Heritage Photographs
I found some old photos in my family’s collection. What can you tell me about early photographs? The following is a glance at the development of photography through the early part of the 1900s.
	Daguerreotype 1839-1860	Daguerreotype prints are the oldest commercially made photographs. Printed on a sheet of silver-plated copper or brass, daguerreotype photos are characterized by delicate images that can be viewed as either a positive or a negative. Daguerreotypes also have a highly polished look that resembles a mirror when viewed.
	Ambrotype 1851-1880	Commonly mistaken for daguerreotypes, ambrotypes were the first popular form of wet-plate photography. Printed on glass, the image will appear positive at any angle, thus distinguishing it from a daguerreotype. Ambrotypes can also be identified by their brown and milky-white tones.
	Tintype or ferrotype 1854-1930	Often confused with daguerreotype and ambrotype prints, tintypes were a popular, inexpensive and durable way to make photographs. Printed on a thin piece of iron, not tin as the name suggests, tintype photographs are easily scratched and can appear in black, brown and milky-white tones. Tintypes were also typically matted or encased in metal or leather frames.
	Early paper prints 1855-1910	Popular early paper prints include albumen, collodion and gelatin prints. The image is imbedded into the fibers of the paper during the development process. A fine matte finish and subtle depth typically characterize these prints. Visible paper fibers may be another distinguishing characteristic of these types of prints.
	Cartes-de-visite and cabinet photos 1860-1910	Cartes-de-visite prints are typically full-length individual portraits and mounted on heavy cardstock that is slightly larger than a standard business card. Cabinet photos – similar to, but larger than, cartes-de-visite prints – typically are brown, sepia or yellow-toned. Large, thick mounts and rounded corners characterize cabinet photos.
How do I care for my heritage photographs? Any photograph developed prior to the 1930s should be handled with extreme care. Only a photo professional should perform any necessary cleaning or restoration of heritage photographs. Storing your heritage photographs in a dark storage environment, inside of a Creative Memories album, at our recommended storage conditions of 77 degrees Fahrenheit (25 degrees Celsius) or less with a relative humidity of 20 to 50 percent is ideal. We recommend that prints and albums be stored vertically rather than stacked.
How do I mount my heritage photographs? Photographs may show natural deterioration in the form of cracking, brittleness and discoloration. It is especially important that heritage prints be handled with care. We recommend treating heritage prints as memorabilia and mounting them with Photo Mounting Corners, Photo Mounting Sleeves, orPortrait Sleeve Pages. Permanent adhesives such as Tape Runner, Photo Splits and Photo Tape will not allow for the photograph to be removed at a later date and copied if necessary.
You may wish to create a duplicate of your heritage photo prior to mounting it inside your album to ensure that a back-up copy of the image is available in case of disaster. You may also choose to mount the duplicate copy of the print inside your album and keep the original print in a disaster-resistant location, such as a safety-deposit box.
Reproductions can be made by photographing the original heritage photograph or by scanning the image and reprinting the digital file as an inkjet print, dye sublimation, electrophotographic or chromogenic photographic print. You may mount either the original or the duplicate copy of the image into your Creative Memories album. Duplicates should be handled as recommended for current photo development processes.
What about the current photo development processes? Here is an overview of the modern photographic processes:
	Silver-halide (black-and-white) 1885-Present Chromogenic (color) prints 1935-Present	From the 1930s to the early 1960s, black-and-white silver-halide prints were the most commonly developed photographs. Around the early 1960s, color chromogenic prints became more common. These prints include a gelatin emulsion or polyethylene resin layer that characterizes the prints with a “glossy” look and feel. All chromogenic prints before the early 1980s are susceptible to color fade and yellowing. Store all silver-halide and chromogenic photographs in an environment of 77 degrees Fahrenheit (25 degrees Celsius) or less with a relative humidity of 20 to 50 percent.
	Instant black- and-white and color prints 1948-Present	Instant prints typically are characterized by their thick plastic backing. The photographic image is developed using a plastic pouch or single sheet of paper that contains layers of different chemicals and appears within minutes of taking the photograph. Though originally released as black-and-white prints, color instant prints became popular in the 1960s and 1970s. Instant photographs should not be cropped, as the loss of chemicals may destroy the image. The developing chemicals may also irritate the skin and eyes. You may wish to treat instant prints as memorabilia and mount them to your album page using Photo Mounting Corners.
	Electrophotographic prints 1959-Present	Electrophotographic prints are the first photographic printing process without chemical development or use of photographic paper and are essentially photocopies. The image is permanently fused to the paper using heat.
	Inkjet prints 1985-Present	Inkjet prints typically are made using a home inkjet printer. Ink is sprayed onto coated paper to form the image. These prints can look and feel like chromogenic photographs. Treat inkjet images carefully as they are susceptible to light fade, color bleed or damage by abrasion or pollution. Creative Memories requires the use of Page Protectors with all inkjet prints.
	Dye sublimation prints 1985-Present	Some specialized home photo printers and commercial kiosks produce dye sublimation prints. These printers thermally transfer dye from a colored ribbon to a coated paper receptor. Many of these printers also coat the print to protect it from damage. Dye sublimation prints may look and feel like chromogenic photographs. Dye sublimation prints are also know as dye-diffusion thermal transfer prints.
My heritage photos are faded and discolored. How do I reverse this? The yellowing of the photographs is a sign of deterioration and natural aging. The natural aging process may have been accelerated due to poor storage conditions and possible environmental contamination. It is also possible, if the photographs are from the 1960s and 70s, that the film was unstable and has already begun to break down.
Unfortunately, there is nothing that can reverse the aging process of your photographs, nor is there a way to remove harmful substances from photographs once exposed. There are, however, software packages that can be used (once the image is scanned) to color correct and reprint your damaged photographs. Creative Memories Memory Manager Software is an excellent choice for photo correction in your home. You may also consider taking the photographs to a photo professional - at a camera shop in your area - and inquire if they offer photo correction as a service.
If you choose to attempt color correction at home, you will need a software package, a scanner, a computer and an inkjet printer. The first step is to scan the photograph, then use the software to add colors such as cyan and magenta to the image. Once you have fine-tune the colors, you may either reprint the photograph using an inkjet printer and Creative Memories Inkjet Photo paper, or you may burn the image to a CD-R and have it developed on conventional photographic paper at any photo processor.
Is it safe to place heritage photographs next to new photographs? It is safe to store various types of prints together. However, if the prints have been permanently mounted to backing paper, you may want to keep them separate from other photographs. We cannot say for certain (without testing) what the properties of the backing paper are.
What is a nitrate negative? Nitrate-based film was manufactured as late as 1951. Check the margins of the negatives. Safety-based films have the word “safety” printed in the margin and present no danger. If the film says nitrate in the margin or does not have anything printed, it should be checked by a photo professional to determine if it is nitrate-based. These should be duplicated and the original disposed of as soon as possible.
What is a glass-plate negative? Glass-plate negatives also need special handling. The emulsion of the glass plate (the dull, non-reflective side) should not be touched or wiped. Handle glass plates only by the edges. Store them vertically in a box or drawer. Use Creative Memories photo-safe paper or acid-free matte board to separate the negatives. Make sure the plates are adequately supported because the weight of the glass itself may cause the plates to crack.