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Found a waterlogged 1920s family photo album in a foreclosure cleanup - here's what saved 80% of it
Honestly, last Tuesday I pulled this soggy mess out of a basement in Akron that had been flooded for weeks. The pages were stuck together like glue and I figured they were toast. I separated them with wax paper and froze them solid for 2 days, then let them thaw in the fridge. Nearly 80% of the photos came out clear after drying flat under paperweights. Has anyone else tried freezing as a first step for wet documents?
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stellac973mo ago
Freezing is actually a solid move for wet paper but you made a common mistake. Wax paper can trap moisture against the photos if it's not breathable enough. Parchment paper works way better for separating wet pages because it lets air circulate while keeping them from sticking. Also, you have to be careful with the thawing step - moving them straight from freezer to fridge is correct, but they need to dry super slowly in a cool dark place with good airflow. Fast drying makes the emulsion crack and curl. Next time try using a fan on low speed pointed at the wall to bounce air around the room, not directly at the photos. Worked wonders on a 1940s wedding album I saved from a basement flood last year.
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skylerm553mo ago
Three days of freezing saved a pile of 1930s church records from a flooded basement for me wax paper and all. @stellac97 you're right about parchment being better though - I switched to it after the wax paper left some sticky spots on a couple pages that took forever to clean off. Slow drying really is the trick, I learned that the hard way with some curling edges my first time.
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