Glass Plate

The earliest photo negatives were made on glass plates that had been treated with silver and other chemicals. Glass plates are often neutral gray to black, but can also have a brown or yellow tint. They are easily scratched, chipped, or broken so they must be handled with extreme care.

Conservationists suggest using non-vinyl plastic gloves, as cotton gloves can be too slippery and the fibers can snag flaking emulsion. When handling a glass negative, hold it by both of the longest edges and never a corner. Glass plates should never be stacked and when scanned the emulsion should never touch the scanner.

When it’s time to store them, wrap them individually in special four-flap archival paper enclosures and arrange them vertically on their longest edge in rigid archival boxes with other glass plates of the same size. It’s also a good idea to mark the box with warnings such as “Heavy” and “Handle With Care.”

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