Preserving old letters

[Tybee]

I need some ideas about the best way to preserve old family letters. I have several boxes now and I went ahead and put them in plastic boxes to keep mice out, but I am seeing archival paper acid free boxes--is that better. They are currently stored as they have been stored, folded and in envelopes. But some people put them in plastic sleeves in binders so they can read both sides of the letter, since most are only two sides of the page.

Any ideas of the best way to proceed? I'd like to be able to read them, but now I feel guilty folding them up and putting them away in the envelope, but they have survived all this time that way, and many are almost a hundred years old.

[iris lilies]

Archival quality (acid free) supplies are expensive, but those are the best for keeping paper from deteriorating.

[Tybee]

But would you keep them in acid free boxes in the envelopes? Will plastic work or is that bad for the paper?

[iris lilies]

But would you keep them in acid free boxes in the envelopes? Will plastic work or is that bad for the paper?

All I can tell you is in special collections department at the library, everything was in archival quality containers. Single sheets of paper were encapsulated in acid free envelopes and were stored in acid free containers.
Muchly $$$
What appears to be plastic is acid free material.

[iris lilies]

University Products carries all the products you would need. https://www.universityproducts.com/

[Tybee]

University Products carries all the products you would need. https://www.universityproducts.com/

Thanks so much!

[catherine]

I grouped letters in the original envelopes by sender and tied them with satin ribbons and then put them in a box. Never thought of putting them in an archival box, though! Good tip.

[iris lilies]

Well, here’s the thing about archival preservation materials: they won’t protect the document from existing acid already on the document. They are intended to keep further contaminants off it.

Real preservation means sending the documents to a restoration expert who will deacidify it. Then, when it is purified, it could be slipped into acid free protective covers and it should be good to go for a long long long long time.

[Tybee]

I grouped letters in the original envelopes by sender and tied them with satin ribbons and then put them in a box. Never thought of putting them in an archival box, though! Good tip.

That'w what I did, too, because that's what my grandmother did, and maybe I will switch the packets to the archival boxes. It's not like everyone is opening them to read them all the time. The archival boxes at the site IL linked are really extensive with a big selection in size.