Farewell to Our "Guardian Angel" and Recovering Photos from Flood Damage

We lost a very special StLGS member this week, Mary Berthold, whom we frequently called our "guardian angel" because of her never-ending support and generosity. We say a brief farewell here but will celebrate her life more fully in a future Quarterly article. 

It feels as if it has been a week of losses. Not only did we have record-setting rainfall in St. Louis City and County, but flash floods have affected our members throughout the country. Our hearts go out to those of you whose basements and homes have been swamped by rain water and backed up sewers. We want to offer some hope for your photos and documents that have been soaked, and, more importantly, some advice about how to protect those precious keepsakes for the future.

In Memoriam . . . Mary Berthold

St. Louis Genealogical Society is saddened to report that longtime volunteer, Mary Frances Berthold, passed away at her home in Kirkwood on 29 July 2022. A member of StLGS since 1971, Mary was an incredibly generous supporter of the society. Her extensive background in accounting and fiscal management and her always level-headed assessment of situations made her a master at problem-solving. Those of us who had the privilege of working with her knew that when Mary made a suggestion or shared an opinion, it was carefully thought out, practical, and usually spot-on. Her dry sense of humor and ready smile will be missed by all of us at StLGS who knew and cared about her. 

Visitation for Mary will be next Saturday, 6 August 2022, at Bopp Chapel, 10610 Manchester Road, Kirkwood, Missouri, from 10:00 until 11:00 a.m. The funeral service will begin after the visitation. We send our deepest condolences to Mary's brother James and her nephews William, Bret, and Robert, as well as their families. Mary's family has requested memorial donations be made to StLGS in her memory, and they will be gratefully accepted and acknowledged. (A longer article about Mary will be forthcoming in the summer StLGS Quarterly to recognize her many years of service more fully.)

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Preserving Family Photos

What to Do With Soaked Photographs?

According to conservation experts, you want to be sure to wear gloves when handling anything that has been flooded, as it might be contaminated. If your photos are stuck together and wet, wash them gently in cool water. Keep them in clean, cool water until you can safely separate, rinse, and dry them.

If your photos are in frames or albums:

• Remove them from their enclosures if you can do so safely.
• Allow them to dry, face up, on a towel or cloth.
• Keep them in a cool, open environment to speed up drying and prevent mold.
• Don't worry if they curl up; you can flatten them with heavy weights once they dry.

Some conservators say that freezing wet photos is helpful.

• It will not dry them, but it will slow down their possible deterioration.
• If you don't have time to work on wet photos, place waxed paper between them and freeze.
• When you remove them, peel the wax paper off gently and allow the photos to dry, face up.
• Any especially important photos should remain frozen until you can take them to an expert in restoration.

How Can I Protect My Valuable Photos and Documents in the Future?

This becomes the most important point of all because if your photos and documents are well protected now, you won't have to worry about them in the future!

As a family historian, you likely have more photos and documents than most. Here are some tips:

• If your photos or documents are in the basement or the attic, this is the time to move them. Get them into an area of your home with stable temperature and humidity levels.
• Make copies of all of your precious originals. Don't worry about documents or photographs you got from the internet. They will most likely still be there even if you have a flood or your computer dies.
• Don't rely just on paper. Photograph or scan anything important so you have digital copies.
• Then, and this is the REALLY IMPORTANT part . . . back up all of your files! 
• That means you should store copies of all of your important digital files in a cloud account somewhere; whether it's a free site or one you pay for doesn't matter. 
• What does matter is that your files are stored somewhere off-site so if anything happens in your home, your files are safe.
• If you are a member of StLGS, log into our website and click on the gold "Member Benefits" button on the home page. We have a free monograph called "How to Protect Valuable Family Treasures: Papers, Books, and Photographs" that will guide you through all the steps you need to take. 
• Not a member of StLGS? You can purchase the monograph for $4.00 in our secure online store. 

Some Additional Resources:

"Caring for Private and Family Collections," Northeast Document and Conservation Center, https://www.nedcc.org/free-resources/preserving-private-and-family-collections/caring-for-private-and-family-collections

"Emergency Salvage of Wet Photographs," Northeast Document and Conservation Center, https://www.nedcc.org/free-resources/preservation-leaflets/3.-emergency-management/3.7-emergency-salvage-of-wet-photographs

"What to do When Collections Get Wet," Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/preservation/emergprep/dry.html#other