Here are two possible solutions to your problem of obtaining legible copies:

1.  When photocopying old paper (especially newspaper clippings) results in
very dark copies and bleed through from the reverse side, set the
lighter/darker setting on the copier to a much lighter setting.  The paper
will not appear in the copies, but the ink will.

2.  Try a digital camera.  The original shot may not be very clear, but you
can use photo-processing software to adjust the contrast, or turn the image
into black and white and eliminate the clutter manually.  If you don't have
a digital camera you can accomplish the same effect by scanning a
photocopied image, and working on it with a program like Microsoft
Picture-It which comes bundled on many new computers.

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