Risk to historic media from airport security

[Katie Adams]

I have a donor who is giving our historical museum several reels of 1950s 8mm film and he asked if he should be concerned about bringing it through the airport security scanners. Thoughts? Any packing or precautions he could take before arriving at the airport with the films?
 

[Ron Kley]

In the “olden days” of analog (film) photography, the good folks at TSA assured travelers that scanning devices would not harm unexposed photographic film — although I know that some photographers still preferred to wrap their film in metal foil and stow it in their checked baggage rather than going through the carry-on scanners.

Exposed film, such as your donor’s 8mm reels, is not sensitive to x-rays and should not be affected in any way by airport security devices.

[Katie Adams]

Great! Thank you

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