John just dug out a 56 year old photograph taken when he did his National Service. It`s one of those really LONG ones with about 200 people on it, and has been rolled up, and has been stuffed into a drawer and flattened as well.
Has anyone any idea how he could flatten it out without damaging it further, please? If we could flatten it, hopefully I could scan it in sections and reprint it for him.
Pat P
How big is it, and do you have a retouching program?
Pat,
Do you have any professional photographers in th Felixstowe area? I would be inclined to talk with one of them, and see what is his/her suggestion . I have similar long pictures from my school days; it was so common in "our " era. If the photographer can't give some suggestions, I am sure he could recommend someone else. if push comes to shove, contact someone in the Arts Dept, or a Museum, in Cambridge.
jim's aunt made a very long brass rubbing of St Alban many years ago. When she gave it to us, I didn't know how it should behandled. I rang up someone at the Baltimore Art Museum, and she gave me a name of a framer who was expert at this type of thing. I remember, it wasn't cheap, but it still looks good!
Gill
Brenda Lewis wrote:
Thanks Brenda, yes it is pretty cracked (just like me) where it was flattened, and yes I have Adobe Photoshop. After 56 years Heaven alone knows where any of the men on there are, so that`s not an option. Most of them dead, I should imagine. I thought of the book thing but wondered if that might crack it even more - I wonder if gently steaming it might help? It can`t make it much worse, I suppose. I might try the book thing on one section, just to see what happens, though, before risking the whole lot.
Hmm - I HAD thought about guillotining it along the folds and scanning it, then touching up and reassembling the scanned images. I`ve restored and touched up some really old photos very successfully but they were much smaller. I might be better finding a professional restorer and get a quote.I bet it would cost the earth, though.
Pat P.
No, unfortunately - we used to have a couple of good and very helpful ones, but they closed down fairly recently, mostly due to the growth in digital photography. Come to think of it, one of our best friends was the curator of a local museum - I imagine that he`d have an idea of who to ask!
Pat P
Yes, I suspect he could point you in the right direction. These folk have a lot of contacts, and surely someone will be able to help you. It might be nice if they understood that it is something you might like to do yourself, if given good advice. On the other hand it wouldn't hurt to let it be known that you would use a professional if strictly necessary.
On the whole, I think people with expertise like to encourage the un-informed!
Gill
Gill
You might want to check out this site.
Pat - go to a restorer! It will be moderately expensive but I did some of Rich's family pieces and it was well worth it.
Cheryl
My advice would be to take it to a photography place that specializes in restoration. It is amazing what can be done.
Socrates speaks to jury at his trial: 'If you offered to let me off this time on condition I am not any longer to speak my mind... I should say to you, "Men of Athens, I shall obey the Gods rather than you."'
I am on a newsgroup called rec.photo.misc You could always subscribe and ask them... they are very helpful.
Catherine
You should scan it as best you can and rely on a restoration service to repair the damage 'digitally' afterwards.
My friend used this site for a restoration job (though not for something as damaged as your picture sounds):
Good luck!
Beth
Thanks for that, Beth, I`ll try to get a quote from them.
Pat P
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