Magnetic Albums Melt my Mind!

Are you aware that there is a dark side to storing your family memories in ‘magnetic albums’? Despite the name, these albums are not magnetic, in any way. Instead they are a Photo Managers worst nightmare!

The cardboard in many of these albums are made with peroxides, causing papers and photos to yellow. The adhesive is acidic with the ability to destroy photos and newspaper clippings. The plastic cover sheets are also acidic - which is bad news for your memories.

Photos in these types of albums should be removed as soon as possible! However, please take cautions when you do. Rips, stuck photos, and other problems may arise.

Here are some tips and tricks to saving your photos.

First get out your rubber gloves (to keep the oils from your fingers transferring to your photos). If luck is on your side, the destructive adhesive may have already disintegrated and the photos may easily fall off for easy placement in an archival quality box. In other instances, the glue may still be sticky and you probably have the tools needed for extraction as close as your bathroom. If you find it difficult to remove photos with your fingers, try getting under the images with dental floss, being careful not to tear your photos. Other options are using a hairdryer to warm up the adhesive or placing pages in the freezer, to make the adhesive brittle.

Now your photos are free from the destructive glue and ready for digitization for long term preservation!