The Practical Archivist

Great Read: The Museum of Obsolete Technology

2008-11-09T09:43:00.008-06:00

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Alexander Stille is one of my favorite writers. Here is a link to the first essay of his that I ever read. I discovered it while I was in grad school over a decade ago, and I never forgot it. It's free to read, and I hope you enjoy it.

Free Online Essay:
Are We Losing Our Memory? Or The Museum of Obsolete Technology

This essay comes from a collection called The Future of the Past. I devoured the entire book earlier this year and I can't recommend it highly enough. It's a fascinating look at the big picture of historic preservation. If you like the free essay in the link above, you'll probably enjoy the entire book:

Discussion Topic: Do Replicas Count?

This was one of the most interesting points of Stille's book...

In China, it's considered preservation to rebuild crumbling treasures. Since the new parts are in the same style, they make no distinction between the original and the copy. Stille talks about how this cultural difference has caused problems when treasures go on exhibit to western museums. Westerners don't want a copy, they want what they consider to be the only authentic copy...the original.

What do YOU think?

Would you feel cheated if you went to a museum that only had replicas?
Would it make a difference to you if the reproductions were created using the same tools as the original?
Does it bother you if your historic family photograph is a modern print from a recent scan and not the original antique?
What is lost when you create a copy?
What is gained when you create a copy?

Sound off in the comments section, below.

Oh, and feel free to leave your comments about Stille's Museum of Obsolete Technology essay if you like. I'd love to hear what you thing about it.

SLAIGAT: Using strong chemicals to clean photos

2008-10-28T20:48:00.000-05:00

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 when handling photographs. That fingerprint might not look so bad today, but it could start eating into the emulsion one day down the road.
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Clickety Clack!

2008-10-25T17:16:00.006-05:00

I have a weakness for obsolete technology in general, and typewriters in particular.

This is a marvelous video about a small family owned business, remarkable customer service and (of course) clickety clack:

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

2008-10-19T09:18:00.004-05:00

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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?

Less Handling = Less Damage

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...

2008-10-17T21:37:00.039-05:00

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 Genealogy Gems and Maureen Taylor, The Photo Detective. Thanks for tagging me and getting me out of blogging retirement!

Learning to date old photographs

2008-07-31T07:23:00.000-05:00

[NOTE: This post originally appeared one year ago, July 30, 2007.]

Last year, Randy over at Genea-Musings found this wonderful photographic treasure in his Aunt Geraldine's papers. He asked for input from readers to help date this pair of cased photographs. Randy's post contains some great resources to help you date old photographs, so be sure to stop by. It's nice to have resources pooled together like that. Thanks, Randy!

Dating old photographs is a very effective way to help identify who is in the photo. If you can narrow it down to a decade and you know your family tree, it's much easier to figure out who is pictured in an unmarked photograph.

Here are two great books that will help you date your photographic treasures.

Uncovering Your Ancestry through Family Photographs
by Maureen Taylor, The Photo Detective

As far as I'm concerned, Maureen Taylor is the Supreme Maven of Photo Dating. Lucky for us, she shares her expertise in easy to understand books written with genealogists in mind. This updated version of one of her classics is a must-have for every family archivist.

But you don't have to take my word for it. Every single rating on Amazon.com is 5 out of 5. Here's the first review, click here to read them all.

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A beautiful and useful book, January 5, 2001

By	Mark Howells (Puyallup, Washington State, USA) - See all my reviews

This book is an outstanding way to expand your family history skills through photo research. It provides step-by-step advice on how to identify ancestors in photos using their poses, clothes, studio props, and other information.

After giving a history of photography with emphasis on identifying types of photographs by era, the author provides chapters such as "Looking for Clues", "Identifying Costume", and the very important "Identifying the Photographer". The book also gives detailed information on how to build your own family photograph collection including the use of photograph worksheets and proper labeling.

The photographs used to illustrate the book are simply glorious. It is a visual treat to follow the pictorial examples given to explain the text. Each photo is an exquisite specimen of how our ancestors faced the camera.

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Oh, and don't forget to visit Maureen's Photo Detective blog.

Dressed for the Photographer
By Joan Severa

If you're serious about dating photographs, there's another book that will make your task much easier. You don't need this book if you have an encyclopedic knowledge of the history of costume. What's that? You don't have an encyclopedic knowledge of the history of costume? Yeah, me neither...and I sourced historic photos for over six years. It takes a long time to build that expertise.

Once again, family historians are fortunate that an expert has shared her knowledge with the rest of us. Joan Severa is a former costume curator at the Wisconsin Historical Society.

