by Meadow Lark

Created on: June 14, 2009   Last Updated: June 16, 2009

Many years ago, most people did not realize the importance of acid free adhesive or paper. Nor did they realize those instant Polaroid pictures taken during the 70s would deteriorate over time. For those of us who want to preserve our family's memories and legacies, removing old photographs from a scrapbook is an important skill to practice.

There are many products on the market that make this loving task much easier than it used to be.

Since old photos are important to future generations and you may be the only member of your family who feels the necessity to preserve them, I have listed a few tips below:

1. Always keep your photos away from direct sunlight and heat;

2. Whether your old photographs are in beautiful frames or in a well designed scrapbook, be sure that any paper that touches your photo is acid free;

3. Acid free glue is easy to find but be sure to look for the words, "acid free" when shopping for the proper adhesive. Elmer's makes a great extra strength glue stick that is also acid free;

4. The easiest, quickest way to remove an old photograph is to tear it quickly from the scrapbook. Unfortunately, as with many things in life, the easiest and quickest way is not always the best. Since old photographs are considered a treasure by many, you want to treat it with the proper tools. Be sure your hands are clean. In some cases, you may want to use white gloves so that your fingerprints do not damage the photo;

5. Goo Gone has a wonderful product for removing adhesive residue, tape and labels. It comes with a patented sticker lifter. It is best not to apply the goo gone or a similar product directly to your photo; however, you can simply start with one small drop on the sticker lifter and gently lift a corner of the picture with the lifter. If this is your first attempt at removing an old photo, you may want to try this on a practice piece first. When you feel comfortable with the product you have chosen and your practice trials, you can now proceed to your special old photos;

6. Be sure to work on a flat surface and put away any opened bottles of soda or goo gone. Just when you think nothing will spill on your project, the inevitable happens. If my father were alive, he would love to tell you about the time he warned me against polishing my nails in the living room. Of course, I was a teenager and was very confident I had full control over that bottle. The rest is history. Too bad my family did not capture that on camera;

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