This is a critical one. Improper storage conditions can lead to humidity damage on your photographs which is then further accelerated by heat or sudden changes in temperature. Sadly with moisture comes harmful chemical reactions on the processed paper which leave mold growth  and really unsightly marks creeping all over your beloved photo. Storing photographs in attics is an extremely common occurrence for the average household. However, more often than not, attics and lofts are far too warm to properly house older photographs and we’re doing a lot more harm by keeping them there than we think. In contrast, a basement is often too cool for long-term photo storage. A better idea would be to store your photographs and slides in an air-tight space in a cupboard or chest where conditions are much better controlled. And of course we don’t need to reiterate that digitising your collection immaculately preserves your images and “freezes” them in their current state….but we will! 

This is vital in processing photographs as we all know. However, ongoing exposure from the sun coming through the window onto your beautifully framed wedding photos can dramatically change the colour of your image, which will over time, fade to the point of no return. It seems also important to mention that the age of the photograph can determine how quickly it may fade. Ever wondered why that childhood photograph of you riding the carousel in the 70’s looked so orange?  Colour photographs fade quickly in high levels of light, leaving colour-casts and obscure changes in hue. Digital preservation halts this process and non-destructive editing techniques now available can significantly improve the effects of light damage on our much-loved prints. 

This is, at most, unavoidable to the everyday handler of a photograph unless you want to demand that all your loved ones wear latex gloves when passing round your old baby pictures. Our hands contain so much oil and dirt that it’s inevitable that photographic emulsions become damaged the more they’re touched. Clean, dry hands really are essential for handling photographs to prevent the speed of deterioration from oil. It’s really that simple and can massively help to reduce the impact of natural degradation.

And finally, few of us actually consider the fact that the album itself could be a factor in how quickly our photographs fall foul to damage. The popular magnetic style albums from the 70’s onwards where the photos grip onto a sticky surface and are held in place by a clear layer of plastic are actually very damaging as they contain PVC – a destructive chemical leaving lasting and undesirable effects. And weirdly, these sorts of albums are still sold today! Luckily there are plenty of techniques you can try to safely remove your photographs from their albums – you’d be surprised the good a bit of humble dental floss can do in this particularly sticky situation, however it’s worth remembering if an album is older than 70 years, the likelihood of creating more damage by trying to remove a photograph is high.

By listing just a few of the different  types of environmental and chemical factors that can lead to irreversible physical damage, we’re hopeful that this makes people think about their own images and their current state.

The loss of images is unfortunate for countless reasons but there’s one that overrides most of the others. For many of us, an old photograph is one of the few physical reminders we may have of a person special to us. And equally as important those old photographs of relatives provide future generations with a vital link to their past.

Digital preservation and Image Restoration services offered by The Memory Lab will help repair damaged photos to keep those memories alive, those beautiful moments in your family history accessible for years to come, before natural and inevitable damage results in permanent loss.

Hello! I’m Beth! I’ve spent the last decade and a half working in Television and Photography and have enjoyed an extremely fulfilling career in the Media Industry. At the start of this year however, and with a growing family, I felt the time was right to take that leap and go in a different direction. A direction that utilised all my skills and technical knowledge but in a way I was truly passionate about and where I could help people. Which got me thinking. Anybody that knows me will tell you how much I enjoy engaging with people and reminiscing about growing up. I’m the person at the party who loves to reminisce about childhood-homes, family holidays, first cars, family pets, weddings, Christmas parties, dodgy school photos, the wallpaper in your Great-Grandparents living room, babies entering the world and perhaps best of all, haircuts you’d sooner wished hadn’t entered the world. All these memories, traced back to however long ago, help to make us and our families who we are today. And luckily, memories like this have usually been lovingly captured in photographic form.

Now these days, we all take photos on our smartphones and tablets, and we’re accustomed to knowing these frozen moments in time are safely stored and digitally backed-up and catalogued in a way that we can return to them quickly, print them conveniently, and of course, share them endlessly on social media if desired. But what about the hundreds of physical photos and slides you’ve got in your attic? What about your Grandmother’s fragile Wedding slides or the nostalgia of “Greece ‘79”? What happens to your slightly water-damaged baby book from 1988 you’d want to show your own daughter some day or that one delicate sepia postage-stamp sized picture your Dad carried around in his wallet? As much as today’s photographs are automatically preserved in digital-form, these precious older analogue memories need to be too. And this is where the lightbulb moment came and The Memory Lab was born. The sole purpose of our company is to help you preserve all your old photos, slides and albums so they can be properly backed-up, cataloged and enjoyed into the future, for our families sake and for the benefit of future generations. We can’t let these beautiful points in our history get lost in the next big clear-out or house-move, they are just too important.

So next time you take a trip down Memory Lane and unearth that old box from the loft, consider it’s worth as a family heirloom and one that deserves to be given an all-important “digital footprint”.

I look forward to helping you and your families celebrate your memories.

Beth