Joan's book, Dressed for the Photographer, is PACKED with example photographs and arranged chronologically. The images are large enough for you to see the detail, and the book is printed on high quality paper (that's why it's so pricey). Joan points out all the hallmarks to look for when dating a photograph, including clothing, jewelry and hairstyles. She also does a fantastic job including photographs of regular working people, not just the wealthy. Amazing book. Nothing else like it out there.

Purchase these recommended books from Amazon.com:

[Photo Credit: Randy Seaver, Genea-Musings blog]
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Dating British Photos:

Reader Andrew Millard left a helpful tip in the comments section about a web site for dating British photographs:: http://www.cartes.freeuk.com/time/date.htm

Andrew says: "It has a wide range of dated photographs that you can compare to your own undated ones." Thanks again, Andrew!

Other articles you might enjoy:
5 tips for preserving your one-of-a-kind family photographs
Where should I store my family photographs?
What to keep? What to toss?
Flash drives are NOT for long term storage
Why do archivists wear white gloves?

What to do with a moldy photograph

2008-06-30T07:02:00.004-05:00

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[Hmmm....let's see if I remember how to do this blogging thing...]

Lately, we've had some terrible flooding here in the American Midwest. The Wisconsin Dells lost Lake Delton. It's completely gone! It was a man made lake, that's true, but it's been there for almost 100 years. I've pumped my basement more times than I care to remember in the last couple months. Fortunately, we don't keep anything as fragile as photographs down there. And everything that's down there is stored on shelves and not on the ground. Phew!

Family Archivists, Take Note:
Where there is moisture and warm temperatures, there will be mold.

I DETEST MOLD. In fact, I hate it so much that just seeing a picture of it gives me the heebie jeebies. Mold is the enemy of every archivist. It destroys books and photographs. It is a serious health hazard, especially for people with respiratory problems. And it takes serious chemicals to kill it.

Prevention is the best cure. Mold loves a warm, moist environment. Do not give mold what it loves! Your best bet is to store materials only in climate controlled areas. That means air conditioning and a dehumidifier during warm, humid weather. Make sure your dehumidifier has a hose so the water drains continuously. Basements, attics and garages are not good locations to store items you value. Fluctuating temperatures and humidity levels are bad even without the threat of mold.

If you find mold. First of all, promise me you'll treat it like the dangerous substance it is. Don't touch it with your bare hands, and don't breathe it in. (NOTE: People with respiratory problems should not go near mold even with a respirator.)

Kill it. There are chemicals that will kill mold spores, but unfortunately these chemicals will also destroy your photographs, books, and papers. You'll need to inactivate the mold with more gentle methods. But be sure to clean shelving and walls with a mold and mildew killing solution such as Lysol, Clorox, or X-14.

De-activate it. If you brush a spot and it smears, it's active. If it's powdery and dry that means it's inactive. Freezing, air drying, and exposure to UV light are all methods that will inactivate mold. But light can also cause fading, so don't leave materials in direct light for more than an hour.

Once it's inactive you need to either vacuum it up or wipe it off. Do not vacuum indoors unless you have a HEPA filter (otherwise you will just spread the spores to other materials inside). If you use cloth rags to wipe off the mold, change them often and be sure to wash them in hot water and bleach after use.

Inactive mold spores will re-bloom as soon as conditions are warm and moist enough.

That's why prevention is so crucial.

Isolate it. As an extra precaution, items that have been infected with mold should be isolated from the rest of your collection. Isolation is a good idea because the spores will literally infect other items. Put them in their own special box (or boxes if we're talking about a large outbreak).

Scan it and dispose of the original. If isolation is too expensive for your budget, make a high resolution scan and create a new print. Do not attempt this if the mold is still active, or if there are inactive spores present. You don't want to spread the spores to your scanner!

Want more info? Here's a detailed article about mold, with a fabulous title:

Invasion of the Giant Mold Spore!

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Photo by Editor B, some rights reserved.

Original caption: "This picture from Xy's 30th birthday party is a little worse for the wear after bobbing around in floodwaters for a couple weeks. Actually the damage gives it some interesting character, but I'm worried the photograph will be slowly consumed by mold."

How to Organize Photos: Avoiding Project Burnout

2008-02-17T12:28:00.002-06:00

The curse of the half-finished project.

Photo by Ben Kelly, pope24, some rights reserved

You made your New Year's Resolutions. You started your photo organizing project with tons of enthusiasm. Oh, yes, you told yourself. This year is going to be different.

But now it's February, Valentine's Day has come and gone, and...well...

Here are some tips to keep your photo organizing project from fizzling out before you finish.

