This message board seems to deal almost entirely with hardware preservation. Is there anyplace or anyone who cares to discuss the preservation of railroad documents and photographs?
For example there are thousands of photo negatives some of which are glass plates that need some TLC and cataloging. As these are deteriating when this history is gone it will be just as significant. What is needed is the same as usual time and money to scan and catolog.

arjay3@comcast.net

Is
> there anyplace or anyone who cares to
> discuss the preservation of railroad
> documents and photographs?

You might enjoy this thread from ealier this month:

preserving archival materials
eledbetter@rypn.org

You are correct--there are many thousands of photos and negatives in need of care and preservation. At the Strahorn Library of the Illinois Railway Museum, we have more than 20,000 negatives and photos from the Ohio Brass collection alone. The focus may have been on items manufactured by Ohio Brass, but we have wonderful photos of streetcars, interurbans, and trolley buses. One of my assistant curators is documenting the collection and a helper is placing everything in archival sleeves. For a fee, we have made copies available to other museums and individuals representing various organizations. When we finish the photo & negative collection [or find another volunteer who has the time], we will move on to slides!

beast@mc.net

I have extensive experience managing and documenting railroad history non-textual graphic collections (photographs and negatives) and deal with these issues on a daily basis. I have a world of resources at my fingertips. If you have any specific questions, email me offline and I'll try to help.

Since my full-time job is as an Archivist in a major railroad museum I usually don't jump in on this message board concerning archival questions as often as I should. I usually pursue other intriguing subjects on this board (such as full-sized steam-powered vehicular artifacts and such) but I'm happy to answer any questions anybody might have.

Note--there are a wealth of "how to" sites on the internet on proper care, storage, handling and documenting photograph collections. I might suggest you start off by going into Google and typing in "Photograph Preservation," "Archives Techniques," or "Glass Plate Negatives" to see what comes up. Take some initiative and become research-savvy: do some searching of your own instead of expecting people to respond to you on a message board with answers. Excuse my Archivist soapbox, but your answers are right at your fingertips, folks! ;-) Take advantage of the fruits offered by the net, and have fun.

> This message board seems to deal almost
> entirely with hardware preservation. Is
> there anyplace or anyone who cares to
> discuss the preservation of railroad
> documents and photographs?
> For example there are thousands of photo
> negatives some of which are glass plates
> that need some TLC and cataloging. As these
> are deteriating when this history is gone it
> will be just as significant. What is needed
> is the same as usual time and money to scan
> and catolog.


kubell@state.pa.us

Ok, I couldn't resist....here's some basic techniques on preserving negatives and photographs:

