FC-004Family and Community Memory
Storing Old Letters and Photographs Safely
A practical guide to protecting wartime letters and photographs with good storage conditions, safe enclosures and careful handling at home.
Filed as FC-004 ยท sources 1 listed
A relative hands you a bundle of wartime letters and a few faded photographs. The paper is brittle, the ink is faint, and you want to do right by it. The good news is that most of the work is prevention, not repair. The National Archives puts it plainly: preventing damage is the key to preserving your family papers and photographs (https://www.archives.gov/preservation/family-archives). This article walks through the decisions that matter most, from the room you choose to the sleeves you buy.
Where should you store family letters and photographs?
Choose a cool, dry, dark and stable place. Heat, damp, light and rapid swings in temperature and humidity all accelerate deterioration, so a bedroom closet or an interior cupboard usually beats a garage, attic, basement or shed. Keep items away from radiators, heating vents, sunny windows and outside walls that sweat in winter. Official preservation guidance for family archives rests on the same principle: a stable environment slows chemical and physical damage, which is why the National Archives lists storing family papers and photographs among its core topics (https://www.archives.gov/preservation/family-archives).
If the only available space is a basement or garage, do not give up. Use sealed plastic containers with gaskets and place them on shelves, never directly on the floor. Check them twice a year for damp, pests or odour. If you see active mould or insects, isolate the items and seek current guidance from a conservator or an official preservation service before handling them further.
Which boxes and folders are safe?
Look for enclosures described as archival, lignin free and acid free, with a pH around neutral or slightly alkaline. Standard cardboard boxes, newspaper and ordinary manila folders can introduce acids and lignins that stain and weaken paper over time. Metal fasteners, rubber bands, tape and adhesive labels are worse: they rust, harden or bleed. Remove them with care where you can do so without tearing, and note anything you remove so the context is not lost.
For individual letters, an acid free folder or a polyester sleeve is a good default. For photographs, use sleeves that pass a photo activity test, often labelled PAT. Remember that plastic is not automatically safe: PVC and some other plastics degrade and damage images. If the label does not say archival, acid free or PAT, treat it as temporary storage at best.
| Storage situation | Better choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Attic or garage | Sealed container, shelf off the floor, monitor often | Buffers against damp and pests but needs checking |
| Interior closet | Acid free box with folders | Cool, dark, stable and easy to inspect |
| Individual letters | Acid free folder or polyester sleeve | Supports the paper and limits handling |
| Photographs | PAT sleeve, then acid free box | Reduces abrasion and chemical transfer |
| Albums | Acid free pages, no glue or tape | Keeps images in place without adhesives |
How should you handle fragile items?
The National Archives advises care in handling as part of its general preservation guidance for family papers and photographs (https://www.archives.gov/preservation/family-archives). Practically, that means clean dry hands, no food or drink nearby, a clear table and no rush. Support a letter with both hands or a stiff sheet of card underneath. Turn photographs by their edges. Do not fold, dog ear or press creases flat. Avoid writing on the front of a photograph; if you must label it, use a soft pencil on the back, along the edge, and only on items where that is safe.
If a letter is torn, resist household tape. Repair is a specialist job, and bad repairs can be harder to undo than the original damage. Scan or photograph the item first so the content is captured before any intervention.
Should you digitise, and in what order?
Yes, digitise, but treat it as a copy rather than a substitute. Create high quality scans or photographs, name the files clearly, and keep at least two copies in different places, such as an external drive and a reputable cloud account. The National Archives lists digitising family papers and photographs as one of its core guidance topics (https://www.archives.gov/preservation/family-archives), which reflects how useful digital copies are for access and sharing. Original letters still carry texture, handwriting pressure and provenance, so store the originals properly and let the digital set be the version people browse.
A sensible order is: document what you have, digitise, then rehouse into archival enclosures. If you are recording a veteran at the same time, see our guide on how to start an oral history with a veteran so the recording session does not put the papers at risk.
How do you label and organise a collection?
Label boxes and folders, not individual delicate items, wherever possible. Use pencil on acid free card, or print a separate inventory sheet. Record who created each item, approximate date, place, unit or ship if known, and how it came to you. That context is what turns a stack of paper into a usable archive.
Group by person and by period, and keep envelopes with their letters. A wartime envelope often carries a postmark, a censored stamp or an address that helps date the contents. If a collection is large, number folders and keep a simple spreadsheet. If you are preparing a display or a family tribute, our notes on creating a family service scrapbook show how to present copies while originals stay safely stored.
What should you display, and what should stay in the dark?
The National Archives includes displaying family papers and photographs in its guidance (https://www.archives.gov/preservation/family-archives), and the rule is simple: display copies, store originals. Light, especially ultraviolet, fades ink and images, and framing can trap moisture or press items against acidic board. If you want an original on show for a short period, keep it out of direct sun, away from heat sources and return it to storage afterwards. Rotate displays rather than leaving anything exposed for years.
When should you ask a professional?
Ask for help when items are mouldy, insect damaged, wet, badly torn or stuck together, or when a collection may have significant historical value. The National Archives covers mould and insect problems as a distinct topic (https://www.archives.gov/preservation/family-archives), which signals that these cases are not ordinary household cleaning jobs. A conservator can also advise on storage for very large or unusual items. If you are planning a community event around the collection, our guidance on organising a community memory walk and on inviting neighbours to share service memories may help you share the story without passing fragile originals around.
A short decision checklist
- Is the space cool, dry, dark and stable, and away from floors and outside walls?
- Are boxes and folders acid free, lignin free and free of metal, tape and rubber bands?
- Are photographs in PAT sleeves rather than PVC or unknown plastic?
- Has everything been digitised and copied to more than one location?
- Is there a written inventory with names, dates and provenance?
- Are originals stored while copies go on display?
- Is there a plan for mould, pests, water or sudden deterioration?
None of this requires a laboratory. It requires a cupboard, a modest budget for enclosures and the patience to handle old paper slowly. Do that, and the letters that survived a war can survive the decades after it.
