Archival PSA: Tape is Bad

Tuesday  |  February 19, 2013  |  15:56 PM

Archival Public Service Announcement: No matter how clear your tape is, please do not use it on old documents! Especially if they are torn Civil War documents. The tape will do more harm than leaving the tear alone. I placed this document in an archival melinex envelope (archival sheet protector) and it is now visible and safe from further damage.

If you do find a document like this, it is best to consult an archivist before you move forward with any preservation efforts.

The tape on this document was so old and dried, it fell off, so I did not have to remove any tape from it. I would not pull the tape off of a document, because it may pull part of your document off with it.

Use caution! Tape is evil!

-Archivist Mandy Pond