1. Set realistic goals.
If you place the bar too high, you're setting yourself up for failure. Pick realistic goals. Remember the baby steps. I've talked about this in more detail before. Here's a link to that article.

2. Make photo organizing as fun as possible.

This technique not only works, it makes the whole project more fun. I call that a win-win situation. One of the simplest ways to increase the fun factor is to play your favorite music. Even better if the music goes with the photos you're working on.

Another win-win is to invite someone to join you. Make it a regular date and you've added an extra layer of "get it done." Just think of it as a quilting bee for photos. You know, like a photo bee! ::grin::

Miriam Midkiff's awesome Scanfest uses this same idea to help folks complete large scanning projects. This completely free event happens once a month. Follow this link to learn more about Scanfest.

3. Hire a photo coach.

I don't talk about this often, but you can hire The Practical Archivist for coaching via phone or email. If you live within driving distance of Madison, Wisconsin, we can arrange one-on-one help in the comfort of your own home. Email me if you'd like to set something up: sally -at- jacobsarchival -dot- com.

But, really...as long as you've got a solid preservation plan for your family photos, any personal organizer or coach can help you stay on track. Just don't rely on a "clutter buster" for safe photo storage boxes, OK?

4. Use tech tools as your personal trainer.

If all you need is a regular reminder to stay on track, there are plenty of free tools to choose from. Here are three to get you started:

Future Me - write yourself a letter to be delivered at a later date.

GottaKeepUp.com - Get reminders at work, home, or on the go.

rminder.com - Enter your reminder and receive a voice or text message to your phone to remind you. You can sync these reminders with iCal, Google Calendar, Yahoo Calendar and more.

But be careful! Technology can just as easily enable bad procrastination habits, as I warned you earlier.

Good luck.

Keep at it.

You can do this!

"Baby steps, baby steps, baby steps."

Keep the Littlest Ones Away from the Family Archives...

2008-02-15T21:16:00.002-06:00

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I love this hilarious video of a wee one and the simple joy of tearing paper. It reminds me of the days when my kids were tiny and the wrapping paper was more interesting than the gift. Awww.

But it's also an easy-to-remember lesson about why the smallest members of the family shouldn't be allowed near irreplaceable family treasures.

Paper Vs. Plastic: Which One Is Better?

2008-02-08T07:46:00.000-06:00

If you're tackling a family photo project, you'll need to think about what kind of storage supplies will work best for you.

Basically, you have two choices when choosing an album or photo storage box:

1. Paper.
2. Plastic.

The good news is you can find high quality archival storage products made out of either material.

But the bad news is there are plenty of junky materials out there.

A cheap photo storage box can cause more damage than it prevents.

Whether you choose paper or plastic, the safest supplies are the ones that have passed an independent test called the Photographic Activity Test. Click through to learn more about the test and why the term "archival" is meaningless when applied to consumer products.

There are advantages and disadvantages to both plastic and paper.

Plastic is good at protecting your treasures from fingerprints and spills.

Photo and documents that get handled all the time will be well served by putting them clear enclosures such as polypropelene and polyethelene. You (or third cousin who refuses to wear gloves) can see the images without touching them. Encapsulation is a good choice for fragile or torn paper that you can't afford to have repaired by a conservator.

But for storage, I prefer paper. Here's why:

Paper breathes.

Here in America we tend to put a lot of faith in the protective power of plastic. One visit to a grocery store here in the States will illustrate that fact very clearly. Everything from candy to beef to tomatoes is sold shrink-wrapped in plastic. I've traveled enough to know that this isn't the case in the rest of the world.

When it comes to archival storage, the fact that plastic doesn't breathe can actually cause more problems than it prevents.

Now, don't get me wrong -- plastic is great for keeping bad things out like moisture and fingerprints.

But...

Photographs, film and tape are all made from materials that change over time. When these materials change, they can leach chemicals or give off gases that will loop back and inflict self damage if they are "sealed in their own juices" as my preservation instructor used to say.

Here's a striking visual example of what I'm talking about.

If this tape had been stored in plastic instead of cardboard, the acids and offgassing that burned brown stains into the box would have stayed inside and attacked the tape instead.

Photo of paper bags by tanakawho, some rights reserved.
Photo of tape case by Richard Hess.

*Note! That Richard Hess link will take you to his post that explains in more detail what's going on in the photo, and why he thinks tape has escaped the vinegar syndrome that has plagued film.
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A scary reminder to back up your data...

2008-01-25T14:52:00.000-06:00

MAJOR OOPS!

