-Photographs will fade in direct sunlight.

-Never laminate photographs. (This cannot be reversed).

-Do not put sticky tape on photographs.

-Never attempt to clean old photos by wiping with water. This will soften the emulsion and tear it.

-Use silica packets in boxes of photos to protect from moisture.

-Don’t put photos face to face as they may stick together.

-Generally, with photographs, the colder the storage, the longer the life.

-N.B. Before attempting any “repairs” on an original photograph consider potential damage. If in doubt, consult a conservator.

 

Commercial Street Photography

Many people have photographs taken by commercial street photographers in their collections.

Sometimes they are the most candid and personal of  photographs. Taken unprepared, people were

seen relaxed, rather than posed as so often they are.

Street photographers were a common sight from the 30’s through to the late 50’s in many cities.

Because they were taken by professional photographers, the photos were sharp, well lit and well composed.

They would take candid photographs of people, leaving a card with a reference number.

Customers would call the studio quote the reference number to order prints.

Below is a recent article from “Inside Imaging” on Street Photography in South Africa.

History of street photography in South Africa

See our blog page for other interesting articles on photo preservation.

Historical Images

The State Library of Victoria has a large collection of historical images that can be downloaded from its website,

“Time out Melbourne” has a number of interesting vintage photographs of Melbourne. 

These are important as we are rapidly losing much of our architectural heritage to modern development.

Also, they provide an important reference for how previous generations lived.