Source: https://restorebunny.com/guides/handover-a-photo-archive-to-a-new-custodian/ # Hand Over a Photo Archive to a New Custodian Transfer structure, access knowledge and verification records alongside the image files. File formats & delivery2 min readUpdated 16 October 2026 ## Try it on your own photo Repair a copy of your photo, then compare faces and details with the original. [Restore my photo]()1 credit per successful photo · Account required[See credit packs]() Quick answer ## The short version A custodial handover should make the collection usable without depending on the previous custodian’s memory. Transfer the inventory, README, source-to-derivative relationships, restriction notes and backup map alongside the images. Keep credentials in a separate appropriate access process. ## Define the job before editing A custodial handover should make the collection usable without depending on the previous custodian’s memory. Transfer the inventory, README, source-to-derivative relationships, restriction notes and backup map alongside the images. Keep credentials in a separate appropriate access process. ## Ask the recipient to perform a retrieval task Choose several items that exercise the structure: a physical original, a digital master, a reverse scan and an approved public copy. Ask the new custodian to locate them using the documentation. Record gaps and clarify ambiguous folder names before the old arrangement is retired. ## Make the decision from evidence Verify transferred files and confirm how independent backups will continue. Review which accounts, devices or services require a separate ownership or access process. A copied folder does not automatically transfer control over a cloud library or explain restrictions on sensitive images. ## A worked planning example Example: The new custodian uses the README to locate FAM-0062, finds its sleeve location and checks the restored derivative’s notes. A missing explanation of the reverse-scan suffix is corrected before the handover is considered complete. ## A practical checklist 1. Transfer images and documentation together. 2. Keep secrets out of the collection folder. 3. Run a retrieval exercise. 4. Verify copies and continuing backup responsibilities. ## Keep a traceable result Keep the source file, the working copy and the delivery copy as separate items. Record the input and the changes you actually made so another person can understand the result later. These workflow examples are planning examples, not documented customer outcomes or proof of a successful restoration. ## FAQs Is copying the photos enough for a handover? It preserves files but may lose context and access knowledge. Transfer the documentation and verify that the new custodian can actually use it. Should I replace my original with the edited copy? Keep the source unchanged and save a separate working or sharing copy. An export, edit or AI interpretation can omit information that remains useful in the source. ## Sources Preservation and technical guidance reviewed for this article. - Library of Congress: [Personal archiving: digital photographs]() ## Related - [Open the related free tool]() - [Plan Portable Photo Filenames Without Losing Names]() - [Record Approval of a Photo Delivery Version]() - [Browse photo guides]() - [Free image tools]() ## Ready to restore your photos? Upload an image, choose your settings, and preview results with a before/after slider. [Restore my photo]()[View Pricing]() RestoreBunny Source-backed photo workflows Guides follow our [editorial policy]() for sourcing, product claims, AI limitations, updates, and corrections.