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Old Photographs, Recognition, Handwriting Deciphering => Free Photo Restoration & Date Old Photographs => Topic started by: cmatyckas on Thursday 14 March 13 15:42 GMT (UK)

Title: How to Improve Reading a Headstone Photograph
Post by: cmatyckas on Thursday 14 March 13 15:42 GMT (UK)

Does anyone have any suggestions as to how I could read what was written on an old headstone?  The attached photos were sent from Ireland; part of the headstone is very worn, with some of the inscription hard to read.

Has anyone had success with photo enhancing software or is there a company specializing in this?

Thank you.

Caren Matyckas

Title: Re: How to Improve Reading a Headstone Photograph
Post by: jim1 on Thursday 14 March 13 15:44 GMT (UK)

Try inverting the image.

jim

Title: Re: How to Improve Reading a Headstone Photograph
Post by: cmatyckas on Thursday 14 March 13 15:46 GMT (UK)

Do you mean turning the picture into a negative?

Title: Re: How to Improve Reading a Headstone Photograph
Post by: jim1 on Thursday 14 March 13 15:48 GMT (UK)

Yep.
Unfortunately this is a poor quality picture & is very pixellated close in.

jim

Title: Re: How to Improve Reading a Headstone Photograph
Post by: jim1 on Thursday 14 March 13 15:51 GMT (UK)

Here's the full monty.

Title: How to Improve Reading a Headstone Photograph
Post by: cmatyckas on Thursday 14 March 13 16:58 GMT (UK)

Jim,

Thank you!  I'm not very computer savy and could not have inverted the image so quickly.

It looks to me as if over the years water permiated into the limestone, turning to ice in the winter time, and by expansion, softening and partially forcing off the top layer of stone.

I'll work with your images.

Many thanks.

Caren

Title: Re: How to Improve Reading a Headstone Photograph
Post by: Sinann on Thursday 14 March 13 18:41 GMT (UK)

That's lichen. Could you get the person who took the photos to have another go, wetting the headstone first , that can help sometimes.
What graveyard is it? maybe it's online.

Title: How to Improve Reading a Headstone Photograph
Post by: cmatyckas on Thursday 14 March 13 19:46 GMT (UK)

The Converys are buried at the Old Graveyard, Lavey Parish, Co Derry, Ireland; here's the link:
http://www.laveyparish.com/o26,4.htm

Title: Re: How to Improve Reading a Headstone Photograph
Post by: petbro on Sunday 24 March 13 17:59 GMT (UK)

Hi Caren

Just a note: Sometimes you'll find the full inscription recorded in the church/cemetery's Burial Register with the Memorial Permit.

I had a similar problem with a headstone dated 1901 and was lucky to find the above solution proved fruitful when i visited the cemetery office.

Peter

Title: How to Improve Reading a Headstone Photograph
Post by: cmatyckas on Sunday 24 March 13 20:24 GMT (UK)

Hi Peter,

Thank you for the suggestion.  Unfortunately, Liam Mulholland at Lavey Parish confirmed there are no burial records available.

Caren

Title: Re: How to Improve Reading a Headstone Photograph
Post by: atmartinas on Monday 25 March 13 09:35 GMT (UK)

Caren, probably what Jim did to your photo is as good a chance of reading those stones that you are going to get. For future reference for those of us not computer savy enough to do that to a photo you get the same effect if you throw flour at the headstone before taking the photo. Sounds like an old wives tale but it really works :o

M

Title: Re: How to Improve Reading a Headstone Photograph
Post by: cmatyckas on Monday 25 March 13 11:35 GMT (UK)

Hi M,

Thank you for the flour suggestion.  Some pieces of the stone are so weathered, flour may not work; but I'll give it a try.

Caren