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SCRAPBOOKING

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SCRAPBOOKING......A QUICK AND BRIEF HISTORY

We scrapbook to preserve photos, memorabilia, and information about ourselves, our families, and our friends, so that future generations may know who we were and how we lived.

Although Scrapbooking has been around for centuries in one form or another, the craft as we know it today was established after an international genealogy conference in Salt Lake City, Utah in the USA in 1980. Marielen Christensen and her family displayed 50 albums which she had been making since 1970. She used the basis of collecting memories in a loose-leaf binding and employed paper craft techniques and storytelling principles to convey messages through photographs. Great interest was shown in these albums with many people wanting to make similar ones for there own families. Marielen soon established the first scrapbooking retail store and now, 20+ years later, the craft is so popular in the USA it is said that 1 in 4 people scrapbook there. it is popular all over the world particularly New Zealand, Australia, South Africa and many parts of Europe including France and the Netherlands. And right now it is thought to be the fasting growing hobby in the UK.

One of the key elements of scrapbooking is to use only archival safe products. That is, products that will not harm your precious photos. There are literally hundreds of products available and most will say that they are photo safe. The 3 main elements you DO NOT want in your scrapbooks are ACID, LIGNIN and PVC. Lignin is the cellulose fibre that binds a tree together and in the pulping process of paper making the Lignin starts the acids in the tree working. Acid and Lignin Free products are the only ones that should be used, particularly if in contact with your photos. This way the photos will not fade and turn yellow or get brown spots on them as you may notice on old photos that you have. PVC and Acids are found in plastics and glues so again you should only use photo safe products. One of the worst albums you may have in your possession is the kind that had the peel back plastic sheet. Not only is the plastic not safe but the adhesive used ont he page to secure your photos is full of acid. These albums were popular in the 70's when instamatic cameras were all the rage with the photos being developed about 4x4 and with rounded corners. Many people have found these photos have now turned very yellow and discoloured and it is the acid which is doing this to your precious photos.