Preserve Your Past Inc. provides the full range of professional photo restoration services based on traditional and digital photo restoration and photo retouching techniques.
Preserve Your Past Inc.
195 Stanton Street
New York, NY 10002
Lower East Side / East Village photo restoration & photo retouching service
Nearest subway stations:
F,V - Houston & 2nd Ave
J,M,Z - Essex Street
Bus:
9,14A,21 - Houston
Preserve Your Past was founded in 2002 by Sebastian Wintermute with the goal of providing to all those interested in preservation of visual history an opportunity to restore and to preserve photographs, images and documents that otherwise would literally fade away with years. Since then Preserve Your Past has successfully restored thousands of photographs and documents of great personal and historical significance. All work is done in our photo restoration studio in New York City, using only the highest quality equipment and materials.
A boutique studio located on New York's Lower East Side neighborhood famed for its diversity and vibrant creative life, Preserve Your Past offers personalized photo restoration, document restoration and preservation services to private and corporate clients, family history and genealogy research experts and enthusiasts.
Two smiling aviation pioneers stand in front of an airplane made of canvas and wood, posing for a handshake with a local mayor. Apollo 8 spaceship surges into the sky amid fire and smoke. A few lines of faded handwriting on a worn-out paper declare that a man was honorably discharged from the Union Army for which he volunteered in1862 at the age of 15.
Some of those photographs and documents were brought in to be restored by the local residents, others were sent in from as far away as Hawaii. Many were lovingly kept in family albums, passed from one generation to the next. Others were found in dusty attics and dirty basements. However, all of them contain great personal value as well as a visual history of people, their families and the country as a whole.
Sebastian understand and appreciates the sentimental value of family albums and heirlooms.
Whether your treasures were signed by presidents of the United States or high school principals, they will get the attention they need and the care they deserve at Preserve Your Past. Neglected treasures, discovered in dusty attics and damp basements, may have great historical, as well personal value, restoration will increase their worth.
Because of Sebastian's expertise, high quality of work and meticulous attention to detail Preserve Your Past has been entrusted to restore and to preserve photographs and documents not only by individual clients nation wide, but also by some of the most prestigious and well known companies and organizations making Preserve Your Past one of the leading restoration boutique in the country. The list of some of the former and present clients includes:
- Maurice Vallency Inc.
- Metropolitan Club of New York
- New York Racquet and Tennis Club
- New York Fencers Club
- Masonic Lodge of New York
- Belle Harbor Yacht Club
- American Fire Arms Company
and many other renown companies and institutions
Sebastian Wintermute - the founder and overall guy-in-charge of Preserve Your Past, while growing up preferred spending time at museums and galleries to doing school homework and hanging around archeological digs to going to a summer camp.
After coming to New York City, as generations of immigrants before him, he settled in on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, a neighborhood for centuries known for cheap rent, diversity of cultures, languages and vibrant creative life. Unfortunately he soon discovered that it had since evolved from an immigrant haven to an overpriced slum for pretentious hipsters and wannabes.
With dreams of following his childhood heroes "Lucky" Luciano and Meyer Lansky dashed (he failed the written test of "Leave No Thug Behind" program sponsored by the Bowery Boys), Sebastian found himself in small studio on Stanton Street trying to make a living by helping people preserve their visual heritage.
Sebastians knowledge of art, photography and restoration techniques made him a true expert in the field of photo restoration, while his deep knowledge and passion for history often turned seemingly simple restoration project into a fascinating journeys of discovery of forgotten names, places and events.
Photo Restoration Newsletter 03/2009 - restoration of rolled-up and curled photographs.
PHOTO RESTORATION SERVICES
Over the years Preserve Your Past™ has successfully restored thousands of photographs and documents of great personal and historical significance. All restoration work is done in our studio located in New York City, using only the highest quality equipment and materials.Every photo restoration project start with the high quality scan that can be captured from virtually any type of photograph, document or artwork of any size from 35mm slides to large format color transparencies and B&W negatives. We use a Kodak IQSMART3 large format flatbed scanner with top resolution of 10,0000 dpi at 16bit color output, capable of capturing even the smallest detail and the most minute color variations of an image. The quality of Kodak IQSMART3 scanner rivals that of many drum scanner but unlike those, a large format flatbed scanner does not present danger of damaging or destroying fragile old photographs or documents by bending or applying additional stresses to the subject .
The scanned image is then exported into professional digital photo editing software for the repair work to begin. Starting with the removal of spots and scratches work progresses toward more difficult restoration tasks such as replication of missing sections and repair of water and mildew damaged areas. Color corrections and adjustments are added in a non-destructive manner. After all signs of damages have been eliminated the image can be resized and cropped according to customers specification and additional treatments such as photo tinting and coloring may be applied.
Photo restoration is a very difficult and time consuming art form when it comes to extremely damaged photographs on which important parts, particularly facial features are missing. But even in such extreme cases our artistic expertise and experience working with historical photographs and allows for successful undertaking and completion of even the most difficult restoration projects.
All restored photographs and documents are printed using specially formulated inks and high quality photographic archival paper. Upon clients request, restored photographs can be printed on a variety of special print media including canvas or watercolor papers. Fine art Giclee prints are also available on a variety of fine art inkjet papers and other printing materials.
Restoration Of Old Polaroid Photograph
With time many Polaroid pictures become discolored, cracked and curled. Scratches and tears may result in separation of layers that cause further damage to the image. Such Polaroid pictures have to be restored with extreme care.
