Hey--

My family recently recovered some relatively (decade or so) old photos which had been in a drawer in a very damp, moist (but not wet) basement--a basement subject to dampness and also changes in humidity. The papers have an odd sort of smell to them, rather pungent. Is there any way to rid the papers of the smell?

you could try someone who restores documents or photos for a living, or if there are a few beyond salvage or not that great of a pic, try cleaning one yourself. As for the smell, I might try airing them out for a few days in front of a fan, or perhaps placing them loosely in a container with a box of baking soda.

Those methods may not work at all, or worse, ruin what you are trying to save, so use at your own risk.

Ant

If that doesn't work, you could also try putting some charcoal in an old sock and putting it in there with them.  The charcoal will also remove the smell.