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Archival Photo Mount Cards and Negative Sleeves for HABS/HAER/HALS Documentation

Posted on August 12, 2017 by HABS HAER Photographer Stephen Schafer

This is a resource page for those doing Historic American Buildings Survey photography and having a hard time finding the archival negative envelopes and slotted print mount cards that are required by HABS, HAER and HALS for transmission to the Library of Congress.

All the specifications for transmittal of archival negatives and prints for the HABS, HAER, HALS collections are available in a downloadable PDF from the NPS at the HDP website: https://www.nps.gov/hdp/standards/Transmittal.pdf    or by doing a web search for: HABS DOCUMENTATION FOR TRANSMITTAL

But the government won’t tell you what brand to buy or where to get them. You’d think these slotted print mount cards would be ubiquitous but the archival Lignin-free archival photo mount cards for 4×5 and 5×7 prints are nearly impossible to find if you don’t have a link to the tragically out of date website of Conservation Resources: www.ConservationResources.com    CLICK on: PHOTO MOUNT CARDS. The three-hole-punched brown heavy cardstock cards are available slotted for fiber contact prints or without slots for cover sheets for the HABS/HAER/HALS reports.

HABS HAER HALS Library of congress archival photo mount cards with slots

Screen capture of the dated Conservation Resources website August 2017  •  Archival 8 1⁄2" x 11" photo mount card

For the 5×7 buffered negative envelopes that are required by the Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS), Historic American Engineering Record (HAER), and the Historic American Landscapes Survey (HALS) we go to the far better University Products website: www.UniversityProducts.com

If you are transmitting 4×5” or 5×7” negatives to Heritage Documentation Programs of the National Park Service then you will need the negative sleeves in 5 3⁄8" x 7 3⁄8” size for both 4×5 and 5×7 negatives. 

 

University Products HABS 5x7 buffered negative envelopes-2017

Screen capture of the University Products website in Aug 2017 • Archival negative sleeves  5 3⁄8" x 7 3⁄8"

There’s more information about HABS/HAER/HALS photography at my main website www.HABSPHOTO.com

Good Luck Documenting!

Slotted photo mount card for HABS HAER HALS photograph

HABS photograph, Sample of a HABS 5×7 print inserted in a Photo Mount Card

 Please Note:

1. Only use UPS, FedEx, or DHL to send surveys to Washington, DC
 
The HABS/HAER/HALS office moved to the Main Interior Building in Washington, DC. in April 2017. All U.S. Postal Service (USPS) mail sent to Main Interior is subject to irradiation. That process is likely to damage survey materials. There is concern about the prospect of damaged negatives or hand-drawn sheets that can't be recreated, but irradiated paper and CD/DVDs would also be a problem.
 
2. New HDP shipping address (starting April 10, 2017)
 
Heritage Documentation Programs
National Park Service
1849 C Street NW, Room 7408
Washington, DC 20240
Category: Documentary Photography, HABS, HABS Photographer, HABS/HAER/HALS, HABS/HAER/HALS Photography, HAER, HAER Photographer, HALS, HALS Photographer, Historic Preservation

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