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Over the past year we have been helping Creative CoLab with their Heritage at Home project, funded by National Lottery Heritage Fund. Young people have got involved in learning about their own heritage, and finding out about filming and recording oral history.

One of the final aspects was to run workshops about creating and caring for their own collections, which would have included a tour of the Archives to see some of the collections others have created, and how we look after them. The recent situation has prevented us running these in The Hive, so we are offering guidance here on our blog.

Here in our Archives we have 12 miles of shelves of boxes of documents telling a wide range of stories. At the core the collection has documents about administrative history of organsations, societies, local government, schools, hospitals, business, estates and families. We also have some personal collections by individuals.

What do you choose?

Many people also want to keep their own collection of items which are significant to them – photos, certificates, letters. What you include will be very personal because it is about you, and what you have chosen. What will you want to look at in 10, 20, 30 years time? What will you want to show children or friends about your earlier life? It is always fascinating to see individual’s collection in the archives and what they wanted to keep. People will will differ about what sort of things they value. If you only have a certain space, such as one box, you may have to make difficult decisions!

Have a look at a couple of collections we have in the Archives to inspire you.

Vesta Tilley, born as Matilda Powles in Worcester, was one of the top music hall performers of her day. She was a major star, and people flocked to her performances. She retired just before WWI but came out of retirement to help with recruitment for the army and the entertain the soldiers. She then retired shortly after the war ended, after a farewell tour. She had her own collection of reviews in newspapers, fan mail, photos, thank you letters, programmes, Christmas cards and other ephemera. It’s fascinating to see what she collected. Around 20 years ago we acquired this collection and people have travelled from around the world to see it.

Mollie Lake was a professional singer. She kept many of the programmes from her performances, photos and other items about her singing career.

Why do we need to care for our documents?

• When it’s gone it’s gone forever. Many people wish they had taken care of their own photos, papers, newscuttings etc.
• Prevention is better (and cheaper) than cure. All sorts of things can be done later, but far better is to keep things in as a good a condition as possible now.
• Paper and photos and delicate. Once paper has a fold/tear it will always has a weakness there which can’t be undone. Some modern paper, especially newspaper, is poor quality, and can change colour or get very fragile if out in the sun or not kept properly. Photos are chemical based so are at risk too.

What are the main risks?

• Excessive handling
• Fire or water
• Pests – insects and/or rodents
• Light
• Incorrect or variable temperature or humidity

What can help?

We have a member of staff who is a Conservator. This means that she looks after our collections, making sure they are in the best condition and carrying out repairs when needed. We asked her for some tips about you can do at home with your own collection to make it last as long as possible.

Storage

Good storage is very important, protecting your precious documents from various things. Boxes can protect from dust and other things getting in. It can also prevent damage when moving it.

Beware if storing things on top of your box(es) that they are not being damaged.

We use special acid free boxes, which are also nice and strong. We also use acid free folders and polyester sleeves to protect groups of documents inside boxes.

Try to remove staples and paperclips, which can go rusty.

Handling

Reduce as much as possible, although the reason you keep your collection is to look at it. Keep as flat as possible, and only fold if you have to.

Pests

Sore in a clean area that is regularly cleaned and isn’t damp.

Light

Causes fading of dyes and inks, and can discolour paper and photos and make it brittle. Storing your items in a box prevents the light getting to them and damaging them.

Temperature and Humidity

Too or too low can be bad, and also fluctuations. It can increase chances of mould or pests. Like with light high temperature can make paper go brittle. Damp places make mould more likely and the pages to go damp. It’s a good idea to regularly clean around wherever you’re storing it.

We are fortunate in that we have strongrooms to store our documents which are controlled to make sure conditions are as good as possible. If you are keeping yours at home think where would be best, avoiding places which are very hot or very cold. Ideally 13-20 degrees.

Sometimes we go to collect archives which have stored in attics, basements or with churches in damp vestries, and we then sometimes have to clean them.

Photos

You need to be careful with photos as printing photos on photopaper is a chemical process. They are easy to fade, and can stick together. Try not to touch the photos themselves as fingermarks and the grease on our fingers can damage.

Label photos, using a pencil, so you (and others) know who or what is in the photo

Today the problem is normally that we don’t print photos, or we just print them on normal paper. Make sure you back up digital photos!

Scrapbooks

Lots of people like to create scrapbooks, including some of our staff. There are lots in our collection, containing information selected by the creator, making a fascinating insight into what someone thought important enough to select and save, and there may be copies

The problem is how to stick the items in. Sellotape can dry and go brittle, and lose its stickiness as well as discolouring the paper. Some glues can also lose their stickiness. If possible it’s best to get papers loose in a folder, but if you’ve already stuck things then it’s best to leave for the moment. If you are wanting to make a scrapbook though, pva glue is probably best.

So, good luck in creating your own collection. We hope you have fun, and that you enjoy going back to look at it over the years, and showing friends and family in the future.

Thank you to National Lottery Heritage Fund for funding the project

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