Print restoration advice

[Truzi]

Please offer suggestions and/or feedback on having a print restored/conserved?

My best friend has a 90-year-old communion picture of a long-dead relative; her Uncle gave it to her, and she'd like it restored for her parents. It has some scratches and staining, and the frame is original and also needs restoration. I believe it has some hand-coloring. She is interested in having the frame and the print restored and she knows restoration will not be perfect. The print is NOT in terrible condition.

She took it to Frames Unlimited, and they sent it to their restoration department for an estimate.

Does anyone have any experience with them? I did a little research, and cannot find much related to photos; they seem more oriented towards restoration of paintings, but that does not mean they can't handle a photo.

She spoke on the phone (to a Barb and Connie), and they talked mostly about scanning and re-printing. She is not adverse to a scan, but really wants the original photo "fixed" so it can last another 90-odd years.

I had mentioned this print in an old thread regarding cat urine - thought we think that was mostly on the backing board. She did the smart thing and let it air-out. In other words, we did not try to fix anything. At the moment, we're leaning towards the frame and a scan, and are waiting to decide if we should then take the print to a specialist.

Any input? Suggestions? Questions to ask?

 

[Truzi]

Questions to ask, or perhaps the name of a specialist, would be most appreciated.

 

[RobC]

goto a museum or gallery that keeps a lot of old photographs and ask to speak to their conservator for advice or recommendation.

A painting restorer who has no experience of working with gelatin is not likely to be the best option. All they could do is clean the gelatin surface but if its been hand coloured then a great deal of care would need to be taken.

You can use cotton buds wetted with water to very gently work over the surface to clean dirt carefully checking as you go that no colour is coming off with the dirt. But if the gelatin which absorbs mositure is stained then it would need special procesing to get the stain out which might not be possible. You need an expert at restoring that particular medium (and it ain't likely to be cheap).

 

[Truzi]

Thanx, I will try asking a few places around here.
Hopefully someone on APUG has a few references, though.

I just got a little information from my friend (she spoke with them during her break).
- Mounting is on acid-free paper (no-brainer here).
- They "dry-clean" the print in some manner.
- Any "color enhancement" (I'm assuming any image "restoration" work) they would do would be removable by soaking the print, which they say may damage the emulsion.
- Scratches are from when the glass broke, and can probably be left alone (I've not seen them).

 

[Jim Jones]

Whatever you do, first get a quality scan. Then, if the restoration is unsatisfactory, you have a back-up opportunity. The scan will permit digital restoration and multiple copies for other relatives. Top quality digital printers used with appropriate materials yield prints with great longevity.

 

[RobC]

you can get scans printed to FB silver gelatin paper (on durst lambda or OCE Lightjet ) and if you get a few copies of it you could have a go at hand colouring yourself.

 

[Truzi]

Thanx,

She will most likely bet getting a scan, but she also really wants the original fixed-up if possible. We are thinking of finding a specialist for that.

 

[Prof_Pixel]

Truzi.

There are two issues: restoration and conservation. Restoration is designed to give you a good looking print; conservation is designed to preserve the print from further deterioration.

Your best bet for restoration is using digital technology. Museum people tend to work towards conservation.

 

[Truzi]

To think I passed on an Agfa repro camera on Craigslist because I've no place to put it... and no clue how to use it, lol.

I think she's going for frame restoration, print cleaning, and a scan. We'll research restoration and conservation later. It's probably best not to alter anything without more research and consideration.

 

[removed account4]

tthe new england document conservation center ( https://www.nedcc.org ) might be of some help.

good luck !

 

[RobC]

Just spoke to a fine art restorer friend of mine who admits he's not an expert with gelatin restoration but says that its pretty much impossible to do anything with gelatin unless you pay for very high end restoration which costs megabucks as its so time consuming. And even then its doubtful you can get stains out of gelatin, especially if its been hand coloured.
He says nearly all photo restorers scan, digitally fix and reprint.

 

[Truzi]

Thanx for all the help.

She has decided to have the frame restored, and the print cleaned up and scanned (then remounted) - but no work on the print at this point. We will look into restoration or conservation later. I've contacted someone in my university's library to see if we can find specialists (I don't think the university does this sort of thing itself, but they should have some local contacts).

It's more about having the original, and the provenance, than having a brand new print to show off.