Since attempting to scan a photograph in such state of distress may result in poor quality of scan and in worst case further damage and even destruction of a photograph, first step in restoration has to be humidification and flattening of the photograph. By slowly introducing humidity into the layers of a photograph it can be uncurled and made pliable ones again. Quite often the process of humidification and flattening has to be repeated many times before a photograph becomes reasonably flat.
Ones a photographed is flattened and dried it has to be scanned at high resolution to produce a digital file suitable for restoration.
After the file is created it is retouched to remove any signs of damages, such as scratches of the photo emulsion, tears and rips. Color correction is applied to restore the original tones of a photograph. After that the final image can be printed on variety of available glossy photo papers. The most recommended is LexJet Sunset Photo Gloss paper that offers excellent ink retention characteristics and longevity with high gloss finish that resembles the original Polaroid prints.
Restoration Of Civil War Union Army Discarge Papers
The rare Civil War Union Army Discharge document was very faded with much of the text written in iron gall ink lost or made unreadable by creases and stains. What made this document so unique was the list of battles and skirmishes that the soldier fought in, written on the back of the document. The document was carefully cleaned from accumulated dirt and degree. A high quality document replica of the document was created by making of a high resolution scan of both sided followed by retouching and recreation of missing text. Giclee prints of the document were printed on fine art matte paper that matched the texture of the original and trimmed to follow the outlines of the original.
I would just like to let you know how truly impressed I am with the outcome of the restoration services you provided. When I submitted my Civil War Discharge document I was nervous as this is a family treasure, thus very important to my family. Not only is the original restored and preserved magnificently, but the replication of this document is truly amazing. It mirrors and captures the look and feel of the original work. Without fail, it exceeded my expectations.
Furthermore, you frequent updates and research of this document during the period you preformed the restoration process was far more than outstanding. It allowed me to relax while my family relic was in your trust and care.
The work is simply beautiful and I know that it will be admired by friends and family for years to come. You have a customer for life!
1942 The Halifax Chronicle newspaper describing an amazing story of WW2 Canadian merchant marine who survived three sinking of merchant ships that were torpedoed by German submarines.
Restoration of the newspaper began with careful humidification and flattening of the pages. After the newspaper was unfolded the surface of the paper was cleaned from accumulated debris. Numerous tears and missing areas were reinforced and patched with archival backing material. To prevent further deterioration the paper was deacidified to neutralize any harmful chemicals that were originally contained in the paper and those that accumulated on it over the years.
High resolution scans of the pages was made using large format flatbed scanner and the produced digital images were retouched to remove the appearance of discoloration, rips, tears and other damages. The missing text was copied from a copy of the newspaper obtained from the newspaper archive. Particular attention was given to matching the typeface and the appearance of newspaper print.
The restored image was printed in full size on archival paper and the digital file was given to the son of the sailor to be used as illustration in a book about this episode of WW2 Arctic Convoys.
Restoration Of Discolored Old Photograph
Late Victorian photograph of a young girl with her doll was restored from a damaged, low contrast glass negative. Following photo restoration, the image was printed on high quality ink-jet photo paper and framed.
Restoration Of Torn And Discolored Photograph
Torn, folded and discolored photo showing the elegance of this style and height of 1930's fashion was carefully repaired by digitally stitching together 5 separate pieces and removing all the signs of damage. The new seamless image was printed on archival paper using pigment inks.
Restoration Of Faded Photograph
1920's signed old photograph of Native American warrior wearing full ceremonial dress was carefully retouched to remove all signs of damage and discoloration. After the process of photo restoration was complete a giclee print was made on Hahnemuhle Photo Rag fine art paper and framed with cream mat in a walnut frame.
Restoration And Coloring Of Black & White Photograph
Formal portrait of WWI hero, Milan Rastislav Stefanik who co-founded Czechoslovakia in 1918 was restored from damaged 5x7 glass plate negative taken during the sitting for the official portrait. After the black and white photograph was restored it was colorized, accurately replicating the colors of WWI french officers uniform and the military decorations as they were confirmed by extensive research and consultation with military history experts. Final image was printed on Moab Summerset Enhanced paper.
Scanning, Restoration And Archiving Of Architectural Blueprints
24x30 inch architectural blue prints were scanned on our large format Kodak iQsmart scanner. The accuracy and evenness of the high-end scanner is perfectly suited for scanning of oversize documents that are larger than most consumer or commercial type flatbed scanners. Various blueprint pages were assembled with pertinent data to create a montage. Background, stains and creases were digitally retouched, and final restored blueprint was printed on archival paper.
Restoration Of Fire Damaged Photograph
Shortly after Lindbergh's historic flight across the Atlantic, on July 4th, 1929 two daring aviators flew across the bay completing the first and only air mail delivery from Long Island to Fire Island. The photograph taken immediately after their landing was heavily stained and damaged by water and chemicals during a house fire. A bit of historical research was conducted during the restoration process to determine whether the appearance of the pilot in the center of this old photo was natural or due to the damage to the photograph. It was discovered that the young daredevil did indeed suffer a broken nose in a car crash. After the photograph underwent digital retouching and restoration to like new condition it was printed on archival matte paper.
Restoration Of Torn Photograph With Missing Parts
Early 20th century photo of American tourists posing in front of the Sphinx and the Great Pyramid, on a trip to see the wonders of Ancient Egypt exhibited fading, cracks and broken off sections. The photograph was careful retouched to remove all signs of the damage while preserving the greenish hue that came from the specific type of photo paper with blue clay layer that was often used in early photography.
