TIPS FOR HANDLING

• Always handle with nitrile gloves (if photograph is not in Mylar sleeve)

• Never touch the surface of a photograph: handle the item by its edges

• Always lift item with two hands, holding its opposite edges

• Photographs should not be removed from Mylar sleeves

• When carrying large photographic prints, make sure the print is fully supported by carrying

it on a board, folder, or inside a box

POINTS OF VULNERABILITY

• Brittle mounts or paper, especially on corners

• Photo surface is prone to abrasion

• Do not bend or fold — paper/board may be more brittle than image surface or vice versa

• Photographs can crack if folded or tightly rolled — this is because they are made up of

multiple layers of different types of material

TIPS FOR HANDLING

• Wear nitrile gloves when handling

• Always handle glass on or directly over a soft surface

• Handle one plate at a time

• Do not stack plates on top of one another

• Handle plates by two opposite edges; never hold them

by one edge, or by the corners

• Place glass plates emulsion side up when you lay them

flat on a surface

• Check for glass reflectance to find

the non-emulsion side of the plate

• Do not press, lean, or write on top of the glass plate

POINTS OF VULNERABILITY

• Flaking or lifted emulsion layer (the dull, top layer that holds the image)

• Glass may be chipped, cracked, or broken

TIPS FOR HANDLING

• Handle cases with each hand supporting each half

of the case

• Avoid placing weight directly on the hinge

• Do not close clasp or fastener when returning case

to its housing container

• Handle on or directly over a soft surface

• Do not remove glass photograph package from case

• Glass photograph package removal requires

curatorial permission and conservation

intervention for removal and documentation

POINTS OF VULNERABILITY

• Cover glass is fragile — it may be cracked or broken

• Hinge may be fragile or broken

• Clasp or fastener may be fragile or loose

• Deteriorating, flaking leather or cracked plastic case

TIPS FOR HANDLING

• Wear nitrile gloves when handling

• Always handle glass on or directly over a soft surface

• Handle one plate at a time

• Do not stack plates on top of one another

• Handle plates by two opposite edges; never hold them by one edge, or by the corners

POINTS OF VULNERABILITY

• Black tape along edges may be peeling, cracked, or missing

• Glass may be chipped, cracked, or broken