Idaho City Masonic Temple, 1865

There’s something almost magical about photographs. Just open your scrapbook and suddenly you’re going to high school again, playing with your first dog, teasing your little brother, or stopping at a tourist trap along Route 66 on a family trip. But is a scrapbook the best place to store them? Or are they better stored in a box at the top of your closet … or under the bed … or on your desk … or in your wallet? For many of us, photographs may be an overlooked but important historical record.

As a mild-mannered but adventurous photo archivist, let’s visit a typical Masonic lodge and see what we can find. When we open the door, we’re greeted by a group of shots hanging above the couches. They’re nice, but notice that the first has a broken frame; the second is water-stained; the third is held together with a few pieces of yellow tape, and the last photo has staples holding it to the background paper. Good, but not the king’s treasure chamber.

Hmmm. I wonder what’s in the banquet room? Masons never pass up a meal, and see, all the Past Masters are here on the wall. With a few early exceptions, these photos are all the same size and look to be in fairly good shape. But take one off the wall and have a closer look. See that black paper on the back? That’s deadly as poison to a photo. It’s full of acid and will eventually ruin it entirely. Also notice how close the window is to these photos. Exposure to light is damaging to photographs, causing yellowing, color fading, and brittleness.

Knights Templar, New Mexico, circa 1900s

Let’s see what’s next. I’ll bet the secretary has a bunch of photos stashed in his office. We open the door and … wow! I knew it, we found the treasure chamber! Here are some boxes of rolled group photographs and some class photos from reunions. The top drawer of his desk has some negatives and slides. He’s even printed some digital pictures on his printer. Let’s pull out one of those file drawers and see if there are any photos in there. Yep, that’s what I thought! More photos in each of the files. Who are these guys? This looks like a lodge B.B.Q. But wait, I hear the secretary, he’s coming my way! Hurry up and close the drawer!

“Good afternoon, sir. Uh, I was just admiring your office and photos. Do you have any others?” I ask, grinning sheepishly. (Okay, I’ve been caught snooping in his files, so I might as well enlist his help.)

“Why sure, young lady!” secretary Zabud replies. “We have hundreds of photos of social events, dinners, installations, picnics, dances, cornerstone layings … in fact, if you can name it, I am sure we have a photo of it.”

“If you’re feeling brave, we can have a look-see in the basement at what we have down there.” I shudder at the thought of archival documents being stored in the basement, and I feel a bit like Indiana Jones (or should I say Lara Croft?) as I go downstairs. Oh no! Water has damaged some of the boxes, mold has grown on others and yet another has bugs. I think I’ll move on to another room….

Maintenance and Preservation

It looks like we have our work cut out for us, so let’s get to it. What can be done to care for your photograph collection, anyways?

• If they are to be displayed, use archival UV-filtering plastic or glass in framing photos and keep them away from direct lighting. If you would like to hang a photo of each Past Master, or the occasional famed Past Grand Master, make sure you make a copy and keep it in a separate location, such as an acid-free box or file folder, not accessible to the general public.
• Keep photographic materials at proper environmental conditions, particularly noting the humidity and temperature levels. Relative humidity is the single most important factor in preserving most photographs. Levels above 60% will accelerate deterioration. The ideal temperature for storing photographs is 68° F at 30–40% relative humidity. Keep your photos in an air-conditioned room, but never in an attic or basement, which have high humidity levels and are subject to drastic temperature changes. Temperature is the controlling factor in the stability of modern color photographs. Archival storage at low temperatures of 40°F or below is recommended for photos.
• For preservation, remove photographs from frames, binders, albums and scrapbooks. Now, I’m not saying you shouldn’t let your wife make those cute scrapbooks of the family, but most of the materials used in photo albums are not acid-free. Adhesives are corrosive. Stickers, tape, rubber bands, and rubber cement can cause permanent damage to photographs. Take those sticky corners off as soon as possible. And, as long as your wife has multiple copies of those photos she just cut into the shape of a balloon, your memories will last forever!
• When photos have been rolled for many years they become quite brittle. While employing a professional conservator is the best solution for adequate care, it isn’t always the most practical or affordable option. You might try placing your photo in a humid environment for several hours and then attempt to carefully unroll the document while it is still humid. If it begins to crack or tear, STOP! If it is okay, unroll it and place the document between two pieces of acid free paper, with a heavy object on top for a few days.
• Remove all metal from your photos. This includes staples and paperclips.