Restoration Of Torn Wedding Photograph
This beautiful wedding picture taken at the beginning of the 20th century was brought to the studio in separate pieces. In addition to tears parts of the photograph were missing and the photograph was extremely faded and showed signs of silver migration. All the tears and missing areas were retouched and replaced through tedious work to produce prints that contained all the detail and richness of the original.
Restoration Of Oil Tinted Photograph
Hand colored photograph showed extensive flaking of the oil paint and photo emulsion. The missing facial features presented a real restoration challenge but were successfully restored by interpreting shapes from additional photos of the graduate. A 16x20 high quality color print was produced from the digital file and framed as an anniversary gift years after her original picture was taken.
Restoration Of Antique Photograph
This beautiful photograph of a woman was taken in the early part of 20th century. Over the years it suffered chemical discoloration and flaking of the photo emulsion and paper. Careful retouching of this old photograph removed the chemical cast and filled in the missing areas. A new oval frame was added to fill a standard 5x7 inch frame.
Restoration Of Heavily Damaged Photograph
The photo of a vintage Chris Craft speedboat racing across Long Island Sound was affected by chemical deterioration resulted from improper photo processing. In addition to that the photograph was covered with ink spots and numerous scratches. Damaged areas of the photograph were retouched and realistic water was added to recover this 1920s photo.
Restoration Of Torn Photograph With Missing Borders
Old photograph of a village winter scene was missing major parts of the image and decorative border. The photograph was repaired by replicating the intact parts of the decorative border and cloning torn off pieces from the existing image. After the photo restoration was complete, the picture was printed on archival paper with sepia tone added to give the new image the appearance of vintage photograph.
Restoration Of Faded Color Photograph
This 1960s color photograph became faded and discolored from the exposure to the direct sunlight. During the restoration the color balance of the photograph was adjusted and fading was reduced to bring back the original colors. We didn't try to change the 1960s style of this photo, just bring it back to as new condition.
Restoration And Retouching Of Old Photo
Careful digital retouching and adjustment of contrast levels were required to retain the detail and to revive this old photograph of two "athletes" standing next to a swimming cabin. Following restoration an 8x10 archival print was made from the high-resolution digital file.
Restoration Of Colorized Photo
This oil tinted portrait of a woman had an uneven cut off border, missing parts, paint stains, major creases and flakes. The photograph was digitally retouched to remove signs of damage and the color balance was enhanced to simulate the original look of photo paper used in the 1950s.
Restoration Of Faded WWI Photograph
A low contrast and faded portrait of father and son was digitally fixed to reveal the personalities of the two gentlemen and the appearance of World War 1 Italian army uniform.
After completion of the restoration and enhancements, a warm toned high quality photo print was made on archival matte paper.
Restoration Of Fire Burned Photograph
A badly damaged and fire burned photo of two shopkeepers with a substantial amount of obliterated information required an extreme restoration including replicaton of burned off background and text.
Restoration Of Document Signed By President Theodore Roosevelt
The original 1887 New York City Police Department patrolman nomination document signed by future President Theodore Roosevelt was brought to our studio in the state of high deterioration. Glued to a cardboard, it was wrinkled and yellowed with the signature of Theodore Roosevelt barely legible.
Because any attempt to separate the document from the mounting board could lead to destruction and any application of cleaning solutions may react negatively with the mounting glue, digital replication and document restoration was the only option available. The document was scanned at extremely high resolution to protect the intricate detailed of the engraving and handwriting.
The discoloration was removed by careful adjustment of the color balance and all details in the document were carefully retouched. The signature ofthe future President Roosevelt was enhanced to make it legible once again. The final image was printed on archival matte paper to be framed and displayed.
Restoration Of Sports Memorabilia Autographed Photograph
Possible exposure to chemical cleaners caused a yellow stain to cover most of this valuable signed photograph of the famed boxer. To preserve the value of the signature, a high resolution digital copy of the photograph was produced and then retouched to remove all appearances of the stain. The restored image was printed on the high quality photo paper and framed, with the original signed photograph safely sealed in an archival envelope placed under the protective back cover of the frame.
Restoration Of Photograph Colored By Magic Markers
Every child thinks that he or she is the next greatest artist. Unfortunately some of their creative experiments take a heavy toll on whatever comes under their magic markers. This oil tinted baby picture that underwent additional coloring at the hand of 5 year old artist was carefully retouched to remove all signs of flaking of the original pigments as well as the magic marker colorization that was generously applied to the hair, eyes and the baby outfit. The restoration of the eyes presented a particular challenge since it was important to recreate the impression of true baby innocence.
Restoration Of Stained And Faded Photograph
A beautiful photograph of young ballerinas reminiscent of impressionists' paintings was heavily affected by chemical deterioration, exposure to dust and mechanical damage that resulted in missing parts at the corners of the picture. The photograph was retouched to even the tone of the background, missing areas were carefully filled in and overall correction of color and brightness was applied to the final image.
Coloring Of Black And White Photograph
This black and white photograph taken in early 1960s was carefully colorized using advanced digital painting software. The colors were applied according to the best recollection of the client who was one of the young boys depicted on the photograph.
Restoration Of Portrait Made With Camera Obscura
This wonderful example of a pre Civil War portrait was created with help of camera obscura where the image is first traced on a piece of paper laid over the ground glass of the camera. This technique was very popular at the time when the photographic process was still extremely difficult and very expensive.
During restoration the portrait was scanned at high resolution and retouched to remove all signs of tears and stains. Fully restored and printed on high quality archival photo paper, this portrait became a great addition to the collection of photographs and images of a family history that spanned over 150 years.
