Panoramic Photograph Housing

Author(s)

Angela M. Andres
Special Collections Conservator
New York University Libraries
70 Washington Square South, Room LL2-25
New York, NY 10012
212-992-9017
angela.andres@nyu.edu
https://library.nyu.edu/preservation/

Laura McCann
Conservation Librarian
New York University Libraries
70 Washington Square South, Room LL2-25
New York, NY 10012
212-998-2562
laura.mccann@nyu.edu
https://library.nyu.edu/preservation/

Photos and Illustrations: Angela Andres

Publication: 2016 

Description

Dividers of archival corrugated board or 20-point board are placed into flat file drawers and are held in place by panels of the same type of board. Dividers may be fitted to either x or y orientation (Figs.1 & 2). The dividers are easy to remove, add, and alter in order to accommodate odd-shaped items.

FIGURE 1: Dividers arranged for longer panoramas.

FIGURE 2: Dividers arranged for shorter panoramas.

Materials, Tools & Supplies

• Quality double-sided tape
• Archival corrugated board (acid-free, lignin-free)
• 20-point archival board (optional)
• Straightedge and knife (or board shear)
• Bone folder

Construction

Dividers are constructed from strips of archival board. The length of a divider strip is determined by whether it will be oriented along the width or the length of the drawer; in either case the strip should be just shy of the exact interior dimension of the drawer in order to fit snugly. The width of a divider strip varies depending on the depth of the drawer; it should be short enough not to interfere with opening and closing the drawer. The width of the strip may be determined according to the cross-section diagram (Fig.3). After a strip is cut to the appropriate size, use a folder to score it lengthwise down the center and 1” in from each long edge. Fold along the scored lines as shown in Fig.3, adhering the upright wall of the divider with double-sided tape on the inside.

FIGURE 3: Cross-section of divider showing dimensions and how to fold after scoring.

Dividers are placed in drawers in the desired arrangement, pressure-fitted with liner panels of archival board placed between the dividers. Panels should be the same length as the dividers, but can be cut to any width to accommodate the material being stored (Fig.4). An optional filler panel may be added under the liner panel if distortion is a concern (Fig.5).

FIGURE 4: Sample divider and liner panel arrangement.

FIGURE 5: Placement of filler panel.

Comments

If existing hardware or fittings in the drawer interfere with panel placement, cutouts can easily be made to allow a good fit (Fig.6). A less bulky alternative construction using 20-point board and corrugated board is shown in Fig.7.

FIGURE 6: Detail of cutout around drawer fitting.

FIGURE 7: Less bulky divider/panel using 20-point board.

Adapted From

This housing was previously discussed in the webinar, The Big, the Weird, and the Bulky: Housing Solutions for Objects in Library and Archival Collections, October 1, 2014, presented by Angela Andres and Laura McCann and hosted by ALCTS, Association for Library Collections and Technical Services.

Keywords

panoramas, photograph storage, archives, flat file, map case