"Eric Tonks" etonks@sunstormADD-DOT-COM wrote in message
...
I don't think "printed material" fits photographs. I also don't thing that
the offgassing from the cedar would hurt any paper (except make them smell
like cedar).

It does not matter what you "think", what matters is the reality of the
situation Ask any librarian about the deterioration of books printed on
acid paper, stored improperly, contaminated by poor envirnment. Please take
the time to learn about the compostion of photo paper, the coatings, the
silver, the colred dyes and other things that may be present in a simple
photgraph, be it black and white or color.

The problem that they may be warning you about is the ink on
printed paper. Many oil based inks dry slowly, the same way that oil based
paints dry, they absorb oxygen and the oils harden.

Most inks today are soy based and dry fast. Of course, old manuscripts may
be oil based, old letters may be dye based inks or vegetable coloring.


You may want to seal any photographs into ZipLock bags to keep the photo
chemical residues from harming any other materials you place in the chest.

The Ziploc bags may also ruin the photos. I have a darkroom and I've done
some serious photography. Please don't suggest anything you don't know for
FACT. Terms like "I think" or "it may" don't hold water to the real facts of
archived materials. Your suggestion could wipe out a family history,
memories from the old country, or valuable prints. It won't happen in a
week but it WILL happen.

I may sound a bit harsh, but your post is so far off it can cause serious
problems for a family in a few years when all the memories and history are
gone..