Restoration Of Hand Colored Photograph
This beautiful hand colored photograph of a girl was found in the attic were it was neglected for many years. The owner became aware that silverfish had attacked the paper just in time for us to fully restore this precious portrait. With exceptional attention to detail the facial features of the portrait were retouched and the missing parts of the background were carefully painted in. After the restoration of the photograph was complete, the image was printed on fine art paper.
Digital Restoration Of Torn Document
Digital restoration of documents provides an opportunity to bring back even the most damaged pieces. This document dating from 1899 was torn in four parts, showed fading and discoloration, had missing parts and sections were covered by adhesive tape. To restore it to its original appearance, a high resolution scan was made of the individual pieces which were then assembled into single digital file.
After the pieces were aligned digitally and joined together, all the seams were carefully retouched and the missing parts were copied from the undamaged areas or painted in. Finally, the overall colors and tones of the document were adjusted to restore it to its original condition.
Restoration Of Oil Tinted Photograph
This vintage photograph is a great example of a photo portrait that had paint applied to it to create the appearance of an oil painting. Over the years the portrait became heavily creased with parts of the paint layer and photo emulsion separating from the base. The image was carefully retouched to remove all signs of damage and adjusted to bring back the tonality and contrast. Final print was produced using a high quality photo printer and giclee matte paper.
Restoration Of Civil War Photograph
Photographs dating back to the Civil War often exhibit fading, chemical deterioration and silver migration. Each of those images deserves careful consideration and preservation because of the historical significance that the are depicted on those photographs.
This striking photograph of three solders wearing cavalry uniforms required extensive restoration due to its uneven fading. Careful application of dodging and burning techniques and precise matching of tone and contrast helped to bring back the natural appearance of this Civil War cavalry group photo.
Restoration Of Rolled Up Photograph
Restoration of rolled documents or photograph is considered to me one of the most challenging and difficult of all restoration tasks. Because simply trying to unroll the photograph may case additional damage if not total desintegration of the item, first the photograph has to be carefully humidified in order to introduce moisture into the layers of the photo paper and make it pliable. Often the procedure of humidification has to be repeated many times with the photograph being carefully unrolled inch by inch.
This particular photograph was not only tightly rolled and stored that way for many decades in a dry environment, it was also broken by careless mishandling. Fortunately the tear run only half through the photograph and no parts of the photograph were missing.
After the humidification, unrolling and flattening of the photograph were complete, the photograph was digitally scanned and retouched to remove all signed of damages. After the photo retouching was complete a light sepia tone was applied to the photograph to gave the final image a delicate vintage appeal.
The final image was printed on gislee semi gloss paper to be framed and displayed by the owners of the original photograph.
Restoration Of Historical Photograph Of New York City
An early 20th century photo of one of the many beautiful churches that grace 5th Avenue of New York City suffered from substantial fading and lack of contrast in the dark tones. After general clean up of the image, masking was used to select shadow areas for adjustment in contrast and tone.
A fine art quality print was made from the restored image. It is part of a large collection of historical photographs of New York that were restored by Preserve Your Past restoration studio and displayed in New York City prestigious social clubs.
Restoration Of A 1880's Photograph For Book Publishing
This 1880s photo of a Rabbi was restored to be published in a book on Jewish history.
The old photograph was carefully retouched to remove creases, scratches and mildew stains. The missing areas were digitally painted in and the Rabbi's signature, stamp and wax seal were added to complete his legacy. Slight sepia toning was added to give the restored photo a vintage appearance.
Restoration Of Old Map Of London
This extremely rare and valuable 17th century antique map of London printed for and dedicated to Sir Robert Vyner (Viner), Lord Mayor of London (1674), had suffered cuts and scratches from broken glass when the frame was damaged during shipping.
After removing the map from the frame and detaching it from the mounting board the map was carefully cleaned from any traces of broken glass and deacidified to prevent further deterioration that occurs from exposure to chemicals. The tears were carefully repaired and filled in with a pH neutral compound and all signs of damage were eliminated with outmost care.
After the restoration of map was completed, only those who knew the original location of the damaged spots could identify the repair. To complete the presentation, the map was placed on museum quality mounting board and covered with custom cut mat.
Careful examination of this rare map of London helped to settle one of the longest standing historical debates. It does appear that indeed no public loo existed on either side of Thames at that time. Some say that there are still too few of them today.
Restoration Of Vintage Photo Portrait
Part of great African-American heritage and New York City visual history, this late 19th century photo portrait was unevenly faded and roughly scissor cut.
The restoration of this photograph consisted of removal of fading, overall adjustment of color and saturation to bring back the richness of tones and filling in of missing parts. The final image was printed on archival paper and sized to fit a standard size frame.
Antiquation Of Photograph
Need a modern day picture turned into a vintage photograph that would look great in an album or used as part of historical presentation?
Our "Photo Antiquation" can convert a modern color or digital photo to a black and white antique. We add scratches, discolorations, tears, fading and any number of other marks to give your photo the look of days gone by. Hey, we'll run it through a wash cycle if you'd like.
This picture of 1914 Avro 504K airplane was taken with cheap digital camera during an air show at Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome.
Replication Of Historic WW2 Photograph
Particular care was given in making a copy of this exceptionally rare autographed photo of World War II heroes, General MacArthur and General Eisenhower taken during their meeting.
After removing all signs of staining and filling in the missing areas, special attention was given to the reproduction of detail and color of the signatures. The bottom border texture and color were extended around the photo to recreate the original size of the print. Fine art giclee photo paper was used to print the image that perfectly matched the signed original.
