How should 19th century albumen print stereographs be handled and kept for long term storage?
Stereograph collections should be jacketed in protective archival 3 mil Mylar D polyester sleeves. These are available from Light Impressions, from Russell Norton, P.O. Box 1070, New Haven, CT 06504-1070 at $16 per hundred (plus $4 shipping) or from other archival suppliers. [We suggest Mylar because we have seen plastic sleeves using other plastics (possibly acetate; not vinyl which is known to be problematic) turn brown at the edge of the plastic with the contained stereographs’ albumen prints faded and showing “glue” streaking.] There is skin oil on your fingertips — handle stereographs only with white cotton or nylon photo gloves. Take care when inserting stereographs into the Mylar sleeves not to touch the card or print with the sharp plastic edges which can chip colored enamel off the cards. (The glued Mylar sleeve seam found with widely available stereoview sleeves should be located in the back of the stereograph at the top to prevent one stereograph sleeve from catching in the
