Sally J. Jacobs
Archivist & Owner
Jacobs Archival Services
Glue.
It seemed like such a good idea at the time...
But as many of us know (thanks in large part to the efforts of scrapbookers) the acids in glue can cause staining and will actually eat away at photographs and other paper items. And to add insult to injury, many of our treasured family pictures are glued onto acidic scrapbook pages.
So. What should you do?
First of all, make sure the cure isn't worse than the disease. The main ingredient of glue is water, so it's bound to dry out eventually. If your photos are only partially glued you can try to remove them gently. Use a microspatula (like the one you'll find in our Photo Rescue Kit) or unwaxed unscented dental floss. If it really won't budge or you hear a tearing noise, you'll have to stop. Don't destroy your photos in the hopes of saving them!
If you can't remove photos and you know they are in a damaging environment, make copies. Find a scanning service that has experience supporting fragile, oversized books. The easiest and quickest way is to take the album or scrapbook apart. If you don't want that, be sure to tell your digital team up front.
Interleaving is also an option for photos that are forced to remain in an acidic environment. Archival supply companies like Gaylord.com and LightImpressionsDirect.com sell sheets that are buffered with calcium carbonate. They will actually absorb acid from the pages and keep the photos safer.
Drastic measures. If the only identifying information is on the back of the photo, you'll have to try some drastic measures. Generally, I do NOT recommend applying solvents of any kind or even water to photographs. There's just too much risk that you will damage the image.
But if you don't know the names of the people in the picture, and (this is important, folks!) you scan a copy of the print first...then you can try applying a product like UnDo. I think it's available at most scrapbook stores. But just to make it perfectly clear: I consider it a drastic measure.
P.S. Generally? I don't recommend using glue. Even acid-free glue. Glue violates the Golden Rule of Preservation, which is: "Do nothing that cannot be undone." Use photo corners instead...please!!
Learn more about our Photo Rescue Kit.
About the Author: Sally Jacobs has a Master's Degree in Library Science with a Specialization in Archives Management from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She has worked on collections at the Library of Congress, the Wisconsin Historical Society, the Chicago Chapter of the American Red Cross, and many family collections just like yours.
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