Restoration Of Historic Photograph Of New York City Landmark
This 19th century photograph of the landmark Dakota building on Central Park West and 72nd Street in New York City predated the arrival of automobiles and shows the Upper West Side at a time when most of it was occupied by small farms and plots of waste land.
Restoration of this rare photograph started with the making of a high resolution 1200 dpi (dots per inch) scan. Making the scan at such high resolution reveald many details including a figure of a man washing windows on the 2nd floor of the Dakota building. Fading was reduced and chemical stains were eliminated. Finally, after the photograph was restored a large format print was made on gallery quality archival satin paper.
Restoration And Coloring Of Vintage Photograph
Taken at the end of 19th or beginning of 20th century a formal photo portrait shows Russian officer wearing Imperial Russian Guard uniform, displaying a golden sword with which he was decorated for personal bravery in combat.
The photograph was carefully retouched to remove the overall fading and minor scratches. Following the retouching the photograph was lightly colorized to show the splendor of the uniform and the award decoration.
Restoration And Coloring Of Old Photograph Of New York City Plaza Hotel
A 19th century photograph of the famous New York Plaza Hotel required careful cleaning and retouching of some missing parts of the building and it's surrounding.
After the retouching was complete, light colorization was applied to the photograph to eliminate the vast stark area of the sky. The subtle tones of blue and yellow gave the final image a delicate vintage appeal.
Restoration Of Old Photograph Of Manhattan
This late 19th century photograph of 5th Avenue and the old 42nd Street Reservoir (present location of New York Public Library) was a faded ghost of its original self.
During the restoration the overall fading of the photograph was removed and contrast and richness of the tones were brought back. The final restored image was printed on premium photo paper to be displayed as part of the collection of New York historic photographs.
Restoration Of 1899 Panorama Of Manhattan
Measuring over three feet across this extremely rare 1899 panorama of Manhattan and the South Street Seaport taken from the Brooklyn side became unevenly faded and discolored with age.
The panoramic photograph was copied using a large format camera equipped with a high resolution digital scan back and a German made Schneider flat field lens. After careful retouching and restoration, the photograph was printed on wide format giclee printer and displayed as part of waste New York historical photographs of one of the most prestigious New York social clubs.
Restoration Of Old Faded Photograph Of Manhattan
The famous intersection of 5th Avenue, Broadway and 23rd street is a renowned for many of its historical landmark sights, monuments and buildings including the Flatiron Building, the former Fifth Avenue Hotel and Madison Square. On this beautiful old photograph taken in 1903, the trolleys can be seen running along the Broadway line and horse drawn carriages are making deliveries to the busy mid-town businesses.
Sections of the original photograph were missing and it was showing uneven fading, but excellent quality and sharpness allowed the photograph to be restored to its former beauty. A large size giclee print was made from the final high resolution digital file.
Restoration Of Historic Photograph Of New York
The view of New York's City Hall was captured on 1885 historical photograph taken on the day of President Ulysses S. Grant funeral. With the building draped in black and the flags lowered, the funeral procession can be seen coming down the steps of the building.The photograph was scanned at high resolution and the image was digitally restored to bring back the richness of details. After the restoration was completed a print was made using high quality giclee photo paper. It was to be framed and displayed as part of the historical photographic collections of one of New York's most prestigious social clubs.
Restoration Of Old Photograph Of Manhatan
Since 1903 the famous intersection of 5th Avenue, Broadway and 23rd Street has been the home of the renowned Flatiron Building. Before it was built this was the scene that visitors to the area that coined the term "23 Skidoo", would see looking at the intersection from the Madison Square.The photograph was carefully retouched and corrected to bring back the contrast and richness of tone. A large size museum quality archival print was produced from the high resolution digital file.
Restoration Of Faded And Stained Photograph
The photograph of fencers from the 1912 Stockholm 5th Olympic Games shows members of New York Fencers Club including the future general George S. Patton.
With years, the photograph has faded and yellowed from age and water damage, blurring the title and the names of the sportsmen. The photograph was carefully retouched to remove the fading and color cast and the new titles were added, correcting the misspelling of some of the names.
Vintage Car Document Restoration
Dealers, owners, collectors and restorers of rare vintage cars often require copied of a build sheet and other documents to show the parts that went into the original car.
During this restoration project, a duplicate was created of an oil stained, torn and barely legible build sheet for a very rare 1968 Mustang Shelby Convertible.
All information was replicated with matching type fonts and colors. Printer paper with sprocket holes was used for authenticity.
Restoration Of Old Photograph With Damaged Facial Features
Photographs with missing or damaged facial features present a tremendous challenge for even the most skilled photo restorers. The expression of the eyes can change dramatically from just the slightest change in pattern or light. A few misplaced pixels can render the face of the person in the photograph as almost unrecognizable.
In restoration of this portrait, extreme care was taken to restore the damaged areas of the eyes and faces. Careful blending and shading was applied to make the faces look natural and the eyes to look real. The final image was printed on high quality fine art paper with a slight sepia tone to preserve the look of a vintage photograph.
Restoration Of Mildew Stained Photograph
This striking early 20th century portrait of a Jewish spiritual leader from Eastern Europe was one of many that were brought to us by those who strive to preserve and protect Jewish heritage.
The original photograph was heavily stained by chemicals and mildew and exhibited many marks and scratches from age and mishandling. After producing a high resolution scan, the photograph was digitally retouched and restored to its original appearance including the tone of the blue clay photo paper popular in late 19th, early 20th century.
Restoration Of Torn Photograph Printed From A Hollywood Movie Still
A wonderful photograph printed from a still shot taken on the set of an early Hollywood movie had suffered many tears, scratch marks and missing parts of the emulsion.
