Archive storage

[Merry]

Nothing to add to BK6 from this thread

I am trying to get my act together with all the family history original stuff I need to store. I have now emptied my gg-grandparents oak chest and made it accessable in our hall - it's inside measures about 4'6"x1'6"x1'6". I'm going to put EVERYTHING in it, so that's only one thing to get out when we have a house fire and at least it's by the front door!

Upstairs there are three large trunks full of photos, documents and bits and pieces, much of which need sorting out into different family piles and tidying away - into the chest.

I was imagining a load of those foolscap cardboard filing boxes marked up for different families or catagories with either loose stuff inside (photos) and/or maybe some smaller items or items that can't be labeled in some sort of archive quality plastic bags that can be labeled. However, when I've been searching for suitable boxes (archive quality) they all seem too tall and not really big enough in the other two directions (ie A4 x 10" tall). What about bags? - I've not found any yet.

Any ideas? How do you store any old items?

[Phoenix]

The advantage of a box is that it doesn't crush anything.

I'm not the person to ask as I still haven't sorted my stuff out:o

[Merry]

So I must tie you to this thread until more people have replied!

I agree about the boxes (at the moment all the photos are separated into family grouple but are in Tesco carriers, which doesn't work at all!)

What I want is boxes with little bags inside for things like locks of hair and other bist and pieces)

[Chris in Sussex]

I have no idea if this will work for you but....

I bought a 'crate' from a DIY store for my home accounts stuff.

It was specially designed to take those hanging folder 'things' so I have an individual folder for utility bills, rates, investments (I wish :d) etc.

Though by the sounds of it you could end up with a wall of 'crates' by your front door and getting them out in the event of a fire will take a team of firemen....mmmm ;).... to shift them.

Chris >>Now wondering if it's worth splitting her one 'crate' into twenty?? :d

[Merry]

I use hanging files (in a small filing cabinet) for all my copy document stuff, but don't fancy bags of oddments being stored vertically as some bits might get crushed at the bottom of a file.

I was just surprised to see that virtually all the archive boxes are the same size, which isn't the size I need!

[Merry]

Now I've worked out I should be searching for acid free rather than archive boxes, I realise there's no way I can afford about 20 boxes at up to about £20 EACH!!!

The ordinary ones were about £1 a go (in packs)

So, what shall I do now?

[Olde Crone]

I can't really help either as I had everything in a pine chest. I had to take the stuff out as it was much too heavy to move even if flames were licking up my legs!

I now have an untidy mismatched assortment of boxes, folders, wallets, ring binders and large shoe boxes. Elegant it's not.

Wheely suitcases????

OC

[Nell]

Merry if its on the ground floor it won't be protected in case of flooding! if its too heavy you can't get it out in an emergency - and it may get in the way of someone getting out.

Can't you just take photos of the documents on a digital camera and store them on a disc/memory stick? To be really safe, take two copies and store one outside your home (perhaps at work?)

I've got a fire-resistant box with insurance and other important stuff in it, but its upstairs.

[Kit]

I'm going to buy a huge fireproof safe, a bit like a cupboard. That way I wont have to move it in case of a fire and the firemen will be directed to protect my bedroom first and foremost as that is where it will go.

* two conditions on this are that it wont immediately fall through my floor onced delivered and that it only costs one arm and not 2.

Currently the most valuable papers etc are stored in the suitcase my Grandad put them in. I am going to scan everything one day and send the portable hard drive to my OH's work for storage. I'll also load my tree to TP one day and keep it private, jsut so I have a back up.

[Merry]

Can't you just take photos of the documents on a digital camera and store them on a disc/memory stick? To be really safe, take two copies and store one outside your home (perhaps at work?)


I've already done that. I just need a home for the actual stuff, that doesn't involve clamberng over tesco bags of papers every time I want to go and look for anything. However much the digital scans are useful if I want to send someone a picture or read a document, there's nothing the same as taking the actual item out and looking at it.

You are right about getting the stuff out in an emergency - I was joking really - fire or flood: something will get it if I don't do a thing, I just want to put the stuff in some sort of order - the last two generations haven't managed it despite my mother being the most organised person in the world!!

[Merry]

Wheely suitcases????



Some of the stuff is in plastic wheely boxes that stack. Anything I need is always in the bottom one of the three boxes and, though they don't weigh that much there is no floor space to put the top two on as the room is full of junk.

Today (and probably tomorrow and the next day!) I am gathering stuff from all round the house ready to start sorting it out, but I still need some sort of filing boxes to sort into.

I am also worried about encasing some things even in archive quality paper/plastic - eg if my ggg-grandmother's hair is used to being in a circa 1840 envelope and has survived 170 years in various drawers without coming to any harm, should I be the one to 'change' that by putting it into some sort of labeled storage bag?

*stresses*

[Merry]

Right, I've got all the stuff as far as the landing. This isn't all of it as I've just realised I forgot a wardrobe (not a lot in there though, really)

Here we are......

http://i100.photobucket.com/albums/m13/merry_monty_montgomery/FamilyHistory.jpg

It looks less in the photo than in real life.....So, who wants to pop over and sort it all out, label it all, catalogue it and shove it all into the chest?

I'll put the kettle on!

