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Preserving materials in your physical archive

It’s important that your archive or collection is preserved properly so that no information is lost – and minimising known threats as much as possible reduces this risk.
In this article, you’ll learn:

  • Why do you need to ensure that your physical archive is well preserved?
  • Where can you find detailed information about the proper preservation of your physical archive or collection?
  • How do you preserve paper documents?
  • How do you preserve film and video?
  • How do you preserve photos?
  • How do you preserve large formats?
  • How do you preserve textiles?

It’s important to store archives and collections sustainably if you want to avoid losing any data or information. And different types of documents and objects also need to be stored in different ways. After all, archives and collections owned by artists and arts organisations often contain assorted types of materials – such as paper, textiles, wood, metal and plastic – and all these materials require specific attention. Correct packaging of archive items and documents is an essential part of this, and the saying ‘prevention is better than cure’ also holds true here. Archives and collections are usually stored somewhere with enough space that’s easy to access. But it’s important to be aware of any risks that might be associated with this storage area, so you can eliminate them where possible and limit any foreseeable damage.

Ook voor je archief en/of collectie(s) geldt dat voorkomen beter is dan genezen. Ze worden meestal bewaard waar er plaats is en waar ze gemakkelijk toegankelijk zijn. Toch is het belangrijk dat je de risico's kent die eigen zijn aan de bewaarruimte. Door risico’s waar mogelijk uit te sluiten, beperk je de te voorziene schade.

Consider visiting Erfgoedwijzer for additional information on the packaging of archival materials and collection items, and on how to correctly store them in a depot (all links in Dutch).


It’s important to store archives and collections sustainably if you want to avoid losing any data or information. And different types of documents and objects also need to be stored in different ways. After all, archives and collections owned by artists and arts organisations often contain assorted types of materials – such as paper, textiles, wood, metal and plastic – and all these materials require specific attention. Correct packaging of archive items and documents is an essential part of this, and the saying ‘prevention is better than cure’ also holds true here. Archives and collections are usually stored somewhere with enough space that’s easy to access. But it’s important to be aware of any risks that might be associated with this storage area, so you can eliminate them where possible and limit any foreseeable damage.
Foto: CKV - Archief Mark Verstockt, 2019

How to store documents, newspaper cuttings and drawings?

  • Remove any elements that could damage the documents – such as paperclips, staples, elastic/rubber bands, plastic folders, ring binders – along with any unnecessary paper folders, blotting paper, etc.
  • Documents that are held together with harmful materials – such as paperclips, staples and elastic/rubber bands, etc. – must still be kept together, however. Use a large sheet (A3) of (acid-free) paper folded in half with the documents inside, and replace ring binders with (acid-free) boxes.

Before removing any original packaging, always make sure it doesn’t contain any information that could be useful for describing the documents. If it does, copy these details across to the new packaging.

  • It’s best to store paper flat in a cardboard box, but you can roll up large sheets of paper if there isn’t enough room. Always avoid folding, though!
  • If you want to label the paper documents, use a soft pencil on the back of the paper.

You can find more information via the references below:

Books

Newspaper cuttings

Paper (including programmes, brochures)

What to do with large formats?

  • It’s best to store large paper formats such as posters, drawings, lighting plans, etc. in drawers designed specifically for this purpose (map/poster cabinets). These are available up to A0+ format (1600mm x 841mm). Metal cabinets with a powder coating dried at high temperature are best.
  • Multiple paper documents can be stored in a single drawer, but make sure you don’t overfill them as this can put too much pressure on the documents at the bottom.
  • Take into account that you need to be able to put documents in the cabinet and take them out again quickly and easily.
  • If you’re storing documents of assorted sizes together in one drawer, place the largest ones at the bottom.
  • It’s best to protect delicate documents in an (acid-free) cover.

You can find map cabinets at:

Acid-free boxes and covers:

  • Acid-free print or picture boxes or covers can offer a solution if you don’t want to or can’t buy storage drawers.
  • It’s better not to keep more than ten documents in one cover.