Wired News - AP News

Software error at Charter Communications deletes 14,000 email accounts.

No chance of recovery

(except for data backed up by customers)

"There is no way to retrieve the messages, photos and other attachments that were erased from inboxes and archive folders across the country on Monday, said Anita Lamont, a spokeswoman for the suburban St. Louis-based company." (Read the whole article on Wired News.)

Promise me you'll back up your emails this weekend, OK?

How to Organize Photos: Warning! This Advice May Shock You

2008-01-14T22:31:00.000-06:00

Contrary to popular belief, archivists do not keep everything.

Whaaat? An archivist? Throwing things out?

Yep.

I spent more time learning the art of archival appraisal than any other skill while in grad school. And by appraisal, I mean deciding what to keep and what to toss -- based on what items have enduring value.

But aren't archivists the keepers of our shared history?

Yes, but...

Here is the undeniable reality: If historical societies kept every single item that landed on their doorstep....every cancelled check... every unidentified photograph... every duplicate map… there wouldn't be any room left for new collections. And that won’t work in the long run, will it? Hardly.

One of my archival professors likes to use this memorable rhyme: When in doubt, throw it out.

Does that mean we should toss treasures willy nilly? No! It means if you can't think of a good reason to keep it, then it needs to go. Sometimes that means go into the trash. Sometimes that means go somewhere else (your kids, for example).

Too Many Photos Leads to Overwhelm. Overwhelm Kills Motivation.

Are you feeling so overwhelmed by your photos that you can't get started on your photo organizing project? You are not alone.

Here's what Mary had to say last year when I offered photo organizing tips here at The Practical Archivist Blog:

Sally, this is great - super helpful! All of my photos are in drugstore envelopes, including the ones from my honeymoon...6 years ago. Even some of our wedding photos are still in boxes.

I have avoided the task because it truly never occurred to me that it was okay to throw away my family photographs.

With this new information in hand, the idea of putting together a photo album, etc. sounds like fun because I'll actually *like* the finished product. Because I was NOT excited about putting together an album of indistinguishable landscapes, people standing in front of things, and people eating.

The Problem Gets Bigger Over Time

I’m a mom, so I understand how difficult it can be to part with sentimental treasures like baby pictures, finger paintings, pinch pots and teeny tiny little clothes. But if you refuse to make choices and instead keep everything, you'll have an uncontrollable mess on your hands. A mess which will only get worse the longer you ignore it.

Harsh Truth: Your grandkids are not going to want all of your vacation slides. I learned this when my husband and I inherited several photo collections from loved ones who passed on. I was happy to keep photos of relatives having fun on vacation, but I certainly didn't need their photos of the Eiffel Tower.

You can choose to leave them everything or you can make some careful selections now. If you leave it up to the next generation you've lost a wonderful opportunity to share your favorites.

Deciding What To Keep

Here are some helpful guidelines:

1. Respect Age.

In family collections, age and scarcity tend to go hand in hand. For example, the only known photograph of your great great aunt Rose? Or your grandparents' wedding? Those are keepers. They are worth the investment of high quality archival photo storage boxes and folders. These are also the ones you should scan first.

2. People Pictures.

When my husband and I were rescuing photos from our grandparents' magnetic albums, it became obvious that certain photos weren't worth saving. Generally speaking, what we decided to keep was pictures of our grandparents and other family members. What we skipped was vacation snapshots of mountains and buildings, and unidentified people who were strangers to us. We gave as many as we could to other family members in the hopes that those "orphan photos" could be identified.

3. Sentimental Value.

One of the wonderful things about working with family photo collections (as opposed to working in a historical society) is that sentimental value reigns supreme. Future generations will want to have your favorites.

And if you take a few moments to write down why you love a particular photograph...well, now we're talking about a real treasure.

Find The Keepers -- Even If You Can't Bear To Throw Anything Away

Sifting through your collection and selecting your most valuable photographs is important, even if you hold onto every last one. You'll find it much easier to decide what to scan, for example. You'll also know which photos should be removed from a sticky magnetic album and which ones can stay in that harsh environment.

You can even start flagging photographs for inclusion in your memoirs or family history book.

Caring for the ephemera in your collections

2008-01-08T20:29:00.000-06:00

Do you have ticket stubs, programs, licenses or calling cards in your family history collection?

Of course you do.

Well, it doesn't matter if they were forgotten in the pages of a book or carefully pasted into a scrapbook...they're all paper ephemera.

What the heck is ephemera?

The Society of American Archivists' glossary defines ephemera as "materials, usually printed documents, created for a specific, limited purpose, and generally designed to be discarded after use."

