Preserving Old Docs

[scottermac]

I just received an awsome present from my Aunt. She sent me my grandfathers discharge papers from the US Army. He served 1944 to 1946. What is the best way preserve these documents? I am sure that this topic has already been covered, but any help would be great.

[Bob Hudson]

Archival plastic sleeves will protect them.

[RDUNE]

Archival quality, acid free folders/boxes/sleeves.

 

This is where the museum I used to work for got all of its archival supplies: http://www.gaylord.com/

 

You may want to consider scanning the documents and putting them in a fireproof box, or a lock box at the bank. When my wifes grandmothers house burnt down she lost every document she'd ever had, and thats a hard thing to come to terms with. Preserving the documents is all well and good, but make sure they are someplace very safe, away from temperature & humidity changes, and where they are unlikely to be lost in a fire, flood or tornado.

 

-Ryan

[Bluehawk]

The neutral plastic sleeves being suggested above are sometimes called "encapsulation" - which in no sense whatsoever means "lamination"... worth mentioning.

[gitana]

You may want to consider scanning the documents and putting them in a fireproof box, or a lock box at the bank. When my wifes grandmothers house burnt down she lost every document she'd ever had, and thats a hard thing to come to terms with. Preserving the documents is all well and good, but make sure they are someplace very safe, away from temperature & humidity changes, and where they are unlikely to be lost in a fire, flood or tornado.

 

 

That's a good idea. My dad has our ancestor's Civil War parole. I scanned it and printed a full-sized copy for him to frame. HE knows he has the original (in a bank box) so it doesn't bother him to have a copy on display.

 

Or you can frame it and make sure to hang it near the door in case of emergency.

[WarrantMafia]

RDUNE - Thanks for link, just got a WW2 Air medal Document and was worried how to best preserve it. Thx

[theschneid88]

I framed my wifes Gpas and my Gpas documents, except I used museum glass and acid free archive paper on the back. I also just to be safe dont keep them in the light, though the museum glass protects against that kind of damage..but I'm the paraniod type