I'm e-mailing you this "off list" as I don't want to seem to be pitching my services on the Photo Forum. I've been following the Forum for over a year, and have submitted photos for their gallery and participated in some discussions on the list.
My company, Right Brain Images, Inc., specializes in providing photo restoration and re-touching services, custom enlargements, and fine art reproductions. I've had some experience performing digital restoration on the type of photographs you are referring to. If you like, I can e-mail you an example of a job done recently on a photograph that was ripped in half almost its entire length. It measured 6" x 37", and was severely curled, as it had been rolled up. The photo was digitized, re-touched, and a new print made. We can also burn a CD with the images on them.
I don't have any great ideas about flattening them out permanently. I suppose a long period of having weight (books) on them would help, but it may be difficult to totally remove the "memory" of its long life being rolled up. Take care as some photos become quite brittle with age. If you tape the back together, make sure to use acid free tape made for photographs. They might be worth something to the hotels, or the relatives of the people pictured in them.
If you'd like more information or have any questions, please contact me.
Sincerely,
Brian Roberts President Right Brain Images, Inc. photos@rightbrainimages.com www.rightbrainimages.com
TOMIAMI@aol.com wrote:
Hello,
My grandmother left me some old photos, which were taken c. 1925. (Her brother was the President of a large organization in NYC).
These photos are B & W, and were taken by a professional during a group meeting. They were all taken in famous hotels in NYC, and each photo has at least 100 people sitting in tables. The photographer must have been up higher to take those photos. I have 7 or 8 of them. Some are as wide as 30 inches, and most are about 6 - 12" tall.
These photos were rolled up for about 80 years. Some ripped when I tried to un-roll them. At the moment, all are in my dining room table, unrolled, with books over them to try to flatten them.
My hope is to mat them once they are flat again.
My questions:
1. Is there a better way to un-roll them? Could I iron them, on low, on the back, with a towel?
2. I have two pieces which ripped off (each about 2"x2") and also some rips in the photos (from the top/bottom margins into the photos about 2 or 3 inches). What would be the best way to put these pieces/rips back together? 3. Might photos like that be worth anything?
4. Is it possible to have these photos copied? What type of a shop would take negatives or prints of such large photos? I did not find any in my area (I live about an hour south of Boston <MA>).
Any ideas appreciated!
Thanks!
Betty Govoni, MA
