Early photos can be an eye-opener, letting us into a different world.

Dating old photos can be difficult as there is seldom any date printed on the reverse of the print. 

Old photographic prints need to be handled with care. If they are literally stuck in an album, the best thing is to keep them there. Do not try to remove them or unstick them unless you really know what you are doing.

With such photos, get them scanned into a computer file. It is possible to remove any minor imperfections without damaging the original. Then store the originals in a controlled environment.

The following are also things to consider and which will feature in forthcoming articles:

• Handling and copying transparencies.
• What is the best environment to keep old photos in?
•  Old Video Tapes and Cine Films.