We have an article about a similar situation, photographs stuck to glass, up on our Collections Care Forum – . In this video, Smithsonian Archives Conservation Fellow, Anna, describes how you can safely remove photos from a sticky album with, among other things, dental floss.
Intro Music by ThoTho, “Etre Un Papillon” (
Nice video!
On the french YahooAnswer people are saying "try to boil some water, and use the steam"… is it a good idea?
if i bought newer magnetic pages would they still get ruined after sometime and could you tell me bout how much time or now
I had a pretty good idea, why not freeze the pages before using the dental floss. It makes for an easier removal, and while the glue is hard, it can be scraped from the back of the frozen picture. Some of the photos fell right off the page! Make sure you place your photo pages inside a moisture free zip bag. This method is superior to using a blow dryer to melt the glue which may damage the photo. Use this method one time, you will not go back.
Super…!
Awesome!!
now the question is if it is possible to remove the gunk from the back of the photograph!!
where the heck would you buy a micro spatula?
thank you so much, that will help
I'm in the process of digitizing old family photos and those "sticky albums" are making the process rather unpleasant. This video is so helpful. Thank you!
I put a link to a similar situation where a photo is stuck to the glass in the description for the video.
Thank you for your feedback. If you run into a seriously stuck print, this is a point at which you would want to consult a photograph conservator to see if the original print can be separated without major damage to the image. If it's unlikely to get it unstuck without damage, you may consider reprinting from the original negative if you have it, or making a high resolution capture with a digital camera or scanner and consider virtual digital restoration from which to make a new print.
Thanks for sharing, great tips.
The unwaxed dental floss is a good tip-thank you. But if SIArchives ever remakes this video (and I hope you do), PLEASE, get closer to your subject. With any how-to video about working with small objects, it's a must to get the camera as close as possible to the action. It would also be helpful if you addressed what can be done when the transparent cover sheet has become stuck to the surface of the photo.
We're glad you found it helpful!