Holiday snapshots, baby pictures, wedding pictures and treasured family photographs are great ways to preserve your memories. Unfortunately, the life expectancy of a photograph is very much dependent upon the care and handling that it receives. Photographs can easily be damaged by improper handling, storage, display and framing. There are however, things that you can and should do to safeguard these important documents of your past.

Prevent deterioration by keeping photographic materials in a proper environment. Never store photographs in an attic or basement where they are exposed to extreme temperatures and high humidity. Relative humidity is probably the single most important factor in preserving photographs. Humidity levels above sixty percent accelerate deterioration. Extended exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light can fade and severely damage photographs. Avoid touching fragile photographic materials as much as possible. Wear clean cotton gloves when handling negatives and prints to prevent fingerprints and stains.

When disaster strikes and family keepsakes become torn, stained, burned, wet or faded, there are two very different methods used to restore damaged photographs. Our experienced conservators can usually surface clean, mend tears, replace missing areas and perform limited restorations to restore and preserve the original photograph. A damaged photograph can also be scanned and digitally reproduced to include edits and digital restorations that are truly remarkable.