Make & keep
Write a scope note for a photo strip collection
Explain what the archive covers and what it does not.
A collection can look comprehensive while representing only one family, venue or period.
Describe the boundaries
State who assembled the material, how it arrived and the known range of dates or places. Separate dates printed on objects from dates inferred in research. Mention missing context or gaps when relevant. Avoid calling a small inherited box a complete history of the booth or community it depicts.
Explain selection decisions
If an online display shows only part of the collection, explain the selection. Keep a private full inventory when some portraits should not be published. Readers can then understand why a visible group has its particular shape rather than treating the displayed subset as the entire surviving archive.