Since the beginning of time, mankind has been recording history. However, only within the past 150 years have we been able to document history photographically. What we learn about our past provides a transition from our ancestors to our offspring. Photographs provide a graphic portrayal of yesterday, but if we neglect and do not preserve our photographs, some of our history will fade away along with those images.
High humidity is most harmful and high temperatures accelerate the deterioration.
Attics and Basements - The worst places to store your photographs or documents is in an uninsulated attic or basement. In the summer, temperatures in an attic could reach 125 degrees F. while in the winter they can get down to less than 0 degrees. With the constant high temperatures and humidity in the summer and low temperatures and humidity in the winter, the photographs or documents will become brittle. These cyclic conditions will have a devastating effect on any paper product. Uninsulated basements are usually moist which can cause photographs to stick to each other.