*Always store black and white prints seperately from color prints, due to potential damage caused by interactions of chemicals.
*When writing on the verso side of prints with a pencil, only write in the outside margin of the photo, never opposite the emulsion, since the writing will indent and damage the photographic image.
* Keep Cyanotypes out of light (they can fade within one day of direct, sustained exposure-a cyanotype is a photo that is light blue, resembling the same color of a blueprint)
* Keep negatives in cool, dry storage.
*Optimal archival collections storage is between 65-68 degrees F at 45-50% RH (optimal, of course)
*Store no more than 10 photographs to a folder, and avoid overstuffing folders (if you have some loose prints, place them in an acid-free sleeve). Some archives store photos individually in transparent polyprophelene sleeves which allows one to view the image without causing wear and tear of pulling the photo in and out of a regular sleeve--remember, your objective is to cause as little wear and tear on the collection through proper storage methods and preservation techniques, so that future generations have something that survives!
*Store photographs in acid-free, Ph- folders (sold by Hollinger, Gaylord, Light Impressions, Conservation Resources Int'l., et al) and place in legal-size acid-free containers. Storing photographs flat is optimal, rather than upright in a box. Drop-front clamshell boxes are always best.
*Be wary of any nitrate negatives (a sure sign you have nitrate film is the distinctive vinegar smell they emit)-be sure to get them copied on safety film and then remove them from the premises, since they are potentially combustable.
*Always store glass plate negatives on edge in stable metal cabinets. Keep them rigid and make sure they don't move or slouch. Store each one in an acid-free sleeve and be wary of reticulation or flaking when removing them from the sleeve. If the emulsion is flaking from the glass, NEVER TAPE IT, don't force it, and consult the services of a professional conservator!! Broken glass plate negatives should be stored flat in individual acid-free blueboard sink mats.
*Store albumen photographs (they have a chocolate color and are mounted on rigid boards--remeber, 90% of all 19th c. photos are albumens!) flat in flatboxes and interleaved with Ph-buffered tissue paper.
*NEVER repair any film with pressure sensitive tape--anything you do must be REVERSIBLE. **ALWAYS CONSULT THE SERVICES OF A PROFESSIONAL CONSERVATOR** when in doubt as to the instability or repair of a historic photo, negative or artifact--never undertake the repairs yourself! Always use a No. 2 pencil to mark the negative envelopes--never pen (because over time, the pen can bleed through the envelope and damage your negatives).
* Make sure you transfer all of the documentation on the old negative envelope (i.e. Photographer, railroad name, loco number, location, year) to the new acid-free envelopes (IMPORTANT: don't write the info on the envelope while the neg is in the sleeve--the writing could leave permanent marks on the surface of the negs). Also, talk to the donor of the colelction and ask them about the provenance of the collection, and record this info in the accession file.
*Make sure the donor transfers all intellectual property and copyright of the images to the museum so that you can reproduce the photos in the future.
*The technology now exists for negative scanning (we are currently investigating this topic) but until we have our collection in order, I'm not proceeding to this next step just yet. As I'm fond of saying, you have to have a handle on what you've got first before jumping on the digitalization bandwagon. If you do post your images on the net, make sure the images are low-res and encrypted so freeloaders don't steel your images without permission.
*Always keep photos away from food, direct sunlight, humidity, etc. Common sense stuff.
*Always keep your new prints seperate from your old prints, and don't intermix collections--keep your photo accessions seperate, by collection (it's ethically the right thing to do).
*Keep negative boxes flat on a library cart when transporting them. Don't move boxs of glass plate negs by hand over distances--if you must, always brace the bottom of the box with a flat hand!!
*Always wear cotton gloves when handling photos and negs--the oils from your fingers can damage surface emulsions of the images!! Be wary of folks who resist wearing them because of arthritis or an excuse--if they refuse to wear them they probably shouldn't be touching the photo collections! The preservation of the objects is more at stake than the comfort of the processor! Never insist on a clean hands policy when it comes to handling photos--they must be gloved!!
*Always seperate photos, negs, blueprints, drawings from a general donation, since the chemical makeup is not good and could cause problems with other types of materials in the same container.
*Try and preserve the original negative number sequence imposed by the photographer, instead of inventing your own system (this has worked well with our Baldwin and Budd Company negatives).

I hope this helps.

K.R. Bell

> I have extensive experience managing and
> documenting railroad history non-textual
> graphic collections (photographs and
> negatives) and deal with these issues on a
> daily basis. I have a world of resources at
> my fingertips. If you have any specific
> questions, email me offline and I'll try to
> help.

> Since my full-time job is as an Archivist in
> a major railroad museum I usually don't jump
> in on this message board concerning archival
> questions as often as I should. I usually
> pursue other intriguing subjects on this
> board (such as full-sized steam-powered
> vehicular artifacts and such) but I'm happy
> to answer any questions anybody might have.

> Note--there are a wealth of "how
> to" sites on the internet on proper
> care, storage, handling and documenting
> photograph collections. I might suggest you
> start off by going into Google and typing in
> "Photograph Preservation,"
> "Archives Techniques," or
> "Glass Plate Negatives" to see
> what comes up. Take some initiative and
> become research-savvy: do some searching of
> your own instead of expecting people to
> respond to you on a message board with
> answers. Excuse my Archivist soapbox, but
> your answers are right at your fingertips,
> folks! ;-) Take advantage of the fruits
> offered by the net, and have fun.

