Last month, I shared a few items that every genealogist who has been designated the official caretaker of family heirlooms should have in their toolkit. There are a ton of archival products out there to help you better protect your antiques. So many, in fact, that there’s no way I can mention them all here! That said, I’m sharing just a few more items below that will be useful to have on-hand as you sort, clean, or store your family heirlooms.
CLEANING HEIRLOOMS
When you’re dealing with antiques, it’s usually a given that they may be a little (or a lot!) dirty, especially if a family member recently dug it out from the depths of a closet, attic, or storage unit and thought it would fit well in your collection. When you’re looking to clean hard-to-reach places but still want to use archivally safe products, these latex-free wedge sponges should have you covered! Recently, I was cleaning the metal pieces of my American Civil War knapsack, cartridge box, and cap pouch, and these sponges helped me get to some hard-to-reach places. By the time I was done, my relics felt cleaner–well, as clean as a 160+ year old military accouterment can be!
PROTECTING COINS
My 2nd great-grandfather actually saved several nineteenth and early twentieth century coins, which seem to have significance because the dates on the coins match up with his children’s birthdates. If your family heirloom collection is eclectic, like mine, chances are you have some antique coins in your personal archive, too. That’s where these coin holders can come in handy, especially since you can order a pack of 50 for under $20!
PAPERWEIGHTS
If you’re working with large or folded family documents, reading, transcribing, or taking photographs and scans can become difficult when pages try to re-fold. That’s where these leather paperweights are helpful! Unlike plastics that could harm documents, these leather paperweights are archival safe, so you can have better functionality AND peace of mind.
PHOTO ENVELOPES
My family has passed down a lot of photos! But, if I’m being totally honest here, I don’t necessarily need photos of my cousins from the 1990s tucked in my archival photo binder alongside a picture of my great-great grandparents. So when you’ve got photos that you want to preserve in bulk, then these archival photo envelopes can help! Another perk of these envelopes is that you can store like photos together, so if you have twenty photos from a 2005 family reunion, these envelopes let you store them in an archival safe way.
POLYETHYLENE BAGS
Having archival bags on hand is always a great idea! These polyethylene bags come in variety of sizes, so no matter whether you need to store a comic book, sheet music, or something else, you have plenty of sizing options. I always like to keep some of these empty bags on hand so that if I get a new item in my collection, I have an archival-quality storage solution readily available. And the good news is that these are easy to store and don’t take up lots of room when not in use!
I mentioned before that there are a ton of archival products available, which is good news for collectors who are serious about properly storing their heirlooms. While archival-quality products are typically pricier than items you would find at a big box store, making sure your item stays safe–ready to pass down to future generations–is important.
Keep the History Alive!
Disclaimer: This post is not endorsed by any archival business. This article is intended to offer a basic guide to preservation only. Always do additional and independent research or reach out to a conservator for guidance before undertaking preservation projects. This post does not necessarily reflect the views of TSGS, TSGS team members, or anyone else affiliated with the society.