I’m supporting a project to preserve and catalogue the archives of a local photographer. The collection includes approximately one hundred rolls of negatives, as well as prints of photographs. We are drafting a bid for funding to purchase storage materials for the negatives and prints, and do not have an environmentally controlled strongroom at present. Most suppliers seem to provide sleeves/boxes for storing sheets of negatives (contact print sheets, or slides/glass plate negatives), but I've found nothing specific for rolls of negatives.
I am keen to hear from anyone willing to share with me the methods they use to preserve rolls of negatives:
Do you use archive quality boxes instead, and store them in temp/humidity controlled environment?
And, I would really like to speak to any archives that store negatives in a freezer. Do you use a specialist cold storage cabinet (which are very expensive)? Are there any archives that use a standard frost-free freezer (and purpose made enclosures)?
There have been some suggestions that the rolls should be sliced up and put into albums, but I have cautioned against this idea (put the scissors away!), on the grounds of preserving the original order of the collection, and the laborious nature of the task - the museum is run entirely by volunteers. Any views on that issue would also be welcome.
Please feel free to respond to me directly or via the list-serve. Any information would be very gratefully received.
Best wishes
Lorraine
Lorraine Screene MA RMARA
Archivist (Volunteer)
Deal Maritime and Local History Museum
http://dealmuseum.co.uk/
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