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Author
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Topic: Preserving and storing astronaut autographs
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Steve Zarelli
Member Posts: 731
From: Upstate New York, USA
Registered: Mar 2001
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posted 10-21-2014 11:42 AM
   
quote:
Originally posted by Hart Sastrowardoyo:
Any advice on preventing inscriptions with silver and gold Sharpies and pens from sticking to the sheet protector? Wax paper, maybe?
Wax paper is essentially grease soaked paper, so that would be a resounding, "NO!"  The reason binder sleeves stick is because the plastic chemically reacts with the surface of the photo or ink. Use Mylar or a similar archival polyester product (melinex, etc.) The reason they are permanently archival is because they are completely inert. They will not chemically react with what is stored in them and will never stick. |
lspooz
Member Posts: 384
From: Greensboro, NC USA
Registered: Aug 2012
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posted 10-21-2014 12:23 PM
quote:
Originally posted by Hart Sastrowardoyo:
Any advice on preventing inscriptions with silver and gold Sharpies and pens from sticking to the sheet protector? Wax paper, maybe?
Sticking should only result if the ink/paint is still wet, so adequate drying time is essential (particularly with paint pens — I'd let them dry overnight if possible; if travel requires covering or packing away a paint-pen signature, in a pinch I would consider covering the signature with a mylar piece AFTER at least ten minutes, preferably an hour...). |
Hart Sastrowardoyo
Member Posts: 3445
From: Toms River, NJ
Registered: Aug 2000
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posted 10-21-2014 04:59 PM
No, I'm finding that the paint pens or whatever were used are leaving impressions on the sheet protectors even after they were supposedly dry. My solution right now is to put a sheet of paper between the photo and sheet protector, until I can find mylar sheet protectors that can go in three-ring binders.Before anyone asks, my autographs are stored right side up, not lying flat. |
Mike_The_First
Member Posts: 436
From: USA
Registered: Jun 2014
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posted 10-21-2014 05:08 PM
quote:
Originally posted by mjanovec:
I tend not to trust most consumer brand photo sleeves for truly valuable photos.
I use Ultra Pro sleeves.I used to use those Staples products, but once I got a whiff of that strong plastic smell, I figured they were lying about being archival quality. |
Steve Zarelli
Member Posts: 731
From: Upstate New York, USA
Registered: Mar 2001
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posted 10-21-2014 06:45 PM
quote:
Originally posted by lspooz:
Sticking should only result if the ink/paint is still wet...
This may be the case in some instances, but I have seen blue Sharpie signatures literally lift right off a photo because they adhered to the plastic sleeve. Same with paint pen. These signatures were not put in wet, but rather over time bonded with the sleeve. Every time I have seen this it has been a yellowed binder sleeve or even worse, top loader.The rigid top loaders are the absolute worst for long term storage. They are made of acidic PVC. Great protection for shipping but NOT long term storage. |
lspooz
Member Posts: 384
From: Greensboro, NC USA
Registered: Aug 2012
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posted 10-21-2014 07:53 PM
Whoa!! As a comic and paper collector, I just presumed everyone has been using mylar storage... Yikes!
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Steve Zarelli
Member Posts: 731
From: Upstate New York, USA
Registered: Mar 2001
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posted 10-21-2014 09:54 PM
Absolutely not. You wouldn't believe how many items I review that arrive in terribly yellowed and degraded sleeves or even in old ziplock bags. And I mean some really valuable items! I don't have the heart to see nice items in junky sleeves, so I trash the old one and return in a fresh, better sleeve. LOL |
Hart Sastrowardoyo
Member Posts: 3445
From: Toms River, NJ
Registered: Aug 2000
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posted 10-21-2014 10:23 PM
You know, I remember back in the Dark Ages ('70s) when my brothers and I knew about keeping our comic books in nice shape but there were no such things (at least not to us) of archival materials... so we used (or rather, RE-used) the bags that people place fruits and vegetables in at the grocery store... and seal them with masking tape since Scotch tape wouldn't allow for the bags to be repeatedly opened and closed....  |
schnappsicle
Member Posts: 396
From: Houston, TX, USA
Registered: Jan 2012
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posted 10-31-2014 08:12 AM
Of the 220 astronaut autographed photos I have in my collection, approximately 100 are stored in sleeves which are then placed in boxes and put away in a cabinet. After reading through these messages yesterday, I decided I needed to do something about the ones that are not hanging on my walls.At Steve's suggestion, I bought the mylar sleeves from Bags Unlimited that he said he used. They seem to be recommended by many others in this thread. The problem I have is I want to store my photos in a binder. Is anyone aware of any stiff sleeves with holes in them that will allow me to insert the mylar-sleeved photos into? Also, I’m a bit worried about the binder itself. Does someone make an archival binder, or should I just grab one off the Office Depot shelf?
