Acid Free Musings...

I was doing some research this morning on acid and paper. Honestly, I don't really worry a whole lot about acid free products. I figure 2 things: 1) My hands have acid and I use them to touch everything on my pages - including my photos and 2) by the time my books start to dissolve in the acid bath, my posterity will have torn them up and robbed the photos out of them. Past my grandkids, no one will care and my albums will last AT LEAST long enough for my grandchildren to enjoy. As my mom and I say, "Hundred years - new people".

As I was researching how acid has affected old novels and documents, I became amused about the current trends. Dolly Parton once said, "It costs a lot of money to look this cheap!" When I was at CHA, I kind of got bored looking at paper. Most of it was the same - no matter who the manufacturer was. It all looks old and distressed with discolored edges. Call it shabby, call it distressed, call it whatever you want to. But, the paper looks like it's been sitting around for years. The paper looks like it's been eaten by the very acid we all live in mortal fear of.

So, I have to ask... why are we so afraid of acid in our albums when we are using papers that look like they are old and swimming in acid? Should we not just "go with the acid"? There's irony there if you think about it...