Storage and Handling

• Photographs can suffer irreparable damage from handling, including tears, cracks, abrasions, fingerprints, and stains. If possible, try to avoid touching older and fragile photographic materials. Archivists recommend that you wear cotton gloves when handling all photos, negatives, and prints.
• House photos in suitable paper or plastic enclosures (envelopes, folders, etc.).
• Paper enclosures must be acid-free, lignin-free, and are available in both buffered (alkaline, pH 8.5) and unbuffered (neutral, pH 7) stock. Paper is opaque which prevents unnecessary light exposure.
• Plastic enclosures include uncoated polyester film, uncoated cellulose triacetate, polyethylene, and polypropylene. Commonly available PVC slide pages, easily identified by their strong plastic odor, should never be used because of their extreme chemical reactivity.
• All materials should be stored in acid-free boxes. If you want to use an album, there are commercially available ones that utilize archival-quality materials. Never use the “magnetic” or “no stick” albums, as they deteriorate materials very quickly. Remove photos from those older 1940s albums made of black paper. The paper is full of acid and will deteriorate rapidly. The safest approach is to carefully try to lift the photos off of the album page. If you cannot successfully lift them, cut away the paper around the photo and store them in acid free folders or boxes. You may also use pH-neutral buffer paper or Mylar to separate items.

Photographs are both a memory and a record, and yours may become part of history. So do what you can to preserve them. Yes, you too can experience the thrills of a photo archivist. All it takes is a little patience, some dedication, and a bit of passion for your subject matter (superhero costume optional). So, the next time you head to your Lodge, take a look at your photographs and be sure to note the names of the individuals. (This is the most overlooked task when saving images! People assume everyone will remember for years to come who the people are in the photos.)

Sadly, when a Lodge moves or closes, photos are often junked and thrown away. Don’t let this happen! Make sure your lodge preserves its history. And those celebrated, (or should we say legendary?) Past Masters will be remembered for years to come.

For the past several years, the Supreme Council has been working on its photo archives that contain rare, vintage and unique Masonic images. If you have photographs you would like to preserve for future generations of Masonic researchers and historians, feel free to contact me, Heather K. Calloway, or Arturo de Hoyos, Grand Archivist and Grand Historian at the Supreme Council (202-232-3579).

---

Preservation 101

Where can you get your own archival supplies?

Archival Products, Library Binding Service, PO Box 1413, Des Moines, IA 50305, 1-800-526-5640, www.archival.com

Conservation Resources International, 5532 Port Royal Road, Springfield, VA 22151, 1-800-634-6932, www.conservationresources.com

Gaylord Brothers, PO Box 4901, Syracuse, NY 13221, 1-800-634-6307, www.gaylord.com

Hollinger Corp., PO Box 8360, Fredricksburg, VA 22404-8360, 1-800-634-0491, www.hollingercorp.com

Light Impressions, PO Box 787, Brea, CA 92822, 1-800-828-6216, www.lightimpressionsdirect.com

Metal Edge Inc., 6340 Bandini Ave., Commerce, CA 90040 1-800-862-2228, www.metaledgeinc.com

University Products, 517 Main Street, PO Box 101, 517 Main Street, Holyoke, MA 01041 1-800-628-1912, www.universityproducts.com

(These are some recommendations, but there are other reputable companies. Make sure the products you buy are acid free.)

---

Heather K. Calloway, a native of Albuquerque, is Coordinator of Library and Museum Services and Director of Internships at the Supreme Council, 33°, S.J. She received her B.A. in Religious Studies and Political Science in 1997 from the University of New Mexico, a Master of Theological Studies in 2001 from The Iliff School of Theology, Denver, Colorado, and a Master of Library Science degree from the University of Maryland in 2005. She has been a guest lecturer at various Masonic bodies, including the Allied Masonic Degrees and the New Mexico Lodge of Research.