It just makes sense. From Grandma’s canning jars to the latest zipper style
freezer bags, food is usually best preserved in a sealed container so that air can never escape or
enter. Granny’s garden has been kept edible for years in her bank house this way. Bags of frozen
goodness are quickly defrosted for a hearty healthy meal. And so it is natural that when a
cherished family Bible, or old photographs, or a brittle letter from over a century ago comes into
the possession of a preservation-minded family member, the immediate instinct is to seal it up air
tight to protect and preserve the document.
Unfortunately, sealing a document is about the worst thing you can do for it.
When preserving food, the contents are usually boiled first – removing any harmful bacteria. You
can’t boil a bible. And the problem isn’t necessarily bacteria – it’s the chemical content of the
document that can contain acid or lignin. Trapped, these and other gasses and chemicals will
destroy the document over time. In addition, gasses from plastic containers themselves can cause
damage. With proper airflow, these gasses will dissipate as harmless bits of atmosphere.
When permanently storing a document, skip the sealed plastic containers. An
acid free/lignin free paper box and tissue paper stored at moderate temperature and humidity in a
dark area is your best bet. These are available at Amazon.com and other sources. Even better, consider keeping a copy for home
use and donating original historic documents and photographs to a professionally managed archive
to best ensure access for future researchers.
So save all those freezer containers for the good stuff like blueberries or
corn on the cob or ‘mater soup…….
- Linda Hoxit Raxter, 26 JAN 2003
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