KR Bell,

Only thing you forgot to add was that with any advise posted on the web, use it only for the information, do not accept it as gospel until you have verified it with other people.

Case and point, while I was searching on a different subject, I think it was engine repair, someone posted info, that would be analogous to poring sulfuric acid on negatives in order to preserve them.

So be careful, if someone you don't know gives you advice, try it on something you have copies of, rather then the last known copy. Or verify the method with an museum grade archivist.

Just my 2 cents.

Take care,

Rich Cizik
MoW Foreman
Ct Eastern RR Museum
Willimantic, Ct
www.cteastrrmuseum.org

KR Bell wrote:
`> Note--there are a wealth of "how
> to" sites on the internet on proper
> care, storage, handling and documenting
> photograph collections. I might suggest you
> start off by going into Google and typing in
> "Photograph Preservation,"
> "Archives Techniques," or
> "Glass Plate Negatives" to see
> what comes up. Take some initiative and
> become research-savvy: do some searching of
> your own instead of expecting people to
> respond to you on a message board with
> answers. Excuse my Archivist soapbox, but
> your answers are right at your fingertips,
> folks! ;-) Take advantage of the fruits
> offered by the net, and have fun. '


rcizik5519@earthlink.net

K.R. Bell,

You gave a lot of great information, but I have a question about the storage of glass plates. I would think that you would be risking the life of the plate image more by standing them up on edge, rather then laying it flat like you do with a broken one. The reason I bring this up is that glass is technically not solid, it is a plasma. This is why, when you look at old house glass, it tends to be thicker at the bottom, and thinner up top. Granted it takes decades to notice, but I would think that from an archival standpoint, you are looking at decades, rather then years, and over those decades, the image will start to distort, as the glass migrates to the bottom.

Take care,

Rich

K.R.Bell wrote:
> *Always store glass plate negatives on edge
> in stable metal cabinets. Keep them rigid
> and make sure they don't move or slouch.
> Store each one in an acid-free sleeve and be
> wary of reticulation or flaking when
> removing them from the sleeve. If the
> emulsion is flaking from the glass, NEVER
> TAPE IT, don't force it, and consult the
> services of a professional conservator!!
> Broken glass plate negatives should be
> stored flat in individual acid-free
> blueboard sink mats.


rcizik5519@earthlink.net

That is a very good point, and I would say the same thing applies to my own message posted herewith! :-) If you visit web sites hosted by reputable museums, archives and preservation concerns, you're looking in the right places, but also be cautious. Also, some Archivists have different techniques and what applies to one archives does not necessarily apply to another.

Also, the Society of American Archivists book list on their website offers several good primers on photo and negative storage and preservation. My favorite is James M. Reilly, "Care and Identification of 19th-Century Photographic Prints" (Kodak Books, 1986), which comes with a spiffy Flowchart & Identification Guide on how to identify different types of 19th c. photographs. SAA also carries a good book on storaging 20th c. color photographs and color slides, something all railway museums have lots of (including my insitution)! The SAA, the Pennsylvania Federation of Museums & Historical Organizations, and the Center for the Conservation of Art & Historical Artifacts in Philadelphia also offers some day-long workshops on managing and processing historic photo collections.

There's plenty of education out there for the asking, if you are willing to invest the time and money. I highly encourage you to do so, because the investment will pay off in a better managed collection and one which researchers will be able to use in an efficient manner.

K.R. Bell

> KR Bell,

> Only thing you forgot to add was that with
> any advise posted on the web, use it only
> for the information, do not accept it as
> gospel until you have verified it with other
> people.

> Case and point, while I was searching on a
> different subject, I think it was engine
> repair, someone posted info, that would be
> analogous to poring sulfuric acid on
> negatives in order to preserve them.

