Fire risk to Photograph originals

[peter walker]

Last week at 4am, a fire broke out in the apartment below ours. The

fire alarm woke us. When I looked out the bathroom window I saw

flames flicking out of the window below and up the side of the

building. I called the fire brigade but, as we live on the 22nd

floor, I knew that it would be some time before the firefighters could

get to the fire with their equipment. Of course, my first

consideration was to get my family to safety. We dressed quickly,

grabbed our passports, and closed all the windows and doors. But, as

I left the apartment, one thought crossed my mind: "Should I take my

photographic originals with me?" I have over 20,000 negatives and

transparencies taken over 20 years across many countries. I chose

not to take them because they are heavy and cumbersome and I thought

that my young son might need some help getting down the emergency

stairs.

 

The good news is the that Singapore fire brigade managed to put out

the fire before it spread to our apartment, although the apartment

below is gutted. Our apartment smells of smoke but we suffered no

other damage.

 

But, of course, an incident like this leads one to thinking about fire

safety. Particularly, I have been thinking about the safety of my

photographs. I recall that Ansell Adams lost a lot of his earlier

work in a fire. I am not comparing my work to his but, if I lost all

my photographs, it would be a major tragedy in my life.

 

Because of the humidity in Singapore, I store my originals in a "Auto

Dry" cabinet which has a small electronic device to keep the humidity

inside below 50%. This cabinet is built like a small refrigerator

with a glass door and metal body. The fact that the whole cabinet is

sealed from the outside air would protect the photographs from smoke

damage and water damage. But of course, these cabinets are not heat

resistant so, if the fire came close enough, the heat would destroy

the photographs.

 

I wonder if any of the members of this BBS have thought about this

topic. Are there any solutions? Does anyone use fireproof safes?

Or underground storage in a fire and storm-proof cellar? What about

duplicating a set of the important originals and storing them

somewhere else? Is this very expensive? Any thoughts or suggested

solutions will be gratefully received.

[stephen_poe1]

One solution might be to scan film and have it put on a CD. The CDs could be kept in another location if you are worried. When first I heard of this I scoffed at the complication and expense --- but now it seems to be getting cheaper and easier all the time.<p>

While probably not as good as an original print from the original negative, its better than nothing. Some prints from digital sources, like the Lightjet prints, are indistinguishable from c-41 prints if you have a good scan. I haven't had one made from my own files but have seen them; you really can't tell the difference.

[art sands]

I have also given this question some serious consideration. I recently

purchased a fire proof safe for $60 at our local Best Buy. It will hold 4-5 standard notebooks and is extremely well insulated. Give it

a try.

[art sands]

To amplify on my previous answer, the company that makes the safe is Sentry and may be reached at 1 800 828 1438. They actually make a fire proof safe designed specifically for negative protection. (I was incorrect regarding the safes being available at Best Buy, it is actually Office Depot.