In this one-hour, virtual orientation, get tips on how to care for your print memories, including photograph collections, at home.
Our personal and family histories live in the stories we tell and in boxes in our homes. These boxes might hold newspaper clippings, diaries, photographs, or letters. If you’re picturing your own memory boxes, you might also be picturing the conditions they’re housed in—perhaps in your attic, susceptible to water damage, or otherwise disorganized, awaiting your attention.
At the DC History Center, materials like this are called “personal papers” or “family papers.” Some examples in our holdings include the Hayden C. Johnson papers (MS 0415) and the Kohn, Davidson, and Landsburgh family papers (MS 0457), both featured in the above image. To learn how to care for your own collections at home, join Collections Manager Autumn Kalikin on January 21 for this virtual orientation.
Autumn will demonstrate at-home archival methods using DC History Center staff members’ own personal papers. You will learn about:
- Proper handling techniques
- Supply and storage options
- Troubleshooting preservation issues
- Documenting your history and memories
This detailed tutorial on handling print materials will give insight into protecting those cherished materials that help us remember the past, honor our elders, and pass down traditions.
Free; registration required. We appreciate all donations and recommend $10 or more. For a peek at what your donation supports, check out our Instagram! All attendees who take our post-program survey will be entered into a drawing for a kit with archival supplies.
