How To Preserve Historical Newspapers
Saving The Obama Victory Paper and Other Important Documents
Preserving historical documents such as newspapers has generated recent interest with the historic win for the White House by Barack Obama. If you were lucky enough to get one of the headlined copies of the Los Angeles Times, the New York Times, or another major newspaper, you may be wondering how to keep your copy from growing yellow and shriveled.
Make Copies of the Original
First, make photocopies of the page of interest and use these copies for everyday use. Copy on non-acidic paper, which does not deteriorate quickly. This will save the original from taking a beating.
Take a picture of the newspaper clipping and duplicate onto a computer scanner or generate copies, also on non-acidic paper.
Laminate any copies, but do not laminate the actual newspaper if you expect that it will grow in monetary value. Laminating a newspaper ruins the collecting value.
What To Do With The Original
Here are some tips to properly treat an original, historical newspaper:
- Do not expose the newspaper to sunlight, moisture, or extreme temperatures. This will cause the paper to break down and deteriorate more quickly.
- Keep the newspaper in darkness. Light actually reacts to the acid in the newspaper and causes the paper to darken.
- Store the paper in a cool, dry place such as a closet in a temperature-controlled room.
- Do not fold or bend the newspaper. Keep it in its original form. Folding also causes two portions of newsprint to come in contact and may smear the wording.
- Keep the newspaper in a separate place from other documents.
- Place the newspaper in a polyester-film folder with a piece of alkaline-buffered paper backing it. This prevents a breakdown of the acid in the paper.
- If boxing away, place the newspaper in quality, acid-free boxing material. A good example of such packing material would be the kind that photographers use to store prints and film.
- Do not use staples or paper clips on the newspaper. This will create permanent, unwanted marks on the paper.
De-acidify the Newspaper
According to History Buff, the wood pulp paper that most newspaper is printed on in modern times contains so much acid that it should be de-acidified if the owner seriously wants to preserve it. However, it is quite an expensive process. An archivist or a conservator usually charges between $25-$50 per page of the newspaper, which can add up to hundreds of dollars if the owners wishes to have the entire paper preserved.
For those attempting to de-acidify their own papers, there is a special aerosol spray, which still costs approximately $10 per page.
Frame the Newspaper
If framing a historical newspaper, keep in mind that it should be framed with an acid-free backing board and matte to protect the acid from eating away at the paper. Some framing glass even has UV ray protection. However, framed pictures should still be kept completely away from direct sunlight, as it can still cause the paper to yellow and age.
Millions anticipated purchasing a newspaper after Barack Obama’s historic win, and still others have papers with sentimental value. Learning to preserve these papers properly is worth the time it takes, so that ten, twenty, or fifty years down the line, they can be shown to children and grandchildren.
Mr. President
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