Today, Marty Weil over at ephemera.com included Practical Archivist in his list of Eight Essential Resources for Ephemera Collectors. I'm honored and delighted.

So. If you landed here from Marty's place, welcome!

The Practical Archivist's Tips for Ephemera Collectors

Ephemera.com. If you haven't yet discovered Marty's blog I encourage you to check it out. stop by for a visit.

Photo Credit: 1913 Puffing Billy Train Ticket by Laineys Repertoire. Click here for license information.

Organize Your Photos in 2008

2008-01-03T22:02:00.000-06:00

Coming Soon

How to Downsize and Organize Your Photos

Without Losing Your Memories or Your Mind

Because as Footnote Maven points out, it takes more than resolutions to make positive changes in your life.

Are you itching to get your family photos organized and preserved once and for all? I'm crazy-busy right now, creating my first ever teleclass to help you do just that.

Here's the scoop, with all the details that are 100% finalized:

I will teach this class live over the telephone.

There will be 3 classes about an hour each (maybe a little longer for Q&A) on three consecutive weekend afternoons in February, 2008.

There will be a free preview call in late January.

I'm extending a special discount to everyone who requested recordings of my Photo Savers workshop about how to organize photos. Those recordings turned out to be a technological nightmare (the sound quality was terrible) so I had to scrap them. The content of the two workshops is similar, and this seemed like a good way to fix my recording goof.

I'll also be offering a (smaller) discount to my newsletter subscribers.
And, yes -- there's still time to get on those lists so you can get the discount. Just use the handy links.

More details to come, so stay tuned.

I'll also be posting photo organizing tips to this blog in the coming days and weeks.

P.S. If you have questions about the upcoming class, please post them in the comments. I'm not sure how familiar folks are with classes by telephone.

P.P.S. Feel free to post your photo organizing questions, too!

Ask the Archivist: Torn Book Cover

2007-12-27T22:54:00.000-06:00

Two Solutions for a Book with a Broken Cover: Tape vs. Box

Our latest request for help comes from the genea-fabulous Jasia, author of Creative Gene and Creative Genealogy.

Jasia's got a problem with a damaged old book:

I recently bought a big, big old book (1924 city directory) that is about 6" thick, traditionally hard bound. The side has separated from the front cover right along the crease and I'd like to know if there is some sort of tape I can use to hold it together without doing any additional damage to the book.

I'm a regular subscriber to your feed and I very much enjoy your blog. Thanks so much for sharing what you know!

Option 1: Book Repair Tape

Tape is the quickest and easiest way to re-attach the cover of a book. Public libraries do this all the time because their collections take a serious beating. If your goal is usability rather than preservation, peel and stick book tape is a great choice.

These are generally not reversible, which breaks the golden rule of preservation. But, again, if your goal is to be able to use it for years to come and not to keep it in pristine condition then that doesn't really matter.

Metal Edge sells an acid-free linen tape specifically for book repair projects. The adhesive is water activated and might be reversible (I'd call customer service to see). A 50 yard roll of 1" wide tape is $14.90.

Metal Edge also sells a How To booklet on simple book repair for only $1.75: "A simplified 16 page booklet with detailed photos for mending books where the text block has become loose or the end papers & title page are pulling away from the inside of the case. Tipping in loose pages is also covered with detailed photos & instructions."

This clear tape from Gaylord is designed to get the tape in exactly the right position. The paper backing is in three strips which make it easier to remove. It's described as acid-free, non-yellowing and tear-resistant, 33 yards for $15.29.

Option 2: Phase Box

There's often a backlog of rare books that need repairing. Large libraries started putting these fragile and damaged items in snug fitting boxes. They called them "phase boxes" because it was just a temporary storage solution until the book was repaired. Most phase boxes turned out to be permanent.

Metal Edge sells a DIY kit to create your own phase box. Prices range from $6-$16 each, depending on the size.

Each DIY kit is basically two rectangluar pieces of archival board with scored lines. You use two of them to wrap your damaged book up nice and snug. Then you close it with velcro stick-on buttons.

Confused?

It's easier to show than to tell:

Phase boxes are a great way to store any fragile book. It keeps off the dust, protects the book from light and supports it enough to store upright on a shelf. It's easy to write information on the spine of the box, or you can attach a computer printed label if you prefer.

Link Round Up

2007-12-10T07:54:00.000-06:00

NOTE: Last chance to listen to (or download) my Archives Month podcast with the fan-tabulous David Benjamin. He's a Photo Archivist at the Wisconsin Historical Society and one of my favorite people. The show we did back in October will only be up for a few more days.

