The other day I was prepping a post on the Archival Methods Twitter feed and I noticed a tweet regarding The Franklin Institute in Philadelphia that included these two photographs.
Wow, I thought, just how does one tackle the archival preservation of a locomotive? I’m not qualified to answer that question, but it reminded me that I have a train that needs to be preserved.
My dad gave me this locomotive in the late 1960s. I’ve kept this model train engine during the intervening years wrapped in a decidedly non-archival paper towel stored in the attics of the various homes I’ve lived in. Now I have the perfect way to archivally store it. Archival Methods’ acid-free 35mm Slide Storage Boxes present a great solution for storing small objects!
Before I go into the many alternative uses of Archival Methods’ 35mm Slide Storage Kit for storing small objects, a quick review of what it was designed for. Like model train setups that were popular in the mid-20th century, 35mm slides could be found in many households of the same period.
While the once-popular ritual of setting up the slide projector for a family slide show has fallen by the wayside, the images contained in these 2 x 2-inch treasures are irreplaceable and often contain the only images of certain people, places, and events that are part of family histories.
For this reason, 35mm slides should never be thrown out! Look through them and scan and print the best ones. Then store them all in an archival box such as our compact, easy-to-use 35mm Slide Storage Kit.
Here is a good example of an alternative use of the 35mm Slide Storage Kit for storing small objects, in this case it’s being used to protect and organize a collection of old pocket and wrist watches. While these watches are individually wrapped in Archival Tissue before being placed in their respective Slide Bins, they can also be placed in archivally-safe transparent HD Poly Envelopes for easy identification.
Old cigarette lighters fit well in the versatile 35mm Slide Storage System. A word of caution: if you’re storing old lighters make sure they do not contain old lighter fluid or fuel! Most collectors know this, but it bears repeating.
A few other items that could be stored inside our Slide Kits include this replica of the Titanic, 1960s collectible plastic Rat Fink figures, and even baby shoes!
These are just a few examples of family heirlooms and small collectibles that fit into the 35mm Slide Storage Kit – 1200. Here are some other collections that would fit inside our slide boxes.
small fossils / political buttons / old Crackerjack prizes / marbles / coins or stamps in their protective enclosures / thimble collection / matchbook collections / seashells / geology specimens / costume jewelry
We hope this blog will inspire you to dream up your own alternative use of this dynamic and 100% archival kit for storing small objects!
If you have a large collection of small items to store, consider our 35mm Slide Storage Kit – 2400, as it will hold twice the amount of stuff in one convenient box!
Contact Us
If you have any additional questions, or would you like more information on any of our museum-quality acid-free storage & presentation materials, please contact us here at Archival Methods. We’re always there to help with any archiving, storage, or presentation questions you may have.
