Preserving stuff (actual *stuff* - not jam :-) )

[MrsMike]

My Grandmother was placed in an assisted living facility and my aunt, the exec of the estate, is putting her home on the market. She told my mom and her siblings to come over and grab what they want - pics, mementos, etc. We grabbed a ton of old pictures and a good deal of my Grandfather's things. My Grandfather was a WWII veteran and we now have his purple heart, his wings (lots of them) and a few other medal things. We have a TON of "restricted" documents from the time period, as well as certificates promoting him to Lt. and then to Captain. We plan to frame those. There are tons of newspaper clippings, mostly from the 40's, but there is also something from 1918. also, my Grandfather was killed in a plane crash during a routine flying mission at an Air Force base in Fort Worth in 1950. He burnt to death. After the crash, the military inventoried his stuff and one of his crewmembers sent it to my Grandmother. The items were in a box and each item is wrapped in a tissue (boogey tissue, not gift wrap tissue). We don't think my Grandmother ever looked at the items. They've been in a cedar chest since 1950. The items from the crash vary; small paper cards, photos, a zippo lighter, keys, dog tags, several dollar bills, his wallet and a few other items. They are all very damaged and full of soot.

How do we go about making sure we don't damage anything and keep it preserved? I know contact with certain materials can cause damage and I know the oils from our skin can be problematic. I'm worried about the stuff from the crash as it's obviously very delicate.

Also, what is the best way to go about copying photographs? There are 6 siblings and everyone is going to want copies of certain pictures. I'm guessing the kodak kiosk at Wal-Mart may not be a great idea.

One more question - was there ever a time period when books weren't dated? We have one old book that doesn't have a publication date anywhere. It appears quite intact without pages missing. My Great-Grandfather wrote his name on the inside in 1930 so I know it's at least that old.

[SleeplessMommy]

This company has lots of supplies for storing and preserving photos and documents:

http://www.lightimpressionsdirect.com/index.action

For photos, you need unbuffered paper, photo corners, and acid-free pages.

I would suggest scanning everything at high resolution and making CD's for each family member. At the same time, draw up a family tree with birth dates, marriages, etc... just for future reference. There are lots of places to make photographs from digital images, they probably all use the same process. (though maybe there is a special process for treasures?)

[velochic]

If you have a library nearby that has a genealogy department/room, it would be a good idea to visit it. The library where I work has some amazing things they are preserving and the gals that work in the department are experts at what it takes to properly store and preserve old items. And these people usually LOVE to help, so you'd be doing them a favor if you took in a few samples to show them what you want to preserve. Each type of material has different conditions. And if they don't have the answer right away, I'd bet they'd love to do all the research for you.

Good luck!

[Farmer'sWife]

Originally Posted by SleeplessMommy

I would suggest scanning everything at high resolution and making CD's for each family member. At the same time, draw up a family tree with birth dates, marriages, etc... just for future reference. There are lots of places to make photographs from digital images, they probably all use the same process. (though maybe there is a special process for treasures?)

A photo CD is a great idea. I made copies of wedding photos of my parents, grandparents, great-grandparents etc. as far back as I could go for my wedding. I scanned the pictures on my regular home scanner/printer, put them on a CD and had them printed at a local photo place and they turned out great. It's so nice to have those pictures for my own house, as like you said, there was only one copy of some of them. Some of the pictures I was even able to touch up scratches and stuff with the basic photo editing software that came with my printer. Just know that some photo places are pickier than others when it comes to copywrites on professional pictures. One place I went to would do reprints if the original was at least 25 years old and another place required 75 years!

[grahamsmom98]

Please take what I have to say gently. I mean no disrespect to you, your aunt nor your other relatives. My thoughts are with your Grandmother, if she is still alive.

If she has died (I'm sorry), then skip to the end of my post regarding conservation of old phots and documents.

That being said, IS your grandmother still alive? You said she has been "placed" in an assisted living facility.

My Grandmother was placed in an assisted living facility and my aunt, the exec of the estate, is putting her home on the market.

If so, your aunt needs to be her legal power of attorney in order to do what she is doing. The "executor" of an estate handles business related to a person after they have died. Just words, I know. But, it is an important distinction and a legal one.

My Grandmother was placed in an assisted living facility and my aunt, the exec of the estate, is putting her home on the market. She told my mom and her siblings to come over and grab what they want - pics, mementos, etc. We grabbed a ton of old pictures and a good deal of my Grandfather's things.

If your grandmother is still alive, and capable of communication and rational thought, quite honestly, I think you need to discuss with her how she feels about everyone swooping in making a grab for her things. These possessions still belong to her. It is her right to say where she wants them to go (obviously, she kept them this long without dispersing them to relatives).

If she is okay with her children and grandchildren removing the items in discussion, this could be a rare and special time for her tell everyone about people in photographs, why she kept certain clippings and other information. She could answer so many questions for all of you.

