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Old Photographs, Recognition, Handwriting Deciphering => Free Photo Restoration & Date Old Photographs => Topic started by: newkiephil on Wednesday 26 May 10 16:26 BST (UK)

Title: could you help restore and date this Gibson of Northumberland
Post by: newkiephil on Wednesday 26 May 10 16:26 BST (UK)

Could anyone help date this couple - they belong ( we believe ) to the Gibson family of Northumberland

The picture is I think, an ambrotype -  the image is on a glass plate, with the reverse blacked. and was in a small ornate dark wood frame.

If anyone could improve / help date by the dress I'd be very grateful.

thanks

Title: Re: could you help restore and date this Gibson of Northumberland
Post by: chinakay on Wednesday 26 May 10 16:33 BST (UK)

Mid-late 1860s. Yes, it's an ambrotype, and it would be helpful to the restorers if you could rescan this lovely photo in colour and at 300 dpi resolution, as it's only 83 kb in size and you can have up to 500 kb.

Cheers,
China

Title: Re: could you help restore and date this Gibson of Northumberland
Post by: Gadget on Wednesday 26 May 10 17:00 BST (UK)

Hi

Greetings from Newcastle  :)

Just to reinforce what China has said.  The scan is already scanned at 300 dpi and in colour according to my Photoshop. However, it is highly compressed and needs to be rescanned with NO jpg compression. It's a really wonderful photo and a good scan would get you really good results

Also, as an ambrotype it is a negative image and they really looked like this (note the woman's wedding ring and the buttons on the man's jacket).


Gadget

Title: Re: could you help restore and date this Gibson of Northumberland
Post by: chinakay on Wednesday 26 May 10 17:12 BST (UK)

Ah.

Phil, you may have had to reduce the size of the file in order to get it under the 500 kb limit, and you used the "compress" feature instead of the "resize" feature. Always resize, not compress :)

Cheers,
China

Title: Re: could you help restore and date this Gibson of Northumberland
Post by: chinakay on Wednesday 26 May 10 17:15 BST (UK)

Oh and I meant to mention this would be mother and son. If they are touching, they are related.

Title: Re: could you help restore and date this Gibson of Northumberland
Post by: newkiephil on Wednesday 26 May 10 17:33 BST (UK)

thanks for all the comments, only had a poor camera shot sent to me, and it was taken a few years ago - no opportunity to scan directly, so will ask for another shot to be taken, and re-post next week.

Thank you for the comment re reverse image - I sort of question the ring finger - its really not at all clear

Phil

Title: Re: could you help restore and date this Gibson of Northumberland
Post by: Gadget on Wednesday 26 May 10 17:37 BST (UK)

I'll see if I can work with what you have but it will be a while  :)

I've enlarged the hand. I can see a ring, epecially at this size.


Gadget

Title: Re: could you help restore and date this Gibson of Northumberland
Post by: chinakay on Wednesday 26 May 10 17:40 BST (UK)

Ask the person who has the photo if they have a scanner :)

Title: Re: could you help restore and date this Gibson of Northumberland
Post by: Gadget on Tuesday 01 June 10 09:56 BST (UK)

Hi again

I've done a few restores -enlarged with texture.


Gadget

(second attempt - forgot his buttons  ::)

Title: Re: could you help restore and date this Gibson of Northumberland
Post by: Gadget on Tuesday 01 June 10 09:57 BST (UK)

and a very different one


Gadget

Title: Re: could you help restore and date this Gibson of Northumberland
Post by: Gadget on Tuesday 01 June 10 12:02 BST (UK)

and one with a canvas texture and more contrast  :)

Title: Re: could you help restore and date this Gibson of Northumberland
Post by: newkiephil on Thursday 03 June 10 16:24 BST (UK)

Many thanks for your efforts, appreciated