How-to instructions plus a list of topics covered are here.

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Here are some nifty new finds
from the Inter Tubes:

• Collector's Weekly. Wow, what a find! Gorgeous to look at and packed with reviews of the best collectors websites out there. One stop shopping for the choicest sites. Collector's Weekly has it all: Bitters Bottles to 78 RPM to Princess Telephones.

• Technically, Kevin found me...and boy howdy am I glad he did. His Library Preservation blog is full of interesting stuff like Mold Destroys Michigan Library and Scrapbook Preservation tips.

Me? I'm excited about the report on The Great Migration: Audio Preservation in the Digital Age. Because (1) I am a total geek and (2) magnetic tape is decaying fast and there are fewer and fewer vendors manufacturing new tape, which means digital is our only option. It's gonna be a HUGE migration. Let's hope we don't %#^&* it up. Gulp.

• Just for giggles, here's a collection of bizarre data disaster horror stories from 2007, including a man in Thailand who sprayed the interior of his hard drive with insect repellent.

• Best Ever Darth Vader Genealogy Joke.

• Best Ever Spam Revenge:

"Spamtrap" Watch the video!

When "acid free" isn't actually acid free: Can you trust archival supplies to be safe?

2007-12-02T11:11:00.000-06:00

Photo by Joe Nangle

I've been having some trust issues lately.

There's a popular archival supplier whose products seem to be slipping in quality. Then they sent out an email with claims about CD longevity that were misleading at best, utterly false at worst.

This is a HUGE dilemma for me. If I can't trust the quality of their products, I can't recommend them to my readers. And I know people come here to find reliable information about supplies. (Note: The photo storage boxes for sale in the left column are NOT from this manufacturer.)

I'm digging and doing some research. I'll keep you posted about what I discover.

Anyhoo. When I started digging, I discovered Mark Welch's articles. Mark is a scrapbooker. He's also a skeptic. I like to think of him as The Skeptical Scrapbooker, but his pen name is actually the Scrapbook Critic.

How Reliable is the "Acid Free" Label?

Back in early 2006, Mark learned about pH pens for the first time. Test papers for acid content in the comfort of your own home? What a great idea!

Then he visited several craft and scrapbook stores to purchase one so he could test scrapbooking paper. Turns out, scrapbook stores don't actually sell pH testing pens. Interesting, wouldn't you say? So Mark made several purchases online.

In an odd twist, it turns out some of the pens didn't work at all. See Mark's articles (links below) for more details on why certain pens failed.

Way more shocking, however, was the discovery that some papers sold at scrapbooking stores and via home sales were, in fact, acidic. All of those had been clearly marked as acid free, buffered and/or lignin free. Yeowch!

Acid Free Is Not Enough

Paper needs to be lignin free as well. Lignins are a by-product of the paper making process. It's the lignins that turn non-acidic paper to acidic. In other words, something that is acid free today will become acidic over time if the lignins have not been removed.

Benefit of the Doubt

As for me, I am so obsessed with the independent Photographic Activity Test (PAT) that I've always given manufacturers the benefit of the doubt on the "acid free" label. I figured since it was so easy to test at home, a manufacturer would be crazy to pass something acidic as acid free.

Turns out, I was wrong.

Check out Mark's articles for more details -- including the names of manufacturers he no longer trusts:

[Mark's] conclusion is that scrapbookers should buy a pH pen and test each paper they use.

This is not especially cumbersome: it takes just seconds to distress the back of a page and mark it with a pH pen.
Scrupulous retailers should be willing to do this at the checkout stand while the customer watches.
It is not enough to test just one paper from a manufacturer, because paper composition and pH levels may change from one print run to the next.
Unfortunately, a pH pen will not indicate a problem if paper is currently pH neutral, yet contains materials (such as lignins) which will degrade into acids in the future.

Thinking about buying your own pen? Check out the selection of pH pens at Amazon. And when you purchase anything from Amazon via that link (regardless of what it is) it's like leaving a tip for yours truly, without having to fork over any extra money.
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The Practical Archivist has psychic powers!

2007-11-29T21:03:00.000-06:00

Wait!

I'm getting a vision...

Yes, it's getting clearer...

You have a box of old, unsorted photos at home.

Oh, I crack myself up.

I read an entertaining article online called "I see dumb people" - Learn to cold-read like a so-called "psychic." Apparently, one of the tricks is to be as vague as possible and say something that could be applied to just about anyone.

I bet you can guess what one of the suggestions was.

Hey, maybe you're psychic, too!