You can find acid-free archive boxes and covers at:

You can find more information via the references below:

How to store film and video?

  • Store audiovisual materials upright (like books on a bookshelf) in cool, stable conditions. A temperature of 18°C is suitable for both optical discs and magnetic tapes.
  • Always store these materials in their boxes. Make sure the boxes remain free of dirt and dust.
  • Never stack optical discs on top of each other or package them together, and also make sure they cannot lean against each other.
  • Keep magnetic tapes away from strong magnetic fields such as loudspeakers and other cathode-ray tubes.
  • Keep the storage area free from dust and away from direct sunlight.
  • Fully rewind magnetic tapes before storing them, and disable the record tab to prevent unwanted erasure in the future.
  • Use a pen with a soft tip for labelling. For optical discs, we recommend only writing in the transparent inner circle where no data is stored.

Avoid using adhesive labels on optical discs.

You can find more information via the references below:

How to store photos?

  • Store your photos in a dark place (avoid light), flat in boxes, and do not use any glue, photo albums, staples, rubber bands...
  • Use a pencil on the back of the photo to label it.

You can find more information via the references below:

How to store (large) objects?

In addition to building an archive, as an artist or organisation you’ll also collect objects such as props, hardware, tools and models. It’s important to keep a record of all this heritage and manage it properly in separate collections.

You can find more information via the links below:

Various materials (stone, wood, plastic...)

Models'

Theatre puppets

Performance Props

  • Borggreen, G. en Gade R. , Performing Archives/Archives of Performance (In Between States), 2013

How to store textiles?

  • Store your textiles flat in a box or rolled up if you don’t have enough space (not including costumes). Avoid folding!
  • Do not store textiles dirty; this attracts pests.
  • Protect costumes from direct sunlight and other bright light. Otherwise the fibres become brittle and break down, and the colours fade.
  • Never store textiles in a plastic cover or bag without ventilation; plastic doesn’t let air through, so condensation can form inside when the temperature changes. This moisture then has nowhere to go, causing mould to form which can damage the fibres.
  • Roll up costumes on acid-free rolls or lay them flat if there’s enough space. Always cover or wrap them. Fill folds with rolls of silk paper to prevent breakage. If you hang the garments on hangers or a clothes rack, make sure each item is properly supported. The rack or wardrobe also needs to be large enough to avoid creasing and folding.
  • Hang all costumes on identical hangers. You’ll be surprised how much space this saves!
  • You can wrap textiles in clean white cotton sheets, acid-free paper or boxes, or clean and breathable materials such as Tyvek. The Royal Theatre of La Monnaie has created a handy pattern for you to make your own covers out of Tyvek, which you can request via contact@cemper.be.
  • Keep wardrobes free of dust and ensure regular movement to disturb and get rid of any moths.
  • Hang cedarwood blocks between the costumes rather than mothballs. This is cheaper and better for the environment. Instead of replacing the blocks every year, you can treat them with a mixture of cedar and lavender oil every three to four months. It’s much more enjoyable performing in costumes that smell good and not like mothballs!
  • If you find any moths, place your textile in a plastic bag, squeeze out as much air as possible and seal tightly. Then place in the freezer for two weeks. After these two weeks, let it defrost gradually, remove the plastic bag as soon as possible, and continue to leave to dry as normal. Never use a hairdryer to speed up the process!

More info:

cadre d'une bourse attribuée par le CNAP et en collaboration avec le CICRP, 2010 - 2011.

Based on tips from restorer Maria Springael and An De Mol, costume manager at NTGent.

Flags'

Auteur: Evi Bert (CKV)

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TRACKS is a collaboration between these partners:

AMVB - Archives and Museum of Flemish Life in Brussels Archiefpunt CEMPER CKV - Flemish Centre for Art Archives FARO Kunstenpunt Letterenhuis Meemoo, Flemish Institue for Archives Flanders Architecture Institute Flemish Government