[Margaret in Burton]

Forget about it and help me find my Catherine and Henry Yates. :d:d

[kiterunner]

Wish I had anywhere near that much stuff about my ancestors!

[Merry]

Honestly, you don't Kate!

I suppose the interesting stuff would fit into one of those plastic wheeled boxes. The rest is either not interesting but 'difficult' to chuck out or duplicated stuff.

[Phoenix]

A solid oak chest with a close fitting lid is going to be a better option than anything plastic.

Even if it's right by the front door, no way do you go back into a burning house. Anything plastic would have melted. Wooden box should be only charred.

[Merry]

That's good!

Apparently it's 17thC british oak, originally church panelling and made into a chest in the early Victorian era. The wood is thick and the lid is close fitting, so as long as the fire brigade don't take too long, should be OK! (Am actually worrying now about how much I can fit in it! lol)

Oh and it's not blocking the exit route, so that's OK too!

So......where do I go to get archive boxes to put the stuff in, in the chest, that won't damage my stuff and don't cost a fortune?

[Olde Crone]

*Admires Merry's posh landing*

OC

[Merry]

lol OC! I did close that door at the end so you couldn't see any scenes of devastation!!

I have just gone through the brown cardboard box on the top of the tallest pile (just looking in it). It's such a nightmare deciding what to do with everything. This box belonged to my dad and includes easy to keep stuff like:

RAF certificates and photos
School reports (Second in class, out of 46!!)
Very detailed home accounts book (I know you will relate to that OC!)
Letters to him in hospital at various dates including ones from me aged 3, 4 and 7 (very neat handwriting!)
I fat folder of letters of condolence sent to mum when he died.

More tricky things such as:

Christmas cards from unknown people
Letters from unknown people which are all about those people and not saying anything about dad
Tons of uniform dress ribbons and rank ribbons, collar studs, shirt studds and other unidentified bits of metal which are probably RAF issue
Something that looks like a six inch by two inch brass paper clip with an identity number on it

Easy stuff to chuck out, such as

Empty envelopes
Random bits of paper in unknown handwriting saying nothing of consequence

There is only one item from before his lifetime (as far as I can guess) in the box. This is a typical Victorian brown ink (faded) scrawl which seems to be the first three verses of a poem. Googling hasn't helped to identify it. I don't know who wrote it down or where it came from - this is typical of the sort of thing I don't know what to do with. *sigh* He kept it, so it must have been significant to him......

[Kit]

* wonders what the framed item is *

You have lots of stuff. That's great.

[Merry]

lol That's one of the few items of mine - whole school photo!

Anyone want a bag of ostrich feathers? They are a bit moulty!! I'm sure my gran had a story about them....I think it was something non-PC about them being an illegal import into the country? Probably not true, like quite a few of her stories!

[Merry]

Agggh! :eek: I have just thrown away about 25 large architectural drawings (mostly 3'x4') done by my grandfather and mother. I have kept four of properties that were actually built and where I know the history etc.

I keep having to say 'I cannot keep everything, I cannot keep everything, I cannot keep everything'

I am a hoarder by nature. :o

[borobabs]

Merry I dont envy you that job as Im like you a bit of horder and dont think I could have thrown them out ,,put them in the loft ;;lol

[Merry]

It;s really difficult Babs, but I keep saying if I keep everything one day the whole lot will be chucked out by someone who can't be bothered to look through it all......

Next is a pile of Sandersons Wallpaper samples drawn by my grandfather. There are six books about 2'x1'x2" thick. They are either from the early 1930s or early 1920s - not sure which. Am wondering if the wallpaper company have a museum?!!

[borobabs]

Oh I would try to find out least that way there going to good home , must be somewhere that would be grateful for what you want to get rid of ;;have you asked at your archives place ;;

[Uncle John]

Next is a pile of Sandersons Wallpaper samples drawn by my grandfather. There are six books about 2'x1'x2" thick. They are either from the early 1930s or early 1920s - not sure which. Am wondering if the wallpaper company have a museum?!!

Ebay? You might find a fellow hoarder you can ship stuff off to.

[Rosie Knees]

sorry, can't help, too envious of you having gg-gp's oak chest! I've got nothing from even 1xGPs.

[Punchs Mum]

Merry,
If you Google Sanderson wallpaper UK. you will see a lot about them including the history of the Sanderson Wallpaper business.

Sanderson used to have a factory in Gosport when I was in my teens in the 1950's and was a big employer in the town.

The site is now a business Centre and is still refered to as The Sanderson Centre.

Lesley

[Merry]

Thanks Lesley,

Having got the books out I see they are these:

Interiors for today. Second series.
Author: Arthur Sanderson & Sons.
Publisher: London : Arthur Sanderson & Sons, [between 1930 and 1935]
Edition/Format: Book : English

Unfortunately they don't appear for sale anywhere I can see.

I have a copy of another book, written by my gg-uncle, which has to be the most boring book in the world, unless you are a civil engineer, so I was really shocked to see copies selling for around £400 a few years back!

[Kit]

I keep having to say 'I cannot keep everything, I cannot keep everything, I cannot keep everything'

I am a hoarder by nature. :o

I am a hoarder too and I keep thinking why can't you keep everything. lol