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Preserving Old Photographs
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Oct 12, 2021 07:07:49   #
Gspeed Loc: Rhinebeck, NY
 
We have about 35-40 framed photos, mostly very old portraits, of family members passed. No simple way to store and certainly not view, stacked in a pile in the basement.

Can anyone recommend a way to disassemble and preserve as digital files that can then be shared with other family members. We could then trash the old frames.

Surely we cannot be the only family with this issue. Any ideas?

P.S. Don’t be snarky.

~ Eileen

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Oct 12, 2021 07:14:52   #
ELNikkor
 
I take photos of the photos with my D750. jpeg, low res is good enough, especially since they will only be shared on screens. They can also be made into duplicate prints at Walgreens if anyone wants.

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Oct 12, 2021 07:26:13   #
tcthome Loc: NJ
 
Or take them some place, have them scanned & put on a disk, memory card, etc.

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Oct 12, 2021 08:19:06   #
Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States
 
There's a good chance that <some of> the photos stuck to the glass.
I'd use side lighting (like in a copy stand) and shoot them with a camera on a tripod.

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Oct 12, 2021 09:35:09   #
Gspeed Loc: Rhinebeck, NY
 
tcthome wrote:
Or take them some place, have them scanned & put on a disk, memory card, etc.


I like that idea. I’ll have to look around to find a reputable place.

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Oct 13, 2021 08:23:40   #
jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY
 
You might find that they are stuck to the glass. Be patient and go slow. After you get them free, scan them.

https://www.thefamilyheart.com/remove-photograph-stuck-to-glass/#:~:text=The%20Hair%20Dryer%20%E2%80%93%20With%20your,is%20free%20from%20the%20glass.
https://imagerestorationcenter.com/photo-stuck-to-glass/
https://www.photoancestry.com/photo-stuck-to-glass.html
https://www.scanmyphotos.com/blog/2019/04/remove-photo-stuck-glass-ideas.html
https://www.thriftyfun.com/tf42811579.tip.html
https://www.scanmyphotos.com/blog/2018/03/remove-photo-stuck-glass-ideas.html
https://www.smoothphotoscanning.com/remove-photographs-stuck-to-glass
Prevention - https://www.culturalheritage.org/

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Oct 13, 2021 09:05:05   #
gvarner Loc: Central Oregon Coast
 
I have an Epson V600 flatbed scanner that does an excellent job and has a modest price. Scan at a resolution of 600. I just use the scanner software but you can get ViewScan that adds a few good features. If you don’t need a scanner for anything else, you could try to find a rental or else buy the Epson and then sell it on UHH. Or you could find a commercial service to scan a few dozen photos. Just be sure to find a service that can do a quality job on those treasures. Taking a quality photo of those photos with a camera isn’t as easy as it sounds given the lighting and setup requirements. That’s my humble opinion.

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Oct 13, 2021 09:05:33   #
Bunko.T Loc: Western Australia.
 
Gspeed wrote:
We have about 35-40 framed photos, mostly very old portraits, of family members passed. No simple way to store and certainly not view, stacked in a pile in the basement.

Can anyone recommend a way to disassemble and preserve as digital files that can then be shared with other family members. We could then trash the old frames.

Surely we cannot be the only family with this issue. Any ideas?

P.S. Don’t be snarky.

~ Eileen


Yes, dismantle from frames, scan at high res, save &/or print for ongoing use. But archive the originals in acid free archival album. Copies available for family but originals preserved for posterity. I’ve done many.

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Oct 13, 2021 09:31:31   #
DirtFarmer Loc: Escaped from the NYC area, back to MA
 
Gspeed wrote:
We have about 35-40 framed photos, mostly very old portraits, of family members passed. No simple way to store and certainly not view, stacked in a pile in the basement.

Can anyone recommend a way to disassemble and preserve as digital files that can then be shared with other family members. We could then trash the old frames.

Surely we cannot be the only family with this issue. Any ideas?

P.S. Don’t be snarky.

~ Eileen


Old family photos? Document everything.

First thing you should do is take photos of the pictures in the frames. They don't need to be on the wall, but you have to pay attention to the lighting. Assuming there's glass over the photo you have to take care to avoid reflections. Light the picture from both sides and if possible hang up a dark cloth or blanket where the camera would see a reflection on the glass. That will give you a documented view of both the photo and the frame. If you can't put the camera perpendicular to the picture, you can adjust the perspective in post to square up the corners.

