When visiting antique stores, I’m used to seeing jumbles of old photographs, cabinet cards, and cartes-de-visites piled in boxes. Occasionally, the seller takes the time to sort the photographs by format and put each format into its own box. On a recent visit to Found Things, in Des Moines’ East Village, I was surprised to see their vintage photographs had been individually sleeved in small photo-album binders, which were neatly shelved on a small bookcase.
It was such a pleasure to see these items being cared for — each housed individually, kept out of the light, and free from dust. It was a good reminder that archivists and conservators are not the only people who devote time and effort to preserving the past.
Library and Archives Preservation 