I have old pictures 'pasted' into an album...the pictures are about 70 years old, and the pictures have been pasted on both sides of the album....is there a way to lift the photos off the old album so I can get them on scanned to a CD??? I have thought about using a razor blade but it could be very time consuming and labor intensive.
Lynne

Steam the photos away from their backing. Use a tea kettle, boil the water, turn the flame down low as soon as the steam comes out of the spout. hold the photo still attached to the album approx. 2" from spout, directing the steam to the corner of the photo... as soon as the photo begins to curl away from the the backing, remove it form the steam, using tweezers, gently pull the photo, but don't tug at it when it doesn't want to peel away, return it the steam and repeat the process until the photo completely comes away from the backing. If there is any backing residue on the photo after you've completed the process, return it again to the steam and repeat.

After the photo is "clean", it will looked curled. Wait till the photo is completely dry, then press it between two books, this will flatten it.

Tried and true, works every time!

Good luck.

My sis and I have talked about steaming the photos and she thought it would ruin the picture.....I will do a trial picture...thanks so much.
Lynne

I know this is an older thread, but...

I've found waxed string (waxed dental floss is a good source for anyone who isn't a fighter kite aficionado) pulled behind the photo is the least damaging way to remove such photos.

Go slowly and carefully, checking frequently to ensure that you're separating the photo from the page and not separating the back of the photo from the front of the photo.

Because when you split the front of a photo from the back of a photo, well, that's not a lot of fun. ;)

photos on both sides of pages of photo album --- how to get off successfully?

I have been able to remove glued photo's from old albums by 1. wrapping the pages in a layer or two of paper towels and putting them in the micro-wave for 2 or 3 seconds at a time until the glue breaks down. This does not damage the photos. ---or---

2. use your hair dryer on medium setting to "warm" the glue - this works well depending (again) on the type of glue. This method is better than using steam and won't damage the photo.