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Sam Que
Member Posts: 180
From: Chicago, IL, United States
Registered: Feb 2009
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posted 11-01-2014 02:45 PM
Are these the archival sleeves some are referring to? These are made of polypropylene. Not sure of the difference between this and polyester or Mylar. |
schnappsicle
Member Posts: 396
From: Houston, TX, USA
Registered: Jan 2012
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posted 11-03-2014 04:05 AM
I hope so because I think those are the ones that I bought. |
JBoe
Member Posts: 959
From: Churchton, MD
Registered: Oct 2012
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posted 11-03-2014 09:12 PM
There are some great tips and advice to be taken away, but I was wondering what your thoughts are regarding The Container Store photo storage pages being used in storing autographs. I know they are said to be "archival safe" from its label, but Bags Unlimited seems to be the best way to go. I also have the autographs in a regular binder stored horizontally. Please tell me if I'm doing more harm than good. Thanks! |
schnappsicle
Member Posts: 396
From: Houston, TX, USA
Registered: Jan 2012
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posted 11-04-2014 07:20 AM
Unless you know their definition of "archival safe", I'd go with what Bags Unlimited has to offer. There is no real standard for what companies can call "archival safe". There is however a standard when using museum grade products, most of which far outlast the so-called archival safe products. That's why after reading through this thread, I decided to upgrade my photo storage to museum standards with the things from Bags Unlimited that others have suggested here. I've managed to archive over 100 photos for less than the price of one Ed Mitchell autograph. It's extremely cheap considering the cost of my collection.Regarding your second question, I always store my photos flat. It keeps them from falling and bending in a binder. Yes, I also use museum grade binders, not the ones from Container Store. |
capoetc
Member Posts: 2169
From: McKinney TX (USA)
Registered: Aug 2005
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posted 11-04-2014 08:11 AM
For what it's worth... here are the binders I use.Yes, they are more expensive. But, they are really nice, they display really well, and they travel really well. The binder has a magnetic closure, and the pages lie flat in the binder, giving excellent protection for the photos stored therein. The Archival Methods site has many other archival products that I use for storing magazines, posters, etc, as well as re-usable desiccant canisters and gloves for handling delicate items. Good stuff! |
JBoe
Member Posts: 959
From: Churchton, MD
Registered: Oct 2012
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posted 11-04-2014 07:38 PM
Thanks guys for the advice, I really appreciate it! There's definitely a lot to consider. I think I'll check out the options more closely for both binders and "true" archival safe sheet protectors. |
schnappsicle
Member Posts: 396
From: Houston, TX, USA
Registered: Jan 2012
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posted 11-10-2014 07:54 AM
Now that I have my mylar sleeves (the binder is on the way), I have another storage question. I put two photos per sleeve. Is that acceptable, or is it safer to only put one photo in each sleeve? I realize it may be splitting hairs, but I'd like to preserve my photos for as long as possible.For clarification purposes, the photos are back to back in each sleeve. |
Rick Mulheirn
Member Posts: 4167
From: England
Registered: Feb 2001
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posted 11-11-2014 04:31 PM
I would recommend one photo per sleeve, especially if you have older prints dating back to the 60's and 70's.I remember my days training as a photographer, when washing prints could be arbitrary and at times inconsistent. The upshot was that some prints still held "fixer" which in time could discolour the print. I would certainly not place a litho and a print together in a single sleeve. The stock card in lithos is not great quality and has questionable archival properties; that is why older discoloured or foxed lithos are not uncommon. I think modern printing processes are more consistent, but by having only one photo per page you eliminate the prospect of the second print somehow contaminating or degrading the other. And on the subject of being picky I keep my signed photos in an archival binder that is stored stood on its edge and not flat. It means the images are suspended in their sleeves which hang from the rings; there is little or no weight pressing down on them reducing still further any possibility of the metallic signatures sticking to the sleeve. |
