WW1 Canadians - Scrapbook Find - Amazing Photos

Bojangles

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Hi Guys,

About 20 years ago I purchased a scrap book at a gun show for $6.00.

I had forgotten about the purchase until recently. All of the recent news about the Vimy anniversary reminded me and I got it out.

It is a scrap book of newspaper clippings (photographs) of Canadians in WW1. Over a hundred Amazing Photos of Canadian in WW1.

The book is slowly suffering the ravages of time. It seems almost too good for me to keep to myself.

I wonder is there is a museum I should give it to.


WW1-01.JPG


WW1-02.JPG


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Unfortunately it will probably be packed up in a box to never see the light of day again, much less be seen by people.
I have a WW2 scrap book of the same idea and a trio of school books from the First War that I show off to other collectors whenever I get the chance.

Find a way to preserve the pages, possibly large plastic page protectors, and go that route.
 
I'm sure the Canadian War Museum or the Museum of the Regiments would love to get their mitts on these pics.

This...
Those are new paper clips guys...the war museum will have the originals and or negatives.

If it was original source then yes I am sure they might have some interest, 'cool' old newspaper clippings, not so much. I used to volunteer with a museum, and it reached a point we always just politely declined. Why use the museums meager budget to store and archive stuff like this, buffered paper aint free..
 
I have a scrap book from my great aunt from the second world war with some propaganda and other major events from the war. One of these days I will photograph them in better light, but here is a small selection.
quHHpps.jpg
QR2XFHK.jpg
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The subject is great, but is the object worth the effort?

I've had college trained conservationists working on projects for me for the last year and a bit. You need to isolate the artifact from the backing. The adhesive is eating the newsprint, followed closely by the backing paper's pH. Neither paper was necessarily made to last 100yrs. You can start by interleaving buffered tissue paper sheets between each page, like a blotter so the inks and acids aren't migrating two ways, only through the back. Instead of stationary store sheet protectors, chase down some polyester film or "mylar" to encapsulate the pages. This will reduce the air's effects on the paper, humidity, airborne pollutants, ie cooking fumes, cat hair and smoke. The best place to store it would be in a hard cardboard box, and kept at stable temperature in moderate humidity. Got all that?

The destination is a tough one. There doesn't seem to be anything in particular to personalize the album. It is just clippings. Unfortunately this item would score very low on a curator's checklist. If it was LCol Smith-Biteme's wife's, survivor of the Somme, Vimy and Hill 70, wounded leading his men on a battalion trench raid, it might start to creep up in accession interest. Otherwise, it isn't special enough for the national institutions. You might have better luck with a provincial, regimental or city archives. But regardless of who ends up with the item, spend $$$ with Carr-McLean for some conservation supplies - if only for your own peace of mind.
 
More on Article preservation.... some advice

if you don't have cotton gloves ... get some.

the acid in your hands will have detrimental effects on paper , the other thing is that ACID FREE PAPER is key , most printer paper is but you have to be aware of what you got.

The other thing is boxes that hold printer paper etc (not bankers boxes) tend to be acid free.

A good museum will let you know about them.
 
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