How to store old photos, letters and keepsakes so they last

Simple, archivist-approved ways to protect family photos, scrapbooks and papers: where to keep them, what to store them in, and what to avoid.

The biggest threats to family photos aren't age. They're heat, humidity, cheap plastics and sticky albums. The good news: a few inexpensive changes protect them for decades, even before anything is scanned.

1. Pick the right spot in your house

The National Archives recommends keeping family papers and photos below 75°F and below 65% relative humidity. Cooler is better, because warmth speeds up chemical decay and invites insects. Air that's too dry makes paper brittle, so aim for a comfortable living-space middle ground.

• Good: an interior closet or a shelf in a bedroom, the same climate you live in.
• Avoid: damp basements, garages and hot attics.
• Keep boxes off the floor, away from pipes, windows and any known roof leaks.
• Store them away from food and water, which attract insects and rodents.

2. Use the right boxes and sleeves

• Choose boxes and folders that are acid-free and lignin-free.
• For photographs, look for enclosures labeled as passing the Photographic Activity Test (PAT), the standard for photo-safe materials.
• Use boxes sized so items lie flat or stand upright without bending. Don't overstuff, and add spacer boards if a box isn't full.
• Put fragile or torn pieces in individual polyester (Mylar-type) sleeves, one item per sleeve.

3. Get rid of what's quietly damaging them

If a photo is stuck fast to a magnetic album page, don't pry it. Scan or photograph the whole page first, then ask a conservator before trying to remove it.

4. Albums and scrapbooks

Choose albums with acid-free pages and stable plastics, and don't overfill them. Mount photos with photo corners or sleeves rather than glue. For an older scrapbook, store it flat in a box that fits, and scan each page before it's handled much more.

5. Slides, negatives and color prints

Color photos, slides and negatives fade far faster than black-and-white prints. The National Archives notes they can deteriorate within decades at room temperature. These are the first things to digitize.

6. Label as you go

A photo nobody can identify loses most of its meaning. Write names, places and approximate dates on the back of prints with a soft pencil, lightly, near the edge, never with a ballpoint or marker. Or write them on the sleeve instead.