Over the Christmas period this year I was staying with my elderly Grandfather and knowing my interest in the family history, he pulled out a load of certificates and documents from my late Grandmothers side of the family.
Some if them dated back to the early 1800s. I promptly got out my camera to document them and incorporate them into my research.
I am fairly competent with digital archiving and back-ups. Some of the answers in this question have helped in that regard, but it strikes me that these documents are still very legible and (mostly) in good condition.
What I would like to know is:
- Is it feasible to keep the originals for future generations of my family, or should I just digitise and not worry about the originals.
If not:
- How should I go about preserving the original hard copies of these when they come into my possession permanently?
- Are there any procedures / storage environments that an individual can feasibly implement that will ensure their continued survival?
I guess that any answers could also be applied to archiving photographic history as well as documents and certificates, or are there different optimum storage environments?