Careful digital photo restoration included a combination of cloning and painting in techniques. Contrast adjustments were selectively applied to bring back this memento of Hollywood glamour.
Restoration Of Civil War Military Discharge Certificate
Since it was first presented to the veteran, this Civil War anniversary military discharge certificate listing all the engagements, regiments and commanding officers under which the person served, suffered tremendous amount of damage. It contained missing parts, damage from soot, creases, tears and chemical stains from an attempt to piece the document together with masking and clear adhesive tapes. It was clear that digital restoration of document was the only option to save this challenging piece of historical significance.
The document was photographed using a large format camera equipped with high resolution digital scan back and a super sharp German made Schneider flat field lens. The most intricate details were scanned using our ultra high resolution flatbed scanner. Careful retouching removed all signs of damage to the document and missing parts were replicated and filled in. The final image was printed on archival mat paper to duplicate the size, appearance and the feeling of the undamaged original document.
Digital Restoration Of Extremely Damaged Document
This award certificate from the American Games is a great example of sports memorabilia restoration. The repeated folding caused tears along the seams and clear tape was used to piece it together resulting in extensive chemical damage to the document. In addition the top of the document was missing completely.
The extensive damage required digital restoration as the only option to save this document and make it possible to display. The background was cleaned and all tape residue and minor damage were retouched. The missing areas were filled in and the top of the document carefully painted in.
Restoration Of Space Memorabilia Photograph
This photograph of Apollo 8 mission lift-off was sent to us along with the NASA ID card belonging to one of the engineers who worked on the NASA space program.
The heavily faded print was restored to bring back the richness of color in the sky and rocket flames. The ID card was added with a drop shadow to complete this keepsake for framing and display.
Restoration Of 19th Century Hand Colored Portrait
This portrait of husband and wife was part of collection of Irish American family visual history spanning for well over 150 years.
The portrait was brought to our studio in six separate pieces and the client was doubtful that anything could be done to save this precious heirloom.
A high resolution scan was made of each separate piece which were later assembled into a single image using advanced image manipulation techniques. All signs of the tears were carefully retouched and the image was corrected to eliminate signs of discoloration and stains. The restored portrait was printed on archival fine art paper in different sizes ranging from a one-to-one match of the original (approximately 11x16), to 5x7s to be framed and given as presents to the members of the family.
Restoration Of Civil War Document Signed By President Lincoln
A Civil War US Navy Captains Commission signed by President Lincoln was sent to our studio in dire need of restoration. The document was mounted in a cheap frame with broken glass and over the years the velum on which document was printed and written became warped and infested by mold and mildew.
After careful removal from the frame, the document was deacidified and cleaned to prevent any further chemical deterioration and infestation. The appearance of stains was reduced as much as possible with particular attention given to preservation of President Lincolns' signature. Following careful flattening of the document it was mounted on archival board with mylar corners, covered with a custom cut mat and framed in an elegant gallery molding.
Restoration Of Faded And Damaged Old Photograph
The official photograph of Antarctic Oceanographic Research Ship USNS Eltanin taken during of or the expeditions and bearing the imprints of the official emblem was badly damaged and suffered from chemical discoloration, numerous tears, creases, missing parts and attempted repair with clear adhesive tape (never a good idea).
Restoration of this photograph began with production of a high resolution 1200dpi scan followed by digital retouching and removing of the damage. The imprints of the expeditions official seal were cleaned and the smudges removed. Finally the image was printed on high quality paper matching the size of the original photograph.
Restoration Of Document From Space Memorabilia Collection
One of the few official NASA documents that were flown to the Moon on board of Apollo 12 mission and signed by Lunar Module Pilot Alan L. Bean.
Part of a private space memorabilia collection this document printed on extremely thin velum which was treated and sterilized by NASA prior to the mission launch. With time the document began to display slight warping of the surface and exhibited minor tears and signs of discoloration.
The document was carefully cleaned and deacidfied to prevent further chemical deterioration. The tears were patched with an archival pH neutral compound and was flattened to reduce the appearance of warping.
Restoration Of Photograph Damaged By Household Cleaners
This beautiful portrait of legendary acting coach, Stella Adler perfectly illustrates what happens when a photograph is exposed to household cleaners. The chemical burn damaged the photo emulsion of the Cibachrome print creating an ugly stain and discoloration over the entire picture.
Fortunately the face on the portrait was not damaged and careful retouching removed the stain and recreated the damaged details of the photograph. Brightness and contrast were corrected to bring back the vibrant colors and the final image was printed on archival paper and framed under glass to protect the portrait from any future accidents.
Restoration Of Damaged Color Photograph
A large print of this lovely sweet sixteen portrait was brought in with obvious cracks, missing parts, and localized discoloration.
Our Kodak Creo iQsmart scanner retained all the original detail and color accuracy. We painstakingly took the time to repair all the damage from mishandling.
An archival 20x24 inch giclee print was produced that was framed and displayed by the delighted subject of the photo years after the glamour photo was made.
Digital Restoration Of Extremely Faded Old Photograph
This unique photograph of a rare black swan was reminiscent of an impressionist's painting, but the original print was very faded and most of the color was absent.
Digital restoration involved adding contrast and bringing out color in the same subtle style of impressionist masters. An archival giclee print was made on canvas to further simulate the painterly feel.
Restoration Of Extremely Faded Photograph
Shifts in color are most often the result of extended exposure to the harmful effects of the sun. Extreme cases will eliminate all highlight detail, requiring replacement from other sources, if available.
