I have historic documents from 1880. how do i prevent the pages from becoming more brittle over time?

Question

I have historic documents from 1880. how do i prevent the pages from becoming more brittle over time?

Answer 1

Buy a plastic sleeve for it

Answer 2

All of the above is good advice but I think one contributor meant to say "acid free paper" rather than "acid paper". The archival storage that I use has come from the company linked below but no doubt you can find similar ones where you are.

Answer 3

This is a difficult question.  Paper was originally made from linen rags.  Here in the USA the industry phased that out and replaced it with paper made from wood pulp.  That occurred about 1870-1900.  Linen paper was still pretty common  well into the 1920's.  The wood pulp paper has a very high acid content, and deteriorates completely in less than 100 years, while linen paper easily survives several hundred years.  Preservation techniques are different for the two kinds. You'd best follow the other good advice on here, but I'd advise you try to determine the type of paper you have.  Older books usually carried a statement about this.  Other sources might be a major library, or the publishing house, if they are still around.

Answer 4

Hi there,

I do work on a semi-professional level with Genealogy.  For old photos and documents, it is recommended that you use an acid based paper.

You can find these supplies at places such as Office Max, Office Depot as well as at specialty photo restoration places.

You also want to have a storage container to keep these documents in that will keep air and moisture from getting inside the container when you have your treasures in it.  The style you would want should have a rubberized seal around the edges of the lid and/or base where it closes, as well as a flip down latch to keep it shut.  You can also obtain lockable style containers or you might want to consider purchasing a small fire retardant safe with a combo lock for your documents and valuables.

Plastic slip covers alone will not keep your documents from breaking down, yellowing, etc.  However using acid paper behind the document and photos along with the protective covers will ensure your documents and photos stay safe and readable as well as protected for years to come.

Answer 5

This is a very interesting question. Conservators in museums etc. have this problem.

Keep away from light, heat (especially ultraviolet), certain chemicals in the air, and from extreme humidity. Ideal temperature may be 5 or 10 degrees centigrade, if you can safely keep a low humidity, but not too low. 40% to 50%. Fluctuations of temperature should be avoided. Rats, mica and other pests should not have access. Documents should only be handled rarely, and by careful people wearing appropriate gloves.

The building should not be subject to fire, flood or earthquake.

If you use plastic sleeves the plastic has to be of a certain type.

Consider getting copies made using an a4 flatbed scanner. (Files saved as TIF. Size each between 20 MB and 60 MB, maybe)