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Old Photographs, Recognition, Handwriting Deciphering => Free Photo Restoration & Date Old Photographs => Topic started by: NMcS on Saturday 30 January 10 14:00 GMT (UK)

Title: Not expecting miracles with Sailor Brown
Post by: NMcS on Saturday 30 January 10 14:00 GMT (UK)
I am sorry for suggesting this "Mission Impossible"! This gentleman is only known in the family as "Sailor Brown" He appears to be a Tintype which has sufferred very badly over the years. I would like to find out a bit more about him but I think the first thing to do is to try to clean him up a little. I am not very computer minded and scanning him has proved to be an ordeal in itself but if you can suggest anything that would make your task easer I will try to oblige. He is so badly damaged I will be most grateful for any improvement however slight. Oh and if you also happen to recognise the uniform etc...

Title: Re: Not expecting miracles with Sailor Brown
Post by: Finley 1 on Saturday 30 January 10 15:03 GMT (UK)
well i had a try!?!?!  but as you say a difficult one

have to say mine kinda looks like 'frankenstein' 

MJB's is great...

not to worry... it was fun

xin
Title: Re: Not expecting miracles with Sailor Brown
Post by: NMcS on Saturday 30 January 10 15:09 GMT (UK)
Thank you Xinia  :)
Title: Re: Not expecting miracles with Sailor Brown
Post by: Emjaybee on Saturday 30 January 10 15:15 GMT (UK)
mjb

LVA
Title: Re: Not expecting miracles with Sailor Brown
Post by: NMcS on Saturday 30 January 10 15:51 GMT (UK)
Wow Thanks Emjaybee! :)

I should perhaps have posted that the damage on his forehead area makes him look like he has a hat but in fact he has a quite high hairline sweeping from his left to right.  Another detail that does not show up is that he has a bandage on his left hand
Title: Re: Not expecting miracles with Sailor Brown
Post by: Emjaybee on Saturday 30 January 10 16:26 GMT (UK)
Amended

Title: Re: Not expecting miracles with Sailor Brown
Post by: mozza29 on Saturday 30 January 10 17:58 GMT (UK)
Bookmarked by:
Morrie
Title: Re: Not expecting miracles with Sailor Brown
Post by: saddles on Sunday 31 January 10 00:43 GMT (UK)
One from me.

Mike.
Title: Re: Not expecting miracles with Sailor Brown
Post by: NMcS on Monday 01 February 10 21:35 GMT (UK)
Thanks Saddles and embeejay once again for your help and interest
 :)
Title: Re: Not expecting miracles with Sailor Brown
Post by: Niksmum on Tuesday 02 February 10 23:03 GMT (UK)
Hi guys
here is a rescan at 600 dpi  for those that want another go at it

Irene
Title: Re: Not expecting miracles with Sailor Brown
Post by: Niksmum on Tuesday 02 February 10 23:04 GMT (UK)
my try

Irene
Title: Re: Not expecting miracles with Sailor Brown
Post by: Images of time on Wednesday 03 February 10 13:38 GMT (UK)
I'm afraid that's as much detail I can get from it  :)
Title: Re: Not expecting miracles with Sailor Brown
Post by: Emjaybee on Wednesday 03 February 10 14:40 GMT (UK)
mjb
Title: Re: Not expecting miracles with Sailor Brown
Post by: NMcS on Monday 08 February 10 18:24 GMT (UK)
Thanks to everyone who helped me here, with a special mention to niksmum who helped me with the resolution

 :)
Title: Re: Not expecting miracles with Sailor Brown
Post by: PrueM on Monday 08 February 10 19:51 GMT (UK)
Hi NMcS  :)

Looking at the deterioration pattern around the edge of your photo, I'd hazard a guess that this is a Daguerreotype rather than a tintype, and it would therefore date from somewhere between 1840 and the mid 1850s - a very early photograph!  Is the surface very shiny and reflective?

The surface of a Daguerreotype is very fragile and will scratch with the slightest touch, so be very careful.

Daguerreotypes are noted for their clarity and great detail, so I think if you could re-scan this picture at a high resolution without its frame (being very careful to place it gently on the scanner) and then post it again, you might get even better results as the image will then be in focus.

The frame, by the way, is not doing the photo any favours, and is partly the reason that it is deteriorating in that way around the edges.  A photograph conservator would be able to give you advice about framing and storage if you were interested.

Cheers
Prue
Title: Re: Not expecting miracles with Sailor Brown
Post by: Polldoll on Monday 08 February 10 20:40 GMT (UK)
  Retrieved as much as I could without inventing  ;D ;D
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