mf451
Member Posts: 61
From: NY, NY
Registered: Nov 2014
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posted 11-30-2014 09:36 AM
When I recently swapped my autographs into new sleeves and envelopes, I spoke with a professional conservator about the best materials to use. Like others suggested, Mylar is the only way to go. These are what were suggested, and what I got, to fit in a binder.They have the binder sleeves like above, and they also have a wide array of mylar envelopes, which I got to store some of my smaller items, like first day covers, or small index cards. In general, I'd suggest Talas (in the link above), they were very helpful, a family run business. They also have all sorts of archival and special boxes, standard and custom, of which I got to store some items in. And, in the future, I might have them make me a custom fabric covered binder to hold everything in. Hope this helps. |
RichieB16
Member Posts: 552
From: Oregon
Registered: Feb 2003
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posted 02-07-2015 09:38 PM
I have a large collection of autographed astronaut photos... the majority of which are NASA issued lithos of shuttle astronauts. I want to organize them and store/display them in a way that I can look at them. I have been thinking about putting them in some kind of a binder/album opposite an info page about the astronaut or crew.Does anyone have a suggestion as to the best type of pages/sleeves to use for such a binder. I was thinking of using Ultra Pro Platinum photo pages. I have used the same brand for signed sports cards for years and they seem to be holding up well. If I put a sheet of paper printed with info on the particular astronaut/crew behind the photos (so it's visible on the next page) would that be damaging to the photos in the long term? Will contact with the paper be an issue? Thanks. Editor's note: Threads merged. |
schnappsicle
Member Posts: 396
From: Houston, TX, USA
Registered: Jan 2012
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posted 02-09-2015 07:23 AM
quote:
Originally posted by mf451:
When I recently swapped my autographs into new sleeves and envelopes, I spoke with a professional conservator about the best materials to use. Like others suggested, Mylar is the only way to go.
My only concern with the sleeves you selected is there's no separation between the photo and the holes. I've ruined photos in the past when the photo rubs along the ring which causes dents, or sometimes tears, in the photo. I didn't lose anything of any monetary value, just a bunch of family photos. It mostly affected the border, but that was enough to scare me away from those type of sleeves forever. |
mf451
Member Posts: 61
From: NY, NY
Registered: Nov 2014
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posted 02-12-2015 10:06 AM
That's a good point, and something I was initially concerned with as well. If the item is 8.5x11, you might have some rubbing against the binder, and for those sizes I used sleeves that are divided, but not quite as high quality. For 8x10s, the sleeves I listed are a thick enough and stiff enough mylar that it does a very, very good job of holding the photos in place just through static.
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gareth89
Member Posts: 298
From: Ireland
Registered: May 2014
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posted 02-13-2015 05:59 PM
I'm fairly new to collecting, I've been picking up signed pieces in some shape or form (be it photos, lithos, stamps or covers) for the past three years. I've amassed what I'd like to think is a nice collection (for a novice!), with at least one signed piece from each flown Apollo astronaut and all of the original 7. Quite pleased with myself at the moment I just added John Young's jumping salute last week!I've been using 8x10 top loaders in an archival storage folder to store my signed pieces for some time now. I'm worried after reading this thread that this may not be a good idea. Are top loaders safe to use for preservation? Thanks in advance for your advice! |
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