Ten Top Tips for handling photographic materials
1. Before you start, make sure you have a clean, clutter-free and adequately large work surface.
2. Use nitrile gloves when handling prints, negatives, glass plate negatives and slides. Your hands, even when washed, produce oils and perspiration which can leave traces on the photograph. Dirt can also scratch delicate surfaces and act as a catalyst for unwanted chemical reactions.
3. When wearing your gloves remember to not touch your face or other parts of the body as this will transfer oils and perspiration from your skin onto the gloves, and then onto the photograph.
4. Even when wearing gloves, handle photographic materials only by the edges and avoid touching the emulsion side (image surface) as much as possible. Never pick up photographic materials by the corners, as these can become brittle and prone to snapping.
5. Take care when accessing photographic materials stored in an enclosure, such as an envelope. Try to remove the enclosure from the photograph, rather than the photograph from the enclosure.
6. If prints are mounted in an album you may not need to wear gloves, as long as you can turn the pages without touching the prints. If prints are inside clear, polyester protective sleeves, you do not need to wear gloves to handle them. However, do not remove the sleeves without first asking a member of staff for permission and without wearing gloves.
7. A light box can be provided to view negatives and slide transparencies. Never hold these materials up to the light.
8. When you become absorbed in your work it is easy to forget handling techniques - be mindful not to lean on the photographic materials and keep them on the table at all times. Make sure to write your notes on paper laid on the work surface, not on top of a photograph.
9. When you are finished looking at photographic materials, take care to place them back into the correct enclosures in the same order as you found them.
10. Report any issues or signs of damage to a member of staff, or ask for help or advice if you are unsure about how to handle something. We're always happy to help!
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