Should I Scrap an Original Heritage Photo?

The question of whether to scrap a heritage photo always generates a lot of discussion in scrapbooking forums. Someone once made the comment that you have to store the original photo somewhere, so why not put it on a scrapbook page. That idea resonates with me and I've started to do that. But there are a few considerations.

I personally don't have any tintypes or daguerreotypes, so I have no thoughts about them. However, my inclination is that I would not put them on a scrapbook page. I also don't use photos on heavy cardboard which has warped. Those stay in storage without pressure that might crack them.

Keep it acid free. Don't include newspaper clippings or other old paper with heritage photos. Newer paper is usually not processed with acid. Invest in an acid testing pen if you have paper memorabilia to mix with photos. The pen can also test scrapbook papers and embellishments. I'll talk about newspaper in another post.

Watch the bulk. Lumpy embellishments can damage photos on nearby pages. Plan your pages to assure each photo is protected from damage. My style is to save the lumpy embellishments for non-heritage pages. Use your imagination to create flat embellishments. Don't overfill the album, either.

Adhere with care. Never put any adhesive behind a face. If it does cause deterioration, that precious part of the photo will be lost. But since you've already scanned the photo, you'll have another copy, right?

Club Scrap Journeys paper kit

Consider using photo corners rather than adhesive. My favorite corners are clear plastic. They are visible but won't affect the page design. There are also many colored corners available and they can even be embellished with stamps, markers or paints. Black corners look vintage. By using corners, the photo can also be removed from the page so the back can be viewed.

Don't crop the original. If you want to crop the photo, it's far better to work with the scanned image and reprint it. Cropping an original photo is just not reversible and one day you might regret cutting something away.

The sample pages use plastic corners and show a little trick. The brads at the bottom are not real -- rather it's Stickles -- to help avoid anything bulky that might damage a photo.