Please remember, even if she is not of sound mind (dementia), seeing her photographs and her possessions is VERY important (more than most people realize). Please make sure that she has, if not the originals, copies of the photos in her room/apartment in the ALF. These are her ties to her past and so important to her. Nobody can know what goes on in the mind of someone slipping away from the world of reality. Take away those photographs/possessions she is so familar with could cause her much anxiety.

The time will come when family members can divide up these precious remembrance items from her estate. But, the time is not while she is alive, no matter what her state of mental health.

...one of his crewmembers sent it to my Grandmother. The items were in a box and each item is wrapped in a tissue (boogey tissue, not gift wrap tissue). We don't think my Grandmother ever looked at the items. They've been in a cedar chest since 1950. The items from the crash vary; small paper cards, photos, a zippo lighter, keys, dog tags, several dollar bills, his wallet and a few other items.

These items, in particular, must be very personal to her and have deep emotional and sentimental value. Trust me, she looked at them. It sounds like she never desired to share (with family members) that she had them. She had her reasons, no doubt emotionally painful. If this was my grandmother, I'd hold these items and bury them with her. Her husband had them when he died, they are the her physical link to him. Just my opinion.
__________________________________________________ _______________

Wear gloves when handling any of these items, white 100% cotton are the best. Good for you to worry about body oils affecting them, you are correct!

Contact the base historian at any military base nearby, or through the Smithsonian or the Air Force regarding the documents. They can answer many of your questions and give you a complete listing of whatever decorations your Grandfather received while in the service.

A reputable photography supplier can point you in the direction of the right photography business to help with the copies. Wal-Mart will require a signed release to copy any photo (taken by a professional photographer) less than 75 years of age. Personally. I wouldn't trust any one-hour photgraphy-type business to handle those types of valuable old photos.

Regarding framing of any certificates, photographs, etc: make sure you go to a frame shop with expertise in framing those types of materials!!! YOU need to make sure to insist on their using only archival (acid-free & no taping) framing supplies and the correct type of glass. It will cost more. However, this is important if you want to preserve these things for the future.

[tightwaderin]

Here's another company dedicated to preserving your precious items. They have free shipping on $25 or more through December 24th.

http://www.webyfl.com/index.aspx?dc=FREESHIP25

There are some good articles for information on preserving your treasures here.

http://www.archivalmarketplace.com/page3.html

I too have acquired several family momentos and photographs since the death of my parents. Depending on the amount of items you received it can be a daunting task. If you can afford it or have access to one, a scanner might be one of your best friends. I scan everything and keep it on my harddrive as well as backup on a portable harddrive. In case of emergency, I can grab and go.

[MrsMike]

Thank you all so much for your helpful suggestions.

To answer some questions:

My aunt has 100% legal power...everything you can think of. She has power of attorney, conservatorship and is executer of the estate. She went behind everyone's back with everything and never discussed anything with her siblings, but she has so much legal clout that nothing can be done.

My Grandmother has photos and possessions in her room at the ALF. She was diagnosed with Alzheimers. She isn't allowed to have a lot of stuff, but she does have precious things with her. We are also making copies of photos to take to her this weekend. I agree that it is very important for her to have these things.

The reason things are being divided up now is because of my aunt. The choice is to either take what we can or let her throw it out. My Grandmother is limited with the amount of possessions she can have, nor do I want certain things in a facility where they can be stolen. The other problem is that my Grandmother was married twice. My bio Grandfather died in 1950 and she remarried. My Poppop died in 1978. Two of my aunts are insanely jealous of anything related to her first husband so we have to make sure we have the right balance of photos and possessions there. It's sad, really.

As for burying things with her. My mom wanted to do that but we will most likely put one or two items in with her. Again, this is an issue with two of my aunts. They will most certainly flip and cause a huge commotion at a funeral if we put a big box with his possessions in her casket. Again, sad. And, no, they do not care about how she feels. The aunt who takes control and has the legal power is not very loving and doesn't have many nice things to say about my Grandmother. She has her own issues, so what can you do?

I just don't want anyone to think we are swooping down to take stuff out of greed. These are things that cannot be moved into the ALF with her. My aunt has made it very clear that she will throw away everything that is remaining in that house when she puts in on the market in December. So, we had to grab what we could during that one visit because a ton of family memories would be lost.

[lucyem]

Speaking as a reference librarian who is involved with archival work I also recommend finding a local library or historical society and ask for some guidelines on how to deal with the various items. For example the book you mention. You could also contact this group and see if there is a local member. http://www.archivists.org/

Photos can easily be scanned at a high resolution and put on CD's for people to either have good quality prints made themselves. Originals are best put in the plastic archival sleeves if you can afford to do that. But in your cse it is not like people will be handling them a lot so this may be different for your needs.

Newspaper clippings are not worth the paper they are on. You want the information. You can photo copy them. Newsprint deteriorates quickly. Today most photocopy paper is acid free enough to be better then the newsprint. You can also scan them with the photos. (Whole newspapers are a different thing and have value in themselves)

There are lots of archival supply stores which may give you ideas as well for items.
http://www.gaylord.com/listing.asp?H=3
http://www.archivalsuppliers.com/
http://www.lightimpressionsdirect.com/index.action