Separating stuck photos

['97ventureowner]

I would like to know if anybody has a way to separate photographs that are stuck together? I was going through a box of photos that goes back about 20 years and noticed some had stuck to each other that were grouped together. I know there are ways to separate them safely without causing damage to them,and was wondering what anybody else who has experienced this issue has done. Thank you.

[00accord44]

Stuck together eh? These weren't naughty photos were they???

[/helpfulness]

[Toksin]

Stop wanking on your photos.

[zzpza]

simple water. leave them to soak, then once they are separated, hang them up to dry as if it was a fresh print you'd just made. use a string and clothes pegs. (not outside, too windy) hang by the corner to encourage the water to pool / drip from the diagonal edge. if you have a lot to do get some stop bath for the water and a print squeegie. it will make it easier to dry them without leaving water marks. you'll be able to get both from any 'real' photography shop, i.e. one that was around before digital and sells darkroom chemicals.

hth,
j.

['97ventureowner]

Originally Posted by zzpza

simple water. leave them to soak, then once they are separated, hang them up to dry as if it was a fresh print you'd just made. use a string and clothes pegs. (not outside, too windy) hang by the corner to encourage the water to pool / drip from the diagonal edge. if you have a lot to do get some stop bath for the water and a print squeegie. it will make it easier to dry them without leaving water marks. you'll be able to get both from any 'real' photography shop, i.e. one that was around before digital and sells darkroom chemicals.

hth,
j.

Thanks for the advice! I would've thought water would ruin the photos as that's what appeared to cause them too stick together in the first place. The pics were at least 15 to 18 years old and have been sitting in the "envelope" you used to get from the processing service from the store you dropped the film off at,(in the day when film was 'sent out' and in-store labs were unheard of yet.) I probably hadn't looked at them in 8 to 10 years and possibly thought humidity might've caused them to stick together. Funny thing is they were stored in a plain cardboard box along with about 20 other envelopes, and that was the only envelope where the pictures stuck together. I'm getting ready to hook up my scanner to put all of my old pictures and slides onto cds, a collection that numbers close to 2000 and goes back 70+ years from when my father took pictures and developed many on his own, ( including slides.)

And, no, Toksin, and 00accord44 they weren't of the "dirty" variety

[BeZerK2112]

Ya, putting pictures onto paper is a wet process. They go through a few different chemical baths, which are water baised. Letting them sit in water for a short period of time wont hurt them. Good luck! Make sure you scan all the photos in high quality. If you dont you'll be kicking yourself in another 20 years.