I am SO going to amuse myself at future networking events with the fake psychic bit. If you live in the Madison area, consider yourself warned.

© Photographer: Photowitch | Agency: Dreamstime.com
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Practical advice on what NOT to do when your hard drive fails

2007-11-27T21:28:00.000-06:00

Hard drive failure.

It's a nightmare, no doubt about it. And it will happen to you eventually.

Here's a quick tip on what you should never do if your hard drive crashes: Restart the machine.

Why?

Because accidentally deleted files could be overwritten. Permanently, irrevocably overwritten.

Below is a peek at a damaged JPEG file. The MZ in the right hand column is where it was overwritten. This photo was completely lost.

But, wait a minute!

If you can't start up the computer, how on earth can you run the software that will attempt to recover your data?

According to Computerworld, if you don't have a bootable CD you've got to remove the hard drive from the machine and either install it in another computer as a secondary disk drive or attach it to another machine.

I learned all this from a great article in Computerworld:

Surviving a home data disaster: How Shirley got her files back.

Author Robert Mitchell explains:

My experience should give you a good idea of what you'd face in a similar situation -- as well as a behind-the-scenes look at the tools and techniques a recovery expert used to recover Shirley's files. Along the way, you'll also find tips on what you can do to prevent problems in the first place and ensure the best possible outcome when -- not if -- a data recovery problem crops up on your machine.

Read the full article here.

And then go back up all your important files. Anything you don't want to lose. You won't regret it. Heck, you might even sleep a little easier.
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Beautifully anachronistic HTTP error message

2007-11-25T17:08:00.000-06:00

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You know how sometimes you click on a link and get an error message that says something like: 404 File Not Found?

Apelad created a set of illustrations for these kinds of HTTP error messages. You can see all of them in his flickr set.

My favorite is the one you see above. It's for the 415 error message, which is "Unsupported Media Type."
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161 Meme: Sixth line on page 161

2007-11-20T21:46:00.000-06:00

I've been tagged by my friend Denise from the Family Matters blog. My task is to open up a book I'm reading to page 161 and share the 6th sentence. Then I need to tag five more bloggers to continue the meme.

I'm reading several books right now, here are the two that fit in best with the what I blog about here at Practical Archivist.

1. Playback: From the Victrola to MP3, 100 Years of Music, Machines, and Money. By Mark Coleman. It boggles my mind that recorded sound has been around for a little over 100 years (not that long, really) but somehow we're stuck with a gazillion dead formats. Page 161 is in the section on the history of home taping (you listening RIAA?) and it deals with cassettes:

Japanese manufacturers began adding cassette players to hi-fi systems in the early 1970s.

Now you could tape a copy of almost anything you heard.

2. The Geek Gap: Why Business and Technology Professionals Don't Understand Each Other and Why They Need Each Other to Survive. By Bill Pfleging and Minda Zetlin. The 6th sentence on page 161 kinda sums up the entire theme of the book:

In the end, it goes back to the issue of influencing people versus problem solving -- the fundamental difference between business and technology people.

I hereby tag the following bloggers:

1. Mary & Brady of This Book Is for You (Two for the price of one!)
2. Sara of The Steampunk Home
3. Marty at Ephemera
4. DIY Maven at Curbly
5. Jen at Domestik Goddess

Update. Don't know why I didn't think of it earlier. Guess I was just following the rules blindly. Tag, you're it. Leave a comment below and share the sixth line from page 161 of your book. The rules say it has to be something you're reading right now, but I also like the idea of grabbing a random book off your shelf.
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Email obsolete? Is that even possible?

2007-11-18T08:45:00.000-06:00

Why do technologies become obsolete? Because something easier, cheaper, better (or sometimes just better marketed) comes along.

Is email becoming obsolete? There's a new generation of internet users who don't use email and probably never will, unless they are forced to use it at work.

Below are excerpts from an eye-opening article by Chad Lorenz. It appeared in Slate earlier this week, and it's called "Teenagers are abandoning their Yahoo! and Hotmail accounts. Do the rest of us have to?"

I can still remember the proud moment in 1996 when I sent my first e-mail from the college computer lab. It felt like sending a postcard from the future. I was getting a glimpse of how the Internet would change everything—nothing could be faster and easier than e-mail. Ten years later, e-mail is looking obsolete.

Obviously, email isn't technologically obsolete. The software still works and it's updated and supported. What's actually happening is nothing more than a classic generation gap.

If you are under the age of 25, you don't use email. You might have an email address, but basically you ignore it. And you certainly don't use it to keep in touch with your friends. Instead you use Instant Messaging (IM) or Facebook or Myspace.

