How do you archive a letter?

Preserving your old letters

  1. Prep your workspace. Thoroughly wash and dry your hands.
  2. Unfold and remove any bindings. Remove any staples, paper clips, or any other metal attaching papers together.
  3. Scan or take photos of every page, including the envelope.
  4. Place in your archival storage.
  5. Store properly.
  6. Other tips.

How do you store really old letters?

Consider placing your letters and documents in acid-free envelopes, crystal clear bags, or pocket pages, all of which will keep delicate papers from being exposed to harmful dust, moisture and household pollutants. You can place them in elegant three-ring binders and slipcases if they are in archival binder pages.

What is the best way to preserve old documents?

Properly store your documents. Store documents flat in a cool, dry, and dark area. Papers should always be stored in acid-free, alkaline materials (like boxes, folders, or mats) or in polyester film folders. Never keep your documents in a damp or humid areas, such as basements, attics, or bathrooms.

What do I do with old letters?

What to Do With Old Cards & Letters

  1. Scan & store them on your computer.
  2. Tuck them in your scrapbook or journal.
  3. Keep them so you can one day give them back to the writer.
  4. Repurpose them into tags & gift cards.
  5. Repurpose them into scrapbook & journal embellishments.
  6. Repurpose card tops into postcards.
  7. Donate card tops.

How do you preserve Civil War letters?

The Archive Lady: How to Preserve Civil War Letters?

  1. Take each letter out of its envelope.
  2. Scan or digitize the letters and envelopes.
  3. Purchase archival sleeves that have passed the P.A.T.
  4. Purchase archival file folders that have passed the P.A.T. to file the letters.

How do I label an archive box?

➢ Archival boxes should also be labeled with post-it notes, identifying the name of the collection and the series and, where applicable, the subseries of which they are a part.

Should I save old letters?

Those old letters in your genealogy records collection should be preserved for future generations. Whether you have 100 letters or just one, they are important to your family history and add to your family story. Some you may have in your collection could include war letters.

What do you do with old love letters from your parents?

If those old love letters are yours – it is ok to keep them. However, if the love letters belonged to your parents (or another relative), the advice was to “burn them ceremonially and send the love back into the universe”.

How do you preserve old family documents?

How to Preserve Old Family Documents

  1. Wash your hands to avoid transferring oils to paper and work on a clean, flat surface.
  2. Carefully unfold the document and remove any staples, pins or fasteners.
  3. Place each item in an acid-free, lignin-free folder or archival plastic enclosure.

How do you store family history documents?

One of the best ways to preserve family history papers is to create digital copies of them. Digitizing documents provides a great backup plan in case of flood, fire, or other damage. It also allows you to handle the documents without damaging them. Digitizing documents and letters also allows you to share them easily.

Should I throw out old letters?

We should never simply throw away old letters. They are important pieces of history, and we can almost always find a good way to preserve them for the future, even if we don’t want to keep them ourselves.

What do I do with old handwritten letters?

Once the letters are encapsulated, put them in archival file folders and then into filing cabinets or you can place them in three-ring binders. Family letters are a unique, one-of-a-kind one record collection. The information in them is priceless and should be preserved.