The Hand-Made Photo Box...

   I like the idea of creating hand-made books to hold your photographs but I took a class at the Maine College of Art in November on creating boxes which offers an alternative method of preserving images.  This concept allows you to keep loose prints of your work as well as a booklet describing the project.

   The box can be made any size and the space that will hold your photographs can be any depth of course.  This is a small box, about 5 X 7 inches.  It can hold around 36 4 X 6 prints depending on the thickness of the photo paper they are printed on.  The tray sits above the prints on supports (not directly on the prints).  The whole thing folds up quite neatly and can go on your bookshelf.  I've learned that fine art photographs should be stored vertically and this box does that very well. Prints should be separated by acid free tissue, of course.  An inventory can be printed in the booklet but just in case the prints should become separated from the box, your name, date, and the location in the image should be recorded on the back in pencil.

   Finding ways to store and catalog your photographs has recently been occupying my mind.  Of course, e-books are now a wonderful way to do that and I'm looking into that possibility for my Poetry of Place project but there is something wonderful about also having the physical print to hold and look at.  This is a perfect way to do just that.  Here is a link to a tutorial by artist Jana Pullman for making a single tray box.  If you don't wish to tackle a project like this, you could commission a book artist to make one for you.

The Handmade Box