Storing photographic materials

Maria Karen Sigurdardottir <mks [at] rvk__is> writes

>Can somebody give me a information about which material is better
>polyethylene or polypropylene as a storage pages for photographic
>materials?

Three plastic enclosure materials regarded as safe for storing
photographs are: cellulose triacetate, polyester (polyethylene
terephthalate ) and polyethylene. Polyvinyl chloride (PVC),
"shrinkwrap " and highly chlorinated or nitrated plastic should not
be used. I have been using translucent polyethylene envelopes to
sleeve a 25,000 item collection of photos and negs and have found
them more economical than the transparent cellulose triacetate
sleeves.  Paper envelopes are another option but their opacity
requires removing item from enclosure in order to read , less
efficient and more abrasive to film or paper surface. All are
available through various archival materials catalogs.

Anne Liljedahl Schock
Collections Care Specialist
Wilderstein Preservation
Rhinebeck NY

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                  Conservation DistList Instance 13:29
                 Distributed: Friday, November 12, 1999
                       Message Id: cdl-13-29-006
                                  ***