Preserving Old Family Photographs and Documents

Family photographs and documents are fragile connections to the past. Proper preservation ensures future generations can continue enjoying these historical treasures. Old photographs should be stored in acid-free containers away from moisture, sunlight, and extreme temperatures.

Digitizing photographs and documents provides additional protection while making sharing easier. Label images with names, locations, and approximate dates whenever possible. Many priceless family archives are lost simply because nobody recorded who appeared in the photographs.

The Hinchman Heritage Society has been digitizing its collection of photographs, correspondence, and documents for several years. Members have contributed scanned images of cartes de visite, cabinet cards, and snapshot photographs dating back to the 1860s. These images are catalogued with as much identifying information as possible and made available to researchers.

If you have old family photographs you would like to contribute to the archive, please contact the society. Even photographs without complete identification are valuable — other researchers may recognize faces or locations. Together, we can preserve these images for generations to come before deterioration makes recovery impossible.