Museums Best Practices Care of photography

Seven Agents of Deterioration Physical Forces Thieves, Vandals, & Displacement Fire Water Pests Pollutants Light

Seven 10 Agents of Deterioration Physical Forces Thieves, Vandals, & Displacement Fire Water Pests Pollutants Light Incorrect Temperature Incorrect Humidity Custodial Neglect & Dissasociation

Ten Agents of Deterioration Thieves, Vandals, & Displacement Fire Water Custodial Neglect & Dissasociation

Physical Forces Use care and focus on what you are doing Have clean hands Remove jewellery

Pests and Pollutants Pests Pollutants Mold and Fungi Silverfish, Cockroaches, Termites and Book Lice Pollutants Dust and dirt cause damage by acting as an abrasive agent. Dust and dirt are food for insects and pests

Light Is accumulative and irreversible Ultra Violet is not required for human sight but promotes fading LEDs produces minimal to no UV light

Light Damage Colour photographs with “chome” in the name Medium Sensitivity High Sensitivity Colour photographs with “chome” in the name Kodachrome Most colour photographs with “colour” or “color” in the name Fujicolour Light Damage

Incorrect Temperature Products manufactured in the mid 19th century onward, in particular paper photographic materials, chemically self-destruct within a single human life time.

Incorrect Temperature: Biological Damage Mould becomes active at 4c Pests become active at 10c

Incorrect Temperature Chemical phenomena occur when photographs are stored at high temperatures. Storage Temperature Life Span Heat Treated, Sun (60c) 1 year Hot Room (30c) 75 years Warm Room (25c) 150 years Normal Room (20c) A few centuries (300 years) Cool Storage (10c) 1,500 years Cold Storage (0c) 6,000 years

Incorrect Humidity Damp environments promote mould growth Table salt will detect 75% RH. A few grains of salt attached to scotch tape will become droplets after a few hours.