After you do that you can try to remove the photo from the frame and copy it (either by yourself or by sending it out). If there is the slightest resistance when trying to get the photo away from the glass, stop and let a professional take it from there.

When you're done you will have documentation of not only the pictures, but the process. And if for some reason the photo gets damaged by removing it from the frame you have a backup photo to use.

I recommend adding documentation to the digital photo by placing names on the digital image. https://www.uglyhedgehog.com/user-page?upnum=2991. The result is less than artistic, but a century from now when nobody remembers who those people are, the documented images will help.

And NO. You are not the only family with these issues.

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Oct 13, 2021 09:39:54   #
StanMac Loc: Tennessee
 
Gspeed wrote:
We have about 35-40 framed photos, mostly very old portraits, of family members passed. No simple way to store and certainly not view, stacked in a pile in the basement.

Can anyone recommend a way to disassemble and preserve as digital files that can then be shared with other family members. We could then trash the old frames.

Surely we cannot be the only family with this issue. Any ideas?

P.S. Don’t be snarky.

~ Eileen


As for the frames, don’t trash them if they are old and decorative. Donate them to Restore or give them to an antique dealer. Old decorative frames have value.

Stan

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Oct 13, 2021 10:20:25   #
jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY
 
DirtFarmer wrote:
First thing you should do is take photos of the pictures in the frames. They don't need to be on the wall...


You mean I didn't have to hold the scanner up against the wall to scan all those pictures?!

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Oct 13, 2021 10:33:30   #
Strodav Loc: Houston, Tx
 
To copy without disassembling the frames, use a copy stand with built in adjustable lighting. The problem with this technique is glare off the glass, but with a little patience and maybe a polarlizer you can get good results. If you can disassemble them, then use a scanner. I have a older Epson V500 photo that works amazingly well. This biggest issue here is making sure the scanner is clean and the print is as clean as you can get it. After you have the digital image, expect to spend a lot of time in Post, especially removing spots. The image below came from a scan of an approximately 100 year old wedding picture.


(Download)

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Oct 13, 2021 10:34:27   #
jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY
 
Strodav wrote:
To copy without disassembling the frames, use a copy stand with built in adjustable lighting. The problem with this technique is glare off the glass, but with a little patience and maybe a polarlizer you can get good results. If you can disassemble them, then use a scanner. I have a older Epson V500 photo that works amazingly well. This biggest issue here is making sure the scanner is clean and the print is as clean as you can get it. After you have the digital image, expect to spend a lot of time in Post, especially removing spots. The image below came from a scan of an approximately 100 year old wedding picture.
To copy without disassembling the frames, use a co... (show quote)


That's beautiful!

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Oct 13, 2021 10:46:05   #
DirtFarmer Loc: Escaped from the NYC area, back to MA
 
Strodav wrote:
To copy without disassembling the frames, use a copy stand with built in adjustable lighting. The problem with this technique is glare off the glass, but with a little patience and maybe a polarlizer you can get good results. If you can disassemble them, then use a scanner. I have a older Epson V500 photo that works amazingly well. This biggest issue here is making sure the scanner is clean and the print is as clean as you can get it. After you have the digital image, expect to spend a lot of time in Post, especially removing spots. The image below came from a scan of an approximately 100 year old wedding picture.
To copy without disassembling the frames, use a co... (show quote)


For some reason it appears that there are reflections on the background, across the groom's coat, and extending onto the wedding gown.



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Oct 13, 2021 11:09:46   #
Strodav Loc: Houston, Tx
 
A lot of old photos have some sort of damage to them. Many from just starting to stick together in an old shoe box or to the facing paper in a scrap book, but it could have been in a frame for many years before I got it with the emulsion sticking to the glass. I have photos with small tears, emulsion flaking off, water marks, fading, especially circa 1950 color prints, ... I wouldn't expect perfect results from a century old photo like this, which is the reason I suggested you can spend a lot of time in Post. The quality of the consumer grade cameras, especially with plastic lenses, was not very good mid last century, so you will see strange artifacts that you don't see with modern cameras.

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