Connecting to Collections Care

Dear colleagues, 

I am reaching out to request your expert recommendations regarding sustainable storage conditions-specifically temperature and relative humidity-for the long-term preservation of photographic heritage. In particular, I am looking for guidance on storing the following materials:

• Nitrate-based films
• Acetate based-films
• Polyester-based films
• Color photographs
• Black-and-white photographs

As part of our current review of storage strategies, we are especially interested in approaches that balance preservation needs with contemporary sustainability considerations (such as energy consumption and climate impact).

If you have any documentation, standards, or recent research to share, we would be very grateful.

Thank you in advance for your time and assistance.

Hi Alexandra, 

Thanks for writing in to C2C Care! That's a really interesting question that you have posed, and the conflict between cool/cold storage for photographs and the carbon footprint produced to create those conditions is a difficult line to walk. However, there are some safety risks that warmer storage solutions may pose - particularly for nitrate film which can combust, and once burning is essentially self-fueling and impossible to put out. Cold storage slows the degradation process for nitrate and acetate based films, which improves their longevity and potentially allows for re-formatting or digitizing. 

C2C has compiled several resources for the storage of photographic materials which I've linked below:

Featured Resource - Photo Cold Storage

Caring for Photographs

A Discussion of Cold Storage Theory and Practice for Photographic and Paper-based Records

The Library of Congress also has links to more information on the preservation of both motion picture film and photographs:

Care, Handling, and Storage of Motion Picture Film

Information Leaflet on the Care, Handling, and Storage of Photographs

I'll also be reaching out to our experts to see if they have any additional information for you that may provide some nuance to what requires cold storage vs less stringent environmental conditions.

All the best,

Liz

Dear colleagues, 

I am reaching out to request your expert recommendations regarding sustainable storage conditions-specifically temperature and relative humidity-for the long-term preservation of photographic heritage. In particular, I am looking for guidance on storing the following materials:

• Nitrate-based films
• Acetate based-films
• Polyester-based films
• Color photographs
• Black-and-white photographs

As part of our current review of storage strategies, we are especially interested in approaches that balance preservation needs with contemporary sustainability considerations (such as energy consumption and climate impact).

If you have any documentation, standards, or recent research to share, we would be very grateful.

Thank you in advance for your time and assistance.

Hi again, 

I've heard back from one of our experts and they recommended the Image Permanence Institutes resources on sustainability: Sustainable Preservation Practices

They also recommended that it would be best to bring in a photograph conservator to assess and advise on the storage of the collection. That person would then be able to take multiple factors into consideration to give you a more accurate answer, including the composition of the collection, project budget, current building envelope and environmental system, and general climate of your area.

All the best,

Liz

Hi Alexandra, 

Thanks for writing in to C2C Care! That's a really interesting question that you have posed, and the conflict between cool/cold storage for photographs and the carbon footprint produced to create those conditions is a difficult line to walk. However, there are some safety risks that warmer storage solutions may pose - particularly for nitrate film which can combust, and once burning is essentially self-fueling and impossible to put out. Cold storage slows the degradation process for nitrate and acetate based films, which improves their longevity and potentially allows for re-formatting or digitizing. 

C2C has compiled several resources for the storage of photographic materials which I've linked below:

Featured Resource - Photo Cold Storage

Caring for Photographs

A Discussion of Cold Storage Theory and Practice for Photographic and Paper-based Records

The Library of Congress also has links to more information on the preservation of both motion picture film and photographs:

Care, Handling, and Storage of Motion Picture Film

Information Leaflet on the Care, Handling, and Storage of Photographs

I'll also be reaching out to our experts to see if they have any additional information for you that may provide some nuance to what requires cold storage vs less stringent environmental conditions.

All the best,

Liz

Dear colleagues, 

I am reaching out to request your expert recommendations regarding sustainable storage conditions-specifically temperature and relative humidity-for the long-term preservation of photographic heritage. In particular, I am looking for guidance on storing the following materials:

• Nitrate-based films
• Acetate based-films
• Polyester-based films
• Color photographs
• Black-and-white photographs

As part of our current review of storage strategies, we are especially interested in approaches that balance preservation needs with contemporary sustainability considerations (such as energy consumption and climate impact).

If you have any documentation, standards, or recent research to share, we would be very grateful.

Thank you in advance for your time and assistance.