are less sensitive to temperature and humidity.
  • Basic care of photographic prints begins by blowing away dust with compressed air (not your breath!). Write identifying information on the back of the print with a graphite pencil. Place the print in an archival envelope, either acid-free paper or archival plastic sleeves (polypropylene, polyester, or polyethylene). Don't use polyvinyl chloride (PVC) sleeves or enclosures. For oversize prints, Tuttle (p. 59) recommends interleaving them with acid-free tissue paper and storing in an archival box.
  • Place the photographs flat in an archival box. Don't cram photos in a box to flatten them, as this could cause the emulsion to crack. Vertical storage in hanging files or document boxes is also okay.
  • For slides, blow away dust, write identifying information on the slide mount, and insert slides in polyester, polypropylene, or polyethylene sleeves. Store as for photographic prints. Williams recommends cold storage for slides (p. 41).

Movie Film

  • Before the 1930s, both print and movie film used cellulose nitrate, which is subject to spontaneous combustion as it degrades. The only safe way to store nitrate film is in a sealed container in a freezer. If you can't do that, you need to get rid of it. NEDCC has more information about cellulose nitrate films here. According to the UW film manual, nitrate film stock was never used for 16mm movie film.
  • In the 1930s, cellulose acetate "safety film" replaced nitrate film. Cellulose acetate film gives off acids as it degrades, including acetic acid (vinegar). As this process continues, the film develops a strong vinegar smell. Safety film suffering from "vinegar syndrome" should be stored in a freezer.
  • Williams (p. 30) describes a test to distinguish cellulose films from the more stable polyester film, which appeared in 1960. Place the film between two cross-polarized lenses. If you see a rainbow effect, it is polyester film. If not, it is one of the cellulose films.
  • The Mountaineers Archives have minimal resources for movie film preservation. For our purposes, films should be stored flat, in film cans, and kept away from heat, humidity, sunlight, and magnetic fields. It's best not to run films through a projector because this greatly increases the risk of damage. If projection is necessary for some reason, it should be kept to an absolute minimum. Use a lupe with a backlight, when practical, to identify film contents by looking at the leader.

Magnetic Media

  • According to Williams (p. 159), magnetic audio and video tape cassettes should be stored upright (not flat) and "tails out," meaning that the tape has been run all the way to the end. Williams recommends against using "fast forward" or "fast rewind" because this adds a lot of tension to the tape. Let the tape run to the finish at normal speed.
  • Keep magnetic media out of sunlight in a cool, dry place away from magnetic fields.
  • Periodically copy older tapes onto new media. I haven't found recommendations on the duplication interval, but I think every ten years is reasonable.

Wooden Artifacts

  • Williams (p. 110) recommends against washing unvarnished or unpainted wood with water because it will introduce moisture into the wood. He recommends using a cheap face peel (without emollients or other undesirable materials) to remove encrusted dirt. On p. 109, he says that a cloth dampened with mineral spirits may be used to clean stubborn oily dirt or waxy residue on wooden tools.
  • Williams (pp. 109-110) says that the traditional mixture of linseed oil and turpentine used on wooden tools does not protect against moisture. (On p. 122, he advises against using oil to preserve wood furniture, because it darkens with age.) He says good-quality paste wax (no silicones, toluene or xylene) is all you should ever need. I'm not entirely convinced. Linseed oil has traditionally been used by mountaineers on ice axes and other wooden objects. I think it is acceptable to apply linseed oil to ice axes and other wooden artifacts (after cleaning) when they are placed in the archives. If additional protection against moisture is desired, or if repeated cleaning and protection are needed, then paste wax should be applied instead of more layers of oil.

Iron Artifacts

  • Williams (p. 101) says that getting rust and other contaminants off the surface of iron is critical for its long term survival. He recommends using a 50/50 mixture of acetone and alcohol for cleaning iron. Use a scrub brush and fine steel wool to remove contaminants and rust. Rinse with alcohol and air dry.
  • Williams recommends a protective coating of paraffin or paste wax to preserve iron-based artifacts. He does not address the issue of "patina." (Under what circumstances would it be appropriate not to clean and protect artifacts as he describes?)

Leather Artifacts

  • For leather in good condition, Williams (p. 150) suggests cleaning with a cotton pad lightly moistened with distilled water.
  • More aggressive cleaning can be done with a 1% solution of nonconditioning liquid dish detergent and distilled water. Rinse immediately with pads dampened with distilled water.
  • Dry by blotting immediately with cotton pads.
  • Williams (p. 151) says that leather dressings, such as Vaseline, Neatsfoot oil, and lanolin, are applied to leather objects that need to remain flexible and water resistant. For leather items not in current use, he says that dressings do little other than make the object greasy and sticky, which may attract dust and insects.