This photo of a multigenerational family gathering also had missing sections that had to be digitally drawn in. The color adjustments required masking of many different areas because of an unevenness of color shift in each hue. Missing parts were replaced and the resulting archival print looked new once again.
Restoration Of Sports Memorabilia Autographed Photograph
This heavily faded photo of 1963 New York Yankees baseball team, was owned by the former bat boy who was lucky enough to have the photo signed by every player on the A.L. championship team. It is likely that the photograph was framed and exposed to sun damage over time, then rolled up and put away in a manner that resulted in cracking and damage of photo emulsion layer.
The color was enhanced to match the hues of old Yankee stadium. Surface cracks on the photograph were eliminated in all areas including the faces of the team players. An archival print was produced on fine art luster paper and framed for display.
Restoration Of Old Diploma
Torn, extremely dried, and wrapped into a tight roll, this document presented a real restoration nightmare. The first step in bringing this document back was reintroduction of humidity in to the paper in order to make it pliable enough to be unrolled.
After the unrolling, the document was carefully flattened, cleaned and stabilized to prevent any further deterioration. The tears and the missing sections were filled and reinforced with pH neutral archival material. The document was then ready to be framed and displayed.
Restoration Of Vellum Document
Many documents printed and written on parchment and vellum may become warped and shrunk if not properly stored and protected.
This diploma dating to 1920 became damaged and infested with mold and mildew due to long exposure in area of high humidity. Restoration of diploma started started with careful cleaning of the surface and the document was treated to kill any spores and to reduce the appearance of mildew. It was also humidified to make the material pliable and then carefully flattened and dried to remove the warping. Up to 2 inches in dimension were gained back through this process.
Restoration Of Civil War Military Service Discharge Certificate
Restoration of this Civil War document presented a real challenge since it was not only heavily faded and discolored but in addition to regular teas that can be expected on such old document it two layers of paper tape were applied at different times to prevent the document from separation at the folds.
The document was carefully cleaned and deacidified to prevent further deterioration and most of the tape was removed to reveal the text hidden underneath. Since the dirt that became imbedded at the folds of the documents could not be removed completely, a digital copy of the document was made and retouched to create a display copy that could be framed and showcased in place of the original.
Restoration And Replication Of Old Photograph
The restoration of this photograph, and many others from the early part of the 20th century was commissioned by the New York Racquet & Tennis Club, one of the oldest and most prestigious sport clubs in the country.
The photograph was heavily faded and discolored with the corner of the framing mat completely torn off. It was carefully restored to remove the uneven fading and to sharpen and brighten the accompanied text.
1928 Boy Scout Award For Heroism
Commissioned by The Ten Mile River Scout Museum, this 1928 Boy Scout award for heroism while saving a man from drowning was carefully restored to be presented to the original recipient on his 98th birthday.
Each letter on the award was painstakingly retouched and all the damaged areas were carefully restored and replicated. The final giclee print was produced on fine art paper to match the appearance of the original document.
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How long does it take to restore a photograph? In most cases it takes between 5 to10 business days to have a photograph restored. However, if a photograph is extremely damaged or if we are experiencing heavy workload, it may take a bit longer. It is particularly advisable that you bring in photographs to be restored well in advance of holidays such as Veterans Day, Mothers Day, Fathers Day or Christmas. |
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How much does it cost to restore a photograph? Each restoration project is unique and precise estimate can be provided only upon thorough examination of the original and assessment off all the requirements for the creation of the final image, such as size, tone, and even the lighting condition in a place where the restored photograph will be displayed. Because of that the price for the restoration of photographs can range from $50.00 for light restoration of 5x7 photograph to hundreds of dollars for restoration of large size photograph that it torn, warped or damaged beyond recognition. You may refer to our photo restoration services price list to compare the samples of photographs that we previously restored and find how much did it cost to have them restored. For more precise estimate you may send us a scan of your photograph or make an appointment to have the photograph evaluated at our studio. All estimates on photo restoration are provided free of charge. |
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Can I send you a scan of photograph to be restored? If you are unable to bring a photograph to the studio or send it to be restored you can e-mail a scan or send a CD with high resolution scan file. Please have a photograph scanned at minimum resolution of 600dpi at full color setting, even if photograph is black and white. However, please remember that producing a high quality scan is the first and one of the most important steps in photo restoration. Unlike many discount photo restoration services that use low quality scanners in hope that later whatever imperfections of the scan, low resolution or color changes can be fixes in Photoshop, Preserve Your Past™ utilizes the most current high-end scanners available, to ensure capture of even the smallest details or the most minute color variations of the original that are needed for high quality photo restoration and art replication. To see the difference in quality of images produced with professional high resolution photo scanners comparing to images produced by a common scanner you can examine the two scans of the same photograph.
