Hanging & Displaying Your Framed Items
When deciding where to hang or display your framed photograph or artwork, consider the following:
- Temperature and humidity levels
- Stability of the environment
- Light
- Dust
- Pollution
Avoid displaying valuable framed items:
- Over a fireplace. This can be very attractive, but the heat, smoke, soot and ashes from the fireplace are very harmful to valuable artwork or photographs.
- Against an outside wall. The hot Florida days changing to cooler evening temperatures (and back again) can cause the walls to "sweat," and the moisture will transfer itself to anything touching the wall.
- In bright light. Light can cause dyes to fade rapidly, especially in color photographs. Light is also a source of heat. A glazed frame or display case can act like a miniature greenhouse, with the higher temperatures causing condensation and also increasing the rate of fading or embrittlement.
- With direct exposure to sunlight or an artificial light source. Indirect lighting, while not ideal, is less harmful to a framed item. Spotlights are bright and hot and are extremely harmful to displayed items.
Preservation matting and framing can help to protect photographs and art from dust and pollution.
For the highest level of protection, consider placing an air filtration device in the display area with a high efficiency filter. HEPA filters are available at hardware and department stores.
