Preserving Memories: Photographic Restoration

This week, I am returning to my series on preserving photographic memories. I have been working on my photos with two things in mind. One is to display and use them now. The other is to save them for future generations.

But, before I can do that, I need to take inventory of what I have. Now that I have them labeled and organized, that will be easier. First, I will take a close look at my negatives. Comparing them with the pictures in my file, I can replace the damaged ones with the negatives. When I am ready to make copies, I will will trust them only with a good, reputable photography shop. Negatives are a precious resource, as they last longer than photographs. This is a good time to plan ahead and make additional copies for gifts, and albums. When the needed copies are made, the negatives need to be labeled and stored in a dark, safe place.

Negatives are the easiest way to replace damaged photographs. But what if I don't have the negative? There are two way to repair them. I can have the original worked on by a professional. That is expensive. I can only afford to do this with the most important photographs.

The other way is to have them digitally repaired. This, too, can be done by a professional. However, that's not cheap either. That is why I have, 'taking a graphics class', on my fall to-do list. My poor scanner sits underused. Scanners can be a valuable resource for genealogists, and are relatively cheap compared to other computer equipment. Repairing them myself, also, allows me to store them digitally, and make copies inexpensively. The digital world is a whole new field of preservation, deserving an entire article down the road.

For more information on the process of repairing photographs, Restoring Damaged Photographs by David L. Mishkin can fill you in.

Then, for the more adventurous and those wanting to do-it-yourself to save money, A Few Scanning Tips - Scanner Help - Basics 101 will help you learn more about scanners and digital enhancement.

While working on this part of my project, it is important that I handle the photographs with care to avoid further damage. They should be handled by the edges to avoid fingerprints. They should be filed when I am not using them to avoid light from fading them and objects scratching them.

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