Tips to Preserve Old Photos for Future Generations

As the years press on, accurately recalling memories often becomes more and more difficult. Therefore, preserving old photographs and family videos becomes all the more important. However, ensuring the safe preservation of such treasured documents is often easier said than done. In many cases, placing photos in an album may not be enough to impede the deterioration of these items over time. Additional measures are often necessary to ensure these photos and memories can continue to live on for many years to come. This guide explores three tips to preserve old photos for future generations.

Create an organization system

Preserving your photos for future generations often starts with creating a structured organization system. If all your photos are scattered throughout various albums, picture boxes, and storage containers, you’ll have a very difficult time locating them as the years go on. Compiling all your photographs in one location and creating a dedicated organization system for them will help you keep track of your most treasured memories. Consider organizing your photos according to the location in which they were taken or in chronological order. Try to include as much information with the photos as possible. As the years press on and minor details and memories begin to fade, the inclusion of this information will help you recall your precious moments as accurately as possible.

Handle with care

You must handle photos and film with extreme care at all times. The dirt and oils on your fingers can cause photos to deteriorate at a much faster pace, which in turn can cause the images to become discolored, distorted, or otherwise damaged. Wash your hands before handling photographs, particularly those that may already be several years old. Touch only the corners and outside edges of the photographs, and don’t place your fingers on the image itself. When you’re handling extremely old photographs or film negatives, you may even want to wear gloves. These added measures will reduce the rate of deterioration and maintain the integrity and quality of your photos for as long as possible.

Create digital backups

One of the best tips to preserve old photos for future generations is to create a digital backup for every document. Even with the most dedicated care and storage, photos will deteriorate over time. Creating digital backups for all your photographs ensures that even if the original print does sustain damage, the memories and images will remain. Digitizing film and photo prints will not only preserve memories for future generations, but also make it much easier to share said memories with friends and families around the world.