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Old Photographs, Recognition, Handwriting Deciphering => Free Photo Restoration & Date Old Photographs => Topic started by: SevenThree on Saturday 20 January 07 23:33 GMT (UK)
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Hi all,
I have a photocopy of a water/mould damaged photo and would like to ask if it would be suitable for restoring. I would be very grateful as it's the only one I have of my grandparents and would like a decent copy to print and frame. Any improvement would be a bonus.
Thanks in advance,
7/3
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hi 7-3,
here is a starter for you, this is such a lovely picture i am sure you are going to get a lot more interested in it, kali,(http://) i printed one and two pop up, whoops!
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A basic clean up
Mudge
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A resized version
Mudge
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Oops, forgot image! :-X :-X :-X :-X
Mudge
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Hi 7/3
Here is quick modified restore for you.
David
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Hello SevenThree,
I presume, perhaps erroneously, the original image is on linen or a linen paper?
I could not make better of what your Grandmother had in her right hand.
Best regards George
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Kali, Mudge David and George,
Thank you all so much for the brilliant results, I've seen other work you've done on this forum and I was so impressed but never dared hope my picture would come out so well.
I will print them all and impress everybody who sees them. Thank you all again for your time - I noticed the timings of your postings - real night owls, you guys -
or are you all in Australia ;D!
7/3
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I presume, perhaps erroneously, the original image is on linen or a linen paper?
George, it had never occurred to me that the original would be on anything other than photographic paper - would some sort of linen have been a possibility then? This photocopy has been in my mother's possession for about 15 years. One of her (many) older sisters has the original in Cork I believe. I will investigate that further.
7/3
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I could not make better of what your Grandmother had in her right hand.
Not to worry, probably some flowers - but what grabbed my attention more is what was missing from her left hand! They were definitely married in 1911 in Newbridge, Co Kildare- she was 20 and he was 28. This means that the photo pre-dates what I'd originally been told about it's approximate age. We assumed that it was taken after their marriage but there is clearly no wedding ring on her hand. Perhaps it was a photo for their engagement!
Further dating the photo would be the fact that my mother, (last child born in 1937) remembers her father being in the Garda Siochana. Prior to 1922 Ireland was still under British rule and the police force then was known as the Royal Irish Constabulary. The cap badge on his hat is definitely harp shaped, therefore whatever service he is in at the time (RIC or one of the Irish military regiments) it is definitely not the Garda which has a totally different shaped cap badge.
7/3
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Hi 7/3,
Re. my question of backing, I noticed in the damaged section, as though the print had been folded and the emulsion layer torn, that the hatched effect visible over all the photo is still visible. I assumed that the backing itself was composed of some sort of material rather than paper. Further, the hatched effect is not regular, rather like a cloth type material. I have never seen an old photograph printed on cloth material as a darkroom process. I do not know either if parchment could be used for such process, nor if parchment has such fibers.
Best regards George
Enlarged section of your original: -
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Hi George,
Thanks for that full explanation of your thoughts, I'll see what I can find out about the original and let you know.
Best wishes
7/3
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Just experimenting to see how the photo would work out !
Carolyn :)
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Oh wow Carolyn - you experiment as much as you like, that is fantastic! I could never have imagined anything like that - even if I'd been given six weeks to think about it! My mother will be ecstatic!
Thank you most sincerely,
7/3
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Hi 7/3..............I am glad you liked the experiment, seeing there was no background as such I decided to try something, it worked out rather well i think !.
Carolyn :)
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Definately not an RIC uniform. I suspect this man was in the Irish Volunteers!
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Thank you Peter, good to hear from somebody who knows! :)