archival digitization Archives

Dry Plate Negatives: Everyday Photography Begins

September 4, 2025August 13, 2025 by Scan Thology

Dry Plate Negatives – The Birth of Everyday Photography If you’ve discovered a box of glass negatives from grandparents or great-grandparents, chances are many are dry plate negatives—the format that brought photography into everyday family life. By the 1870s, a new photographic technology revolutionized the way people captured their lives: the dry plate negative, a … Read more

What Is Sticky-Shed Syndrome—and Why It Could Destroy Your Tape Archive

August 20, 2025July 21, 2025 by Scan Thology

Sticky-Shed Syndrome: The Silent Killer of Your Tape Archive If you’ve ever pulled out an old video or audio tape only to find it squealing, jamming, or shedding white dust into your playback machine, you may have encountered sticky-shed syndrome—a common and destructive form of magnetic tape degradation. At Scanthology, we’ve seen firsthand how devastating … Read more