Tin type restoration

[David Aime]

I have an old tintype that has blackened with age. I would like to try to restore it and I am thinking along the lines of a reducer to get rid of the black and then maybe an intensifier to enhance the remaining image, if necessary. Do you have any suggestions?

Dave Aime

 

[holmburgers]

I don't know if it's all that simple. The blackening is probably some kind of tarnish and wouldn't necessarily respond to photo-chemical treatments.

Can you post a picture?

Have you consulted any conservation books?

The best thing you can do is join the Yahoo! "photoconservation" group and ask there. Many leading experts will see your question as opposed to a bunch of no good darkroom junkies.

 

[TheFlyingCamera]

Depending on the nature of the issue, the blackening might be the original image fading, and any kind of bleaching or reducing will only accelerate the fading, not bring back the image. Remember, a tintype is really just a negative that is visually reversed by showing it on a black background (the "japanned" steel plate).

 

[Andrew K]

COPY IT FIRST!!

things can go wrong when you try to restore old photographs checmically, and if you don't have a copy you will lose the image for good...

One problem you may have is that the image may have been varnished when it was made. If the plate has a glossy looking surface then it was varnished first, and you will need to remove the varnish before you can do anything to treat the plate...

 

[z3guy]

Depending on the nature of the issue, the blackening might be the original image fading, and any kind of bleaching or reducing will only accelerate the fading, not bring back the image. Remember, a tintype is really just a negative that is visually reversed by showing it on a black background (the "japanned" steel plate).

I agree for the above reason. Trying to save it may speed its demise.

Paul D