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Why Scrapbook?

history | science | memories | coming soon

Why Scrapbook? The term itself conjures up images of old ladies and expectant mothers sitting around tables gossiping and showing off prized pictures of their toddlers and trips to Niagara Falls. Puke. Doesn't seem the "Goth" thing to do. But in reality, Scrapbooking is a valuable form of self-expression as well as a scientifically proven method of preserving memories.

Here's a little history lesson…

Thomas Jefferson used to include drawings and entries from his personal journals in his scrapbooks. Can you imagine the journals of that time, with their embossed leather covers and intricate closures? Keep that in mind for your journals of today. Victorian albums would have signatures from guests, locks of hair, poetry, and other amazing heirlooms. Mark Twain invented a scrapbook album with a water-activated adhesive. Kodak began designing albums in the 1900's followed by magnetic albums in the 70's. Though the magnetic album would actually be the downfall of Scrapbooking in its failure to do more than hold photos and actually begin the decaying process. But looking on the Scrapbookers of the past seems to bring an inspiration to the present that sort of knocks out of bounds the Scrappers I mentioned in my opening! Forget what you will see when walking around the scrapbook and craft stores and keep the past in mind when getting into this hobby.

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On to science…

Your photos are dying. Do you have any photo albums lying around that are from your childhood or school years? Or do you have one your parents may have kept that you can look at? (If you don't have an album but have an old newspaper clipping, the ideas are the same.) The pages are yellow. The colors in the photographs are not what they would look like if you picked the pictures up from the lab today. The plastic page cover probably doesn't stick to that background anymore and is most likely brittle when handled. This is where the science comes in. If you want your memories to last, you have to take action now. Stop the aging process now and protect your current photos from even starting.

The top two destroyers of photographs are acid and lignin (actually pronounced lignin). Acids weaken the cellulose in paper, which leads to its break down, causing discoloration and disintegration. Acid-free, used mostly in regards to the scrapbook paper, means that they have neutralized the acids at the factory. It is pH balanced. Lignin is the natural material, which holds wood cells together. This is usually found in adhesives, for example, the magnetic in magnetic albums. If the paper is made from wood pulp, which contains lignin naturally, it isn't made to last long, i.e. newsprint. Watch how fast a newspaper deteriorates when left outside all day. But, like acid, lignin can be removed at the manufacturing point.

In this day and age we are lucky that we just have to look for "acid free" and "lignin free" products and not worry too much about it. You may think yourself a geek for knowing these terms, but the prize is longevity. Keep in mind, however, that you may want to put things in your scrapbook that are not going to be acid or lignin free. Your memories aren't shopped for as easily as your supplies. I have solutions. First, if the memento is something like a newspaper clipping or you've taken out your pH testing pen (don't laugh, the more you get into this hobby, the more you will accumulate gadgets!) and the brochure isn't safe, you can de-acidify, or rather, remove the acid from the paper. There is a product called "Archival Mist", which is lightly sprayed over such an item making it safe for your scrapbook. I'm not confident that it's 100%, so for safety, I tend to still keep these items from actually touching my photographs as acid can be passed. Remember! Recycled paper cannot be acid free! Another way to protect your scrapbook is to contain items that are acidic to specially made plastic envelopes or windows. I will talk plastics in a moment, but finally, if you have any doubt that something on your page may creep acids to your photograph, simply use a matte. When you matte your photo, you are placing a second piece of acid free, lignin free paper between your picture and the page which prevents the acids from passing.

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PVC, Polyvinyl Chloride, we love to wear it, but it doesn't belong in our scrapbooks! Polyethylene, Polyester, PVC, or acetate sleeves are chemically unstable. They create a chlorine gas that causes photos to yellow. But, like I said earlier you do want to put some trinkets into plastic envelopes. And it's good practice to cover your album with a plastic book cover as well as us sleeves to cover your pages. So what can a Scrappy Goth do? It's pretty easy actually. A reputable scrapbook dealer told me that if you can smell the plastic, if it has an odor, it's one of the bad plastics. If you're in doubt, don't use it. But basically, if you stick to buying things at a scrapbook store or in the scrapbook section of a craft store, you won't go wrong.

Finally, the only other attacks on your scrapbook are going to be from Mother Nature. Time can't be beaten but it may be prolonged. The sun is a killer. UV rays do not only harm your skin, but cause fading in photographs and papers. No amount of acid protection will stop that. Your scrapbooks should be kept in a temperature steady environment. This doesn't mean become anal and create a whole library with temperature controls and special lighting. It just means, if you won't be keeping these books in a case in your normal living areas, choose an indoor closet as opposed to say a garage or attic. Rises and declines in temperature will hurt your books. Dust, as hard as it is to see, will scratch and ruin pictures. And always wash your hands to make sure you don't add extra acids to what your trying so hard to prevent its attack upon. Also, keep the albums upright because stacking them will press pages together, and anything that may have been safely distanced from acid, maybe pressed against pieces that over time cannot prevent the migration.

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As for the memories…

You bothered to take the pictures in the first place. I assume you wish to remember the event or time in your life. Why not just save them correctly rather than lose them all together? A scrapbook doesn't have to be pages filled with photographs, stickers, outlandish paper designs, ribbons, and all the other frou-frou things. It can be as simple as a black page with four pictures held in place by photo corners. But if you're going to do that, I suggest you go the one extra step that truly makes the album a scrapbook. Do a little journaling. Write a few words about where you were or whom you were with. As I get older, I find myself not remember the simple details I though I would be remembering forever. But if you wish to go all out, think of the Victorians for inspiration. Make elegant pages with lace and locks of hair. Making your memories immortal is not only a Goth thing, but also a Bad Thing.

Coming soon… Articles to get you started: Using stickers to take the easy way out, How to Journal, and Scrapbooking 101.

For help understanding any terms you see here, please see the Glossary of Scrapbooking Terms in the Resources section.

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