The Scrap Room
Safely Removing Old Photographs
Scrapbooking sure has come a long way in the last couple decades. If you have old albums in your home, chances are they might need a little maintenance or even a complete overhaul. With the technology available in this day and age, I recommend keeping digital copies of all your important photographs, and, in most circumstances, scrapbooking with supplies and materials that are acid and lignin free. (Read our previous post on Ways to Preserve Your Scrapbook for more tips to prolong the life of your albums.)
Albums not of archival quality should be updated as soon as possible. For this to be done, all photos and memorabilia must be removed from the old album to be transferred to a newer, acid and lignin free, album. A daunting task -- if you're not using the right tools. However, removing old photos can be as simple as 1-2-3.
If the adhesive in the book has permanently bonded to the photograph, heating up the picture with a hair dryer on a low setting can warm the glue enough to loosen the picture.
Still stuck? With the glue still warm from the hair dryer, slide a strand of dental floss behind the photograph. You may need to work it gently from different angles and/or re-warm the photograph with the dryer.
For extra stubborn photos and memorabilia, you may need to try a spatula in addition to the heat and floss. I prefer a craft spatula, however a kitchen spatula will work in a pinch. Very seldomly does this combination of methods not work, however if you find yourself unable to salvage an album, contact us before you rip photographs, cut your album to pieces or worse yet, let it continue to deteriorate. We specialize in archival quality scrapbooking and would be happy to answer your questions or give you a quote for scrapbook restoration.
Safely Removing Old Photographs
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