Storing postcards
Posted: Fri Jan 12, 2007 4:12 pm
I'm fast running out of storage space for my collection. How do others store their collection of postcards, and what is the safest way to do so?
Many postcards have survived in near perfect condition after being stored for over 100 years in traditional cardboard and paper albums. The Edwardians knew little if anything about archival storage, however experts today would discourage you from using these as the papers, card and glues used in the manufacture are likely to harm your precious cards.
and acid-free, or ph buffered equivalents are recommended.
Most modern albums are now supplied with polpropylene pages which are thought to be safe or even polyethlene, which is slightly more expensive, but safer still and is often used by libraries and museums (eg. Secol products).
Many folders / binders you see supplied today are usually made in the softer PVC material - this is not usually recommended as it contains plasticisers which can cause fading and other damage to photographic and printed material, however as it is not in the pages themselves (which are polypropylene) the pvc is not in direct contact with your collection....
What should certainly be avoided are PVC (poly vinyl chloride) wallets and albums. These were in common use a decade or so ago. I've seen many examples where the 'white background' pages particularly, have stained red from the ink in stamps stored in them.
As a rule of thumb if you can 'smell' the plastic... then it's giving off a chemical vapour, which may well do harm.