SLAGIAT: Using strong chemicals to clean photos
October 29, 2008
SLAGIAT = “Seemed like a good idea at the time.”
In the past, conservators used poisons like cyanide and arsenic (!) to kill insects and other pests. Even though they didn’t always work. Eeeek. After apologizing for preaching to the converted, a conservator on a professional email list had this to say:
More than one of the chemicals that were considered safe early in my career have been discredited because many existing “approved” fumigation facilities were, in fact, unsafe, because the chemicals affected the chemistry of objects over time, or because there is continued off gassing from the treated object.
What seems like a good idea today may cause real harm in the long run.
This is precisely why I never recommend chemical solvents to clean prints or film. Even though professional photographers do this regularly. My argument is this: It might look better today, but what will happen 10, 50, 100 years from now? Better safe than sorry.
This is also why I urge you to wear cotton gloves 
.
Clickety Clack!
October 25, 2008
I have a weakness for obsolete technology in general, and typewriters in particular.
This is a marvelous video about a small Chicago business with plenty of clickety clack. He even sells typewriter ribbon!
And here’s footage of lots of antique typewriters from a shop in Portland, OR:
Got a typewriter story or memory you’d like to share? Use the comments section!
How to organize pamphlets and protect them at the same time
October 19, 2008
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This video from UNC-Chapel Hill reveals a neat-o way to store fragile pamphlets upright on a book shelf. If you want to get fancy, you can scan the original cover and attach a printout to your new cover. You can even add an edge label so you will know the title without opening anything up. Why should you bother?
With this system, the pamphlet lives in a custom envelope, so it stays dust free. Why is it important to keep dust away? My years as an archivist and my former career in a used book store showed me that if you wait long enough? Dust turns into gritty dirt. And not only is dirt is more difficult to clean — the grit can scratch and permanently damage your treasures as you attempt to clean it. D’oh!
Dust = Dirt = Damage
Another advantage of this system is that it protects ephemeral items from UV rays.
Light = Damage
Tag! I’m it…
October 18, 2008
10 Years Ago I..
- Hand coded my first website.
- Received my Master’s in Library Science with a Specialization in Archives Management.
- Began my job as Assistant Corporate Archivist / Image Researcher at American Girl.
- Turned thirty.
- Married the love of my life.
Five Things on Today’s To-Do List
- Wake up my kids, make them breakfast and pack lunches for them, walk with them to the bus stop.
- Shower, make myself breakfast, pack my lunch, and catch the city bus to my day job.
- While waiting for the bus, call my Mom to figure out what we’re doing about Thanksgiving since the usual family hosts are escaping to Australia this year.
- Write this post and (finally) update my Practical Archivist blog.
- Find an open reel machine that plays 1/4 inch tape — both 1/2 track and 1/4 track. (Figuring out exactly what that means was on my To Do list earlier this week. So was learning that nobody manufactures machines like this anymore.)
Five Snacks I Enjoy
- Curry chips
- (Very) dark chocolate
- Nicoise olives
- Salami and cheese
- Homemade popcorn …the best thing about not replacing our broken microwave!
Five Places I’ve Lived
- Chicago, IL
- Glencoe, IL
- Madison, WI
- Arlington, VA
- Dublin, Ireland
Five Jobs I’ve Had
- Short Order Cook (a.k.a. hamburger flipper)
- Pasta Maker
- Staple Puller*
- Historical Image Researcher
- Audio Archivist
*Worst. Job. Ever.
Five Blogs I Tag
Family Matters (Denise Olson) Family Oral History (Susan Kitchens) Tracing the Tribe (Schelly Talalay Dardashti) Shades of the Departed (footnote Maven) - Heart and Craft of Lifestory Writing (Sharon Lippincott)
Assuming tag-backs aren’t allowed, I want to be sure to mention two of my favorite bloggers, Lisa of