How do you get a photo that is stuck to glass to come off without tearing it?

IS IT IN A FRAME GLASS? IF SO THEN JUST SOAK THE GLASS WITH THE PICTURE ON IT IN COLD WATER, IF YOU HAVE A FRIEND WHO HAS A DARKROOM GET SOME WETTING SOLUTION FROM HIM IT WILL PENETRATE THE EMULSION. THE STEAM IS A GOOD IDEA A DAMP CLOTH WILL WORK , THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IS TO HAVE PATIENCE AND WAIT FOR THE WATER TO PENETRATE THE EMULSION. LOOK EVERY NOW AND THEN AND YOU WILL SEE THE WATER MOVING ACROSS THE FRONT OF THE PICTURE. WHEN IT HAS MADE IT ACROSS THE WHOLE WAY CAREFULLY BEGIN TO REMOVE THE PICTURE IT WILL BE STICKY BUT SHOULD BE GOOEY NOT HARD. LET THE PICTURE HARDEN ON ITS BACK ON AN SMOOTH PREFERABLY STANLESS STEEL SURFACE. TRY TO KEEP IT OUT OF DUST DURING THIS TIME AS DUST WILL STICK PERMANENTLY.

I HAD TO SEPARATE HUNDREDS OF PRINTS THAT STUCK TOGETHER DOWN HERE WHEN OUR HOME FLOODED DURING HURRICANE KATRINA LAST SUMMER, SOAKED THEM JUST LIKE ABOVE AND SAT THEM OUT IN THE SUN TO DRY. SAVED MOST OF THEM. THEY WERE STUCK TO EACH OTHER! MAN, TO GLASS IS CHILDS PLAY!

PATIENCE IS THE SECRET AND TIME! GIVE IT TIME. ASK A PHARMACIST ABOUT THE WETTING SOLUTION USED BY PHOTOGRAPHERS I THINK IT IS RELATIVELY CHEAP AND LAST FOREVER! IT REALLY DOES SOFTEN THE EMULSION ON THE FRONT OF THE PICTURE PROPERLY AND DOES THE RIGHT KIND OF A JOB WHETHER YOU SOAK IT OR SPRINKLE IT ON!

GOOD LUCK!!

HAVE A GOOD DAY

APS

by way of "previous" do you mean from the pre-digital era? if so, merely enable them to soak in heat water for a jointly as and you'd be waiting to softly peel them off the glass. till the "... sparkling plastic spray ... " you're utilising is something meant for use on photograph prints you're probable detrimental your prints because of the fact over the years that spray will probable turn yellowish. even however somewhat costly, your prints could be fixed on archival matt board and then framed with a cut back-out archival matt and then framed. Use a UV resistant glass in the physique yet demonstrate them out of direct photograph voltaic.

Is the glass attached to anything? In other words, can you put it on a scanner so that you'll have it in case it doesn't come off in one piece?

Try with hot steam, from an iron for example. Be careful though.