WEST ALLIS, Wis. — A West Allis family and photography expert share how to save pictures that have been damaged by floodwater.
Thousands of families are dealing with the aftermath of a historic flood that submerged neighborhoods across southeast Wisconsin. For Sean Ryan, he’s recovering photos from his basement that was flooded over the weekend.
"It's pretty much been a whole lot of luck that even half of them are somewhat decent,” said Sean Ryan.
Some of his photos are in better shape than others, but no matter the condition, these memories are what Sean and his family are holding on to.
"It means a lot to know that these, some of these photos, didn't get completely washed away,” said Sean’s sister, Stephanie Ryan.
Instead of throwing away those once soggy images, they placed them out to dry. Tom Fritz, a local expert in restoring photos, says that’s exactly what you are supposed to do to save them.
Watch: West Allis family saves memories after flood
“You don't want to let them sit in the water that they were flooded with because that will encourage the growth of mold and fungus,” said Tom.
After drying them you can:
- Gently wash photos in clean water to eliminate bacteria from the floodwater, and re-dry them.
- Scan the images to get a new copy.
- Find professionals to regenerate the image for you.
Tom says there’s a very good chance damaged pictures can be saved.
"You want to be judicious about the ones that you want to save, because it's going to be a little bit of work. But I wouldn't just wholesale throw them all away,” said Tom.
For Sean, he’s grateful to hold on to his memories for longer and to keep making new ones with his family.
“When Mother Nature hits, it's give or take, and it's just photos. My kids are alive. My dad's alive, my family's alive,” said Sean.
Additionally, a TMJ4 viewer sent more tips on how to salvage damaged photos. The following points are from Deb Wiltsey, the former president of the Wisconsin Professional Photographers Association.
- Wet pictures can just be laid out to dry in the air and then flattened once they’re dry.
- If stuck to glass in a frame, they can be soaked in a combination of water and a tablespoon of ammonia until the emulsion layer softens and then will slide off the glass. Once separated, the image can air-dry.
- If the photo is soiled, you can use a soft cloth with lacquer thinner and wipe the photo clean.
- If it’s a digital image printed with inks, then best to scan the image and have it reprinted. Restoration can be done via digital application, such as Photoshop.
- Photograph memories are much too precious to just toss away.
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