Can we prevent email obsolescence? Chad doesn't think so.

So, is the solution to browbeat these little rebels back in line and enforce mandatory e-mail usage? Good luck. Chances are, as usual, that the grown-ups will be the ones who are forced to adapt. Colleges have already thrown up their hands and created Facebook and MySpace pages to stay in touch with students.

My favorite line from the article: I realized that my agility with e-mail no longer marked me as a tech-savvy young adult. It made me a lame old fogey.

Ouch. Chad, as one old fogey to another, I feel your pain. Read the rest of Chad's article (including links to supporting research) here.

P.S. Hey you kids get outta my yard!
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Can Vector Magic De-Pixelate a Photo?

2007-11-15T22:09:00.000-06:00

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Why Would I Want Vectorization?

It allows you to blow up images a lot. We're talking really big. Banner sized. If you blew up a TIFF or JPEG file that large, it would look like an abstract mosaic. Terrible.

Vectorization is the process of converting a raster image to a vector image. Raster images are pixel-based. Vector images are represented by geometric shapes such as lines, circles and curves.

Vector Magic is a free web-based tool from the good folks at Stanford. No registration or login required.

Is Vector Magic Good At Vectorizing?

Absolutely. When I started with a high quality image, the before and after looked very similar. I'd give it an A.

Just perfect for blowing up your logo big enough to be seen from across a room. Or the anniversary photo that's going on a poster at the dinner party.

Can Vector Magic De-Pixelate an Image?

Er, yes but...it looks a little funky.

The vectorized version of my simpsons avatar is kinda abstract, but for the most part it's cool. What creeps me out is the two different pupil sizes. So I'd give it a B-. If I really needed to blow this up, I would go back and play with the various options more.

I also created a very low resolution thumbnail to test the limits of the de-pixelation powers of Vector Magic. I'd give it a C-.

If you're into digital scrapbooking, you could use it as a paint-by-numbers effect.

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Can you fix a pixelated photo?

2007-11-14T07:38:00.000-06:00

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From the folks at Photojojo comes advice on how to de-pixelate photos:

Ever had Grandma Edna email you her latest vacation cruise photos, only to find the images so small and pixelated that she and Gramps look like they were made of LEGOs?

VectorMagic has the answer.

A free website from the folks down at Stanford, VectorMagic takes your raster images and turns them into smooth vector drawings. Unlike raster images, vector drawings are made of geometric shapes instead of pixels, so you can infinitely resize them with no fuzzy or blockiness! This makes them ideal for blowing up a small photo to, say, the size of your bedroom wall.

Try it for yourself...Vector Magic is web-based and completely free. No registration or login required.

Vector Magic — Convert Photographs to Vector Images Automatically

Next up: Details on what happened when I put Vector Magic through the paces, including before & after screen shots. You know, the old side by side comparison. (Hint: The results were mixed.)
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Ask the Archivist: The photos scanned by my cousin look terrible! Is there anything I can do?

2007-11-13T22:15:00.000-06:00

Genealogists and family historians have swapped ancestor photos for as long as photography has been around.

These days, it's easier than ever to scan and share photos.

But what can you do if your cousin sends you scans that look terrible?

Becca has that problem, and she turned to The Practical Archivist for help.

Hi Sally,

I have a question that no one seems to know the answer to, and I thought maybe you can help.

My cousin scanned about 100 or so pictures into a zipfile and put them on the family website about 2 years ago. I happened to save those pictures on a cd as well as on my computer. I recently rediscovered them. The problem is most of them are coming up in a very small format, like thumbnail size and when i go to zoom in I lose the definition, does that make sense?

Is there anyway to get the pictures to a 'normal' size so I can actually see the faces that are in the pictures? If you have any ideas, they would surely help. I emailed my cousin, but he thinks that they are on a different server locked away in a basement somewhere...grrr.

Thank you so much!

Becca Denos

There are two reasons why Becca's digital ancestors are so tiny:

1. The original photos were scanned at both high and low resolutions, and somehow Becca is stuck with the smaller thumbnails only.

The obvious solution is to ask her cousin for the larger files. Unfortunately, Becca already tried this solution and it ain't gonna happen anytime soon.

2. The original photos were scanned at low resolution, and there aren't any high resolution scans available.

Until this week, my only advice was to ask the cousin to re-scan the originals, which is not always possible....

Then I learned about Vector Magic from Photojojo's awesome newsletter. More details on this intriguing web-based free application tomorrow.

Now it's your turn: Do you have digital photos that are tiny and/or pixelated? Do you know why they are so small? Share your story in the comments section.
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