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Museum of South Texas History

200 N. Closner Blvd.
Edinburg, Texas 78541
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(956) 383-6911
(956) 381-8518 (fax)


Preservation Tips

  • Let your heirlooms live where you do. Would you like to live in a hot attic, insect-prone storage shed, or damp garage? Clean environments with stable, moderate humidity and temperatures are best.
  • Staying in the sun is no better for many objects than it is for people. Strong sunlight or lamp light can fade documents, photographs, fabrics, and furniture.
  • You've heard them say it on Antiques Roadshow: original paints and finishes are best. Don't spruce up your heirloom by painting, gilding, or refinishing it, unless you want a totally new piece.
  • Use a light hand when polishing silver or other metal. Tarnish is a normal sign of age and wear. Polishing too vigorously may remove some metal or destroy the beautiful patina, the naturally-aged finish.
  • Carefully dust objects with soft artist's brushes or clean, lint-free cloths, depending on the intricacy of the object. Ostrich feather dusters may leave microscopic scratches. Don't use cloths impregnated with any kind of chemical.
  • Finished wood surfaces don't need to be "fed" with oils or polishes. An occasional polish with a high quality paste wax is best. Apply the wax sparingly and avoid getting it in cracks or crevices. Don't use on unfinished wood or painted surfaces.
  • Don't laminate your photographs or documents. They yellow faster, and the process is irreversible. Get digital and print copies made instead, and share these with your family. Keep the originals in archival storage containers.
  • Unless they are fragile or extremely large, store your books upright, supported by bookends. Keep them in enclosed bookcases or align them with the front edge of shelves to avoid dust build-up.
  • Store quilts and other large textiles by rolling instead of folding. In either case, re-fold or re-roll in different directions occasionally to avoid permanent creases.
  • Never use paper clips, staples, rubber bands, straight pins, string, or non-archival adhesives on your family treasures. All of these can tear, perforate, or stain your heirlooms.
  • Invest in archival-quality storage materials whenever possible. Acid-free boxes, envelopes, and tissue paper, and special polyethylene or Mylar bags and sleeves are available for nearly every kind of heirloom or collectible. Hobby shops and framing shops now carry many archival quality supplies, and many archival supply companies can be found on the Internet, as well.
  • Catalog or record your collection. Why? Should you suffer a fire or other loss, paper and photographic records are important for insurance purposes. More importantly, the information about your heirlooms is what makes them precious to you, your children, or other future recipients. Recording your collection can be as simple as taking photographs of household heirlooms, writing descriptions and stories in a notebook, or using a spreadsheet or specialized software. A web search for "collectibles" [and]"software" or "home inventory" returns a number of programs designed to help you organize collections and belongings.