Both scans were made at 600dpi resolution setting. The scan on the left was made with a scanner commonly used in offices and copy shops. Immediately it can be seen that the scan produced with professional high resolution photo scanners is much sharper and has better color balance and saturation. Closer magnification shows that the scan retained even the smallest details while the other scanner blurred the details making the image appear fuzzy. |
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I have a document signed by one of the President of the United States. The signature on the document is very faded. Is it possible to make the signature visible again? Preserve Your Past does not modify, enhance or alter signatures or any other parts of legal document or documents that may have historical value or significance. However, it is possible to make a display copy of the document on which the faded signature will be made visible again. |
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I have an old family photograph that is in good condition but covered with some sort of silver residue. Is it possible to fix this photo? Most likely the photograph is displaying the signs of silver migration or what is commonly referred in photo restoration as “silver mirror”. Silver migration is the process opposite of formation of patina or layer of oxidation on the surface of silver or bronze objects. If a photograph was not properly processed, with time, molecules of free silver begin to appear near the surface if the photograph creating a shiny layer. Unfortunately there is not much that can be done to remove this layer. Some photo restorers suggest that a light coating of Vaseline can reduce the appearance of silver migration, but usually such treatment can lead to long-term irreversible damage to the entire photograph. The better solution is to produce a high quality scan of the damaged photograph and to remove the damage by expert photo retouching. Preserve Your Past has successfully restored many such photographs including those that came from the vast collection of historical photographs of New York City belonging to history associations and private collectors.. |
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Can you restore the original photograph instead of making a digital copy? Preserve Your Past offers traditional photo retouching service on case-by-case basis. If an original photograph is damaged only slightly, it may still be possible to reduce the appearance of scratch marks and other imperfections by careful application of retouching spot tones. The great misconception about photo restoration is that in the old times the true photo restorers whose art is forever lost were able to repair and restore an original photograph no matter how damaged it was. Nothing could be further from the truth. Though some damages such as scratches, minor blemishes or tears in the original photograph could and still can be retouched and repaired by a skilled restorer, anything more then that required making of a copy of the original photograph. The usual procedure was to photograph the original image onto a special copy film such as Kodak Professional Copy Film 4125 that was designed for retouching. After a copy was made the photo restorer would carefully retouch the negative removing all visible signs of damages and imperfections by applying special retouching tools and pencils. After the negative was retouched it would be printed on photo paper, this producing a restored duplicate of the original damaged photograph. Nowadays, instead of making a negative from the original photograph a digital file is created by scanning the photograph with a high quality photo scanner. After the digital file is retouched the restored image is printed on specially designed paper of higher quality and longevity then most of old fashion photo papers. |
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Can you enlarge a small photograph? Unless a photograph is very damaged or originally blurry or out of focus it can be enlarged. However, to preserve the details and the sharpness of the image it is advisable that enlargement should not exceed a certain size. Most passport size or wallet size photographs can be enlarger to 4x6 or 5x7 size and the photographs of those sizes can be enlarged to 8x10 or 11x14. A greater increase in size may result in loss of detail and excess appearance of film grain and texture of the original photograph. |
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Is it possible to remove a person from a photograph? With careful photo retouching it is possible to remove a person from a photograph without making the image look artificially changed. It is also possible to remove the background on a photograph or change the lighting, making the faces covered by shadows to appear lighter. Preserve Your Past offers such services when a photograph is needed for private use only. No such photo retouching is done to alter the appearance of photographs of any historical significance or if such photo retouching may violate professional or moral values or code of conduct, such as changing the appearance of images for publication in newspapers, magazines or online publications. |
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How do I protect photographs and documents from fading? To prolong the life of your photographs or documents and to prevent any additional damage we advise that you always store the original photographs in archival acid-free envelopes and boxes that can be purchased from your local art or frame shop. Keep them away from any areas that may experience dramatic changes of temperature and humidity such as garages, attics, basements or any areas near fireplaces or windows. Display the photographs or documents only in frames that are covered with UV protective glass. Keep them away from exposure to direct sunlight, fluorescent light and drastic changes of temperature and humidity. If your photographs or documents are mounted in frames, do not use chemical cleaners or solvents on the protective glass or the frame. Chemicals may penetrate the openings between the glass and the frame and cause additional damage to the photographs. Use only clean rags or paper towels with water to clean frames and glass. If frame or glass become damaged or you would like to replace them, do not do it yourself, take them to a professional framing shop, specifying the use of archival materials for mounting and framing. |
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How long do the digital prints last? All photographs and documents restored by Preserve Your Past are printed on fine art archival papers using specially formulated inks. With proper care and display, you can expect up to a 200 year life span, which will guaranty that many more generations in your family will enjoy these photographs and understand where they came from. If your restored photograph or document does become damaged you can always order a new print made from an archived digital file by without having to pay again for restoration of the original. The Photo CD or DVD disks that contain digital copies of your original and restored images or slide shows, unless mechanically damaged or broken, have life span of unto 200 years and can be viewed and copied without any loss of quality. |
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Do I need special equipment to play Photo CD or DVD? You may view Photo CD on any computer equipped with CD or DVD drive. The DVD slide shows can be viewed on any consumer brand DVD player or computer with DVD drive. |
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Can I make additional prints from the Photo CD myself? To provide the highest possible quality and longevity of the digital prints Preserve Your Past uses specially formulated fine art paper and inks, a print of acceptable quality and life expectancy of one to two years can be made using a home computer and printer. Please refer to the manuals provided by your printer manufacturer for an advise on printing photo quality images. |
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How safe is it to mail my photograph or documents? Prior to shipping, place all photographs or documents into separate envelopes, and then place those envelopes between pieces of sturdy cardboard. Do not forget to request a copy of shipping bill and the tracking number. It is advisable that you do not send framed photographs or documents due to a high chance of glass breaking during the shipment. We strongly recommend that you specify full insurance coverage and direct signature for your parcels and place a highly visible notes outside requesting careful handling. Due to the numerous problems with UPS delivery service we advise that you ship all packages via FedEX. |
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Do you keep digital copies of photographs and for how long? All digital scans of original photographs and those of restored ones, copies of all CDs and DVDs are kept in our computer system for up to 3 years. This makes it possible that in case of loss of the original, the restored photographs or disks containing the digital files we will be able to replace them at a fraction of the original cost. |
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