Examples of various types of damages
Photographic materials have a large variety of supports for the positive & negative images. These can be on metals, glass, plastics and papers. These may be hand-coated or mass produced in a factory. They may be color or black-and-white emulsions, positive or negative images.
Your photographs are treated by experienced conservators in our lab. We never send out your precious images to anyone else. When our work is complete, the photo should be returned to a known (or assumed) previous state. Conservation work should be reversible in the event better methods or materials become known in the future.
Civil War Veteran, GA, c. 1880
Civil War Veteran, GA, c. 1880
Crayon Enlargement Portraits
These were popular in the last quarter of the 19th C. and the early 20th C. The hand-coated papers of good quality were mounted on a presentation board to keep them flat. These can have multiple types of damages from organic and environmental causes, as well as age.
Early 20th C.silver gelatin print trimmed
Early 20th C. Silver gelatin B&W print restored
Silver Gelatin Photographs
Original photographs may be trimmed to fit into frames or presentation folders or scrapbooks, depending on the taste of the family member. Later, this damage may be repaired by creating a duplicate that has been restored to similar size of the original
Father’s Army Portrait, Damaged
Father’s Army portrait restored
Color Military or School Portraits
Formal military portraits, like children’s school portraits, are taken in mass and machine processed. These are often precious keepsakes for family and the serviceman or servicewoman. Over time the dyes in the emulsion become faded due to light, moisture, or molds. They receive accidental damage due to storms, moving, or poor storage…daily life for everyone.
Department store or photo studio print of mid-20th C.
Restored color & tone to photo
Family portraits with portable sets
Traveling photographers from a large studio or department stores created a staple in our 20th C. photographic keepsakes. These pictures are prone to fine crackle, dye fading due to light exposure and age. These can be digitally restored to original colors & any size print can be made.
Original Senior Class photo 1930s
Restored print, Senior class photo 1930s
Silver Gelatin contact print, mounted
Photographs from previous family members from the late 19th through early 20th C. were often printed on single weight coated photo papers that required mounting, much like the earlier hand-coated photos. Damages that occur to the mount are usually transferred to the photograph. These can be stabilized & a new, restored duplicate print made for the client or several for other family members.