Glued Photo Mess

[Ammersee]

My grandfather gave me his Army Air Corps photo albums from WW2. Most of the pics are glued onto the pages. The pages on one album are acidic and they are crumbling apart along the edges. I'd like to take the pics out of his albums and scan them, then transfer them to a new album.
How should I do it? Thanks, Ammersee

[schönbeck]

depends on the glue, you might try with a hairdryer. Softens some glue up.

[Ammersee]

I'm bringing this old thread back up so I can hopefully get more replies from Paul or others. I'd really like to save these pics but have no idea how to proceed. I have access to an electric photo dryer and thought about soaking them in water to remove the acid paper, then drying them in the dryer. Any other ideas? Thanks, Ammersee

[Brendan Hunt]

I have the same problem with the photoalbum of a soldier I'm researching. My album is beginning to fall apart, and I'd really like to remove the glued in photos as to not only save them but to see if anything is written on the backs.




As you can see, someone tried to remove a photo and failed horribly, but it seems as if one was easily removed without any damage.

Are there any other tips? I'd really love to save these...


Thanks
-B

[Paul R.]

Ammersee, Glad I saw this thread. My minor in collage was photo restoration. If the photo album pages are falling apart and you want to save the actual photos(if the photos are still good) Cut out the actual photgraphs from the pages. I would not use a hair dryer. The heat from that are too intense and can actually turn the old black and white images amberish brown. Do not submerge the photos in water. If you had an old photographic print dryer that you could re wet them. Unfortunally most all old print dryers are gone, becaues of the new photo papers. I am almost 95% sure those photos were put into the book before 1960's With that said. The old glue was as the old hide type glue. Which is water solvable. The method that I will describe is a slow process. But it will remove all the old glue. you need to work slowly as not to damage the original photo. On a flat work table. Place a cotton towel. Lay a photo face down on the towel (back side facing you) next get to small clean bowl of water. Get a hand full of cotton balls place a couple in to one bowl. Next squeeze out 50% of the water. Dab the cotton ball on the photo. Be care full not to get it too wet it will curl up. let it dry for a couple of minutes. Take another cotton ball from the other water bowl squeeze out the water to about 90% of the water is gone (unused unitl now)quickly, and lightly clean off any remaining glue. Then let it air dry completly. Change the water about every 10-12 image. You don't want to replay a watered down version of that glue back on to the photo. Also rince your hands at the same time ,and use new cotton balls everytime you chande water.Yes this is a very slow process, But it will remove all the paper photo album. If the photos curl a bit once the are dry weigh them down between some heavy books. post again after you are done and we can talk about a new storage system. Hope this helps Paul

[Brendan Hunt]

Is there any way to remove the photos without actually having to cut them out of the album? The album I have is a family album, so I'm not sure what my friend would think if I destroyed some of it...

Any other possibilities?
-B

[Ammersee]

Thanks Paul! The print dryer I have access to is my dad's. He was into photography and developing and printing pics in the 60's and 70's. The dryer is from that era. It is rectangular, maybe 18"X 24"X 6" thick and has two working sides. Each side where the pics lay is curved and has a canvas (?) cloth cover that snaps down over the curved face. A knob with numbers controls the heat. Is this the type of machine that will allow me to soak the pics? If not, it's cotton balls. Ammersee

[Paul R.]

Yes Ammersee, That's the print drier that I was writing about. Now all you have to do is soak them instead of the cotton ball method. Just remember try one or two to start off with. Maybe an image not too important just to see how well it works. I am a big fan of slow drying. Let us know it it worked. Paul

[Paul R.]

Brendan, There is really nothing that you can due to safely remove those photos from the pages. Other than coping the photo image it self. Personally if you want the pages intact due nothing to the photos/album is best.
I have heard of photo album restores. Where they search for original period blank pages. They cut, trim, paper punch, the new/old album paper to fit into that family album. Then the remove the old picutres off the old pages. Then they reattach the old photos to the newly installed pages. You might check in the area in that you live to see if there is anybody that will do this type of work. I heard of one person that will do this type of work. However she's not cheap. Paul

[Ammersee]

Paul, it will take me a while to get the dryer from my dad...they are in Virginia for a month. When I get it and try some pics, I will post on this thread again.
Thanks! Ammersee