Some basic information is provided here, or you can attend a monthly Conservation Advice session at the Research Annex of the Wheaton History Center. A wide variety of archival materials for safely storing your family heirlooms is available at the Center's Museum Shop. Products include storage boxes, albums, photo pages, photo corners, plastic sleeves for photos or documents of any size, scrapbooks, and boxes for wedding dresses and other large textiles. Whether you are concerned with preserving today's mementos or yesterday's family heirlooms, there are some basic guidelines to follow. Don't do anything irreversible 2.
Most papers are acidic because they are made from wood pulp.
Using acid-free paper will preserve your treasures. One significant problem is that photos in sleeves made of PVC can become stuck to the plastic, which damages the front of the picture. Otherwise, the extremely acidic paper will deteriorate over time, leaving you with faded text and crumbled paper. Environmental and storage conditions are important, too. Avoid extreme heat, moisture and fluctuations in temperature throughout the year.