Use these History Detective techniques for preserving papers, books, photographs and textiles. When it comes to preserving and maintaining your family's treasures, the guidelines are very simple. It's putting them into action that takes a little work. You can't turn back the clock, but you can protect your treasures for the future. Deterioration is natural: papers contain natural acids that cause them to crumble, photographs degenerate at different rates depending upon their chemical processing, and then there's good old fashioned wear and tear. Books are read, photo albums are perused, clothes and quilts are used. None of this can be avoided. What we can do is help slow the aging process down.