> So be careful, if someone you don't know
> gives you advice, try it on something you
> have copies of, rather then the last known
> copy. Or verify the method with an museum
> grade archivist.

> Just my 2 cents.

> Take care,

> Rich Cizik
> MoW Foreman
> Ct Eastern RR Museum
> Willimantic, Ct
> www.cteastrrmuseum.org

> KR Bell wrote:
> `> Note--there are a wealth of "how

Part of the dilemma of storing them flat is the sheer weight factor. Storing a pile of heavy glass plates on top of one another could cause cracking and damage to the emulsion layer plus a lot of unnecessary handling, especially if you need that fourteenth image near the bottom of the stack!! Also, many glass plates are large format size 8" x 10" and are better stored upright in steel filing cabinet cases (properly ventilated), if only due to their sheer storage size. Most archives don't have much room and need to utilize space as much as possible.

> K.R. Bell,

> You gave a lot of great information, but I
> have a question about the storage of glass
> plates. I would think that you would be
> risking the life of the plate image more by
> standing them up on edge, rather then laying
> it flat like you do with a broken one. The
> reason I bring this up is that glass is
> technically not solid, it is a plasma. This
> is why, when you look at old house glass, it
> tends to be thicker at the bottom, and
> thinner up top. Granted it takes decades to
> notice, but I would think that from an
> archival standpoint, you are looking at
> decades, rather then years, and over those
> decades, the image will start to distort, as
> the glass migrates to the bottom.

> Take care,

> Rich

> K.R.Bell wrote:

> Is

> You might enjoy this thread from ealier this
> month:

Kudos for resurrecting an extremely important and thoughtful thread. Had you thought of a book titled "The Best of RYPN"?


http://www.rtms-movietrains.com

The best book that I have seen on the topic to date is entitled: A guide to the preventive conservation of photograph collections by Bertrand Lavédrine. It is published by the Getty Conservation Institute, ISBN 0892367016. It addresses a wide range of photographic storage issues and those concerning the long term storage of CDs and other computer data.

Additionally, the link below to the Northern States Conservation Center provides advice on a wide range of conservation issues.



Northern States Conservation Center
altoonaroundhouse@umich.edu

Kurt and all,

for statrers you might have a look at the Light Impressions catalogue and web site. The company has quite a line of preservations materials, especially for photographic items.

My museum is big that we have a full time photo person, but most of it is common sense and buying the necessary products.

Ted Miles


ted_miles@nps.gov

Kurt and all,

For starters you might have a look at the Light Impressions catalogue and web site. The company has quite a line of preservations materials, especially for photographic items.

My museum is big that we have a full time photo person, but most of it is common sense and buying the necessary products.

Ted Miles


ted_miles@nps.gov

I wasn't referring to specific techniques of which I am somewhat familiar but rather that of a particular collection - the DL&W glass plates at Syracuse University that have been lanquishing for decades with very little presevation techniques being applied. From what little I know about the issue is the need of grant money so that some dedicated people can put in dedicated time on preservation techniques. Also the emulsions are deteriating on at least some and since there is no associated description, copies (scans) should be made so that former DL&W veterans can offer descriptions to aid in the catologing process. Suggestions for grants or other methods to make this happen? There are volunteers available.

> Note--there are a wealth of "how
> to" sites on the internet on proper
> care, storage, handling and documenting
> photograph collections. I might suggest you
> start off by going into Google and typing in
> "Photograph Preservation,"
> "Archives Techniques," or
> "Glass Plate Negatives" to see
> what comes up. Take some initiative and
> become research-savvy: do some searching of
> your own instead of expecting people to
> respond to you on a message board with
> answers. Excuse my Archivist soapbox, but
> your answers are right at your fingertips,
> folks! ;-) Take advantage of the fruits
> offered by the net, and have fun.

arjay3@comcast.net