Old photo restoration

[jose_angel]

Maybe in the wrong forum but I want to ask for some advice about print restoration (film restoration as well); I’m not interested on digital restoration but on a book or guide to repair papers and films like it was before the digital era… how to flatten materials, to save a badly washed or unfixed paper, to delaminate emusions from damaged cardboards, to clean spots, increase contrast, etc. etc. 

Again, I’m not interested on digital image restoration (which I perform regularly with editing software) but on photographic materials restoration.

Is there any “old procedures” kind of book or bible about it? Maybe a general art restoration guide?

Thank you in advance.

Edited January 15, 2023 by jose_angel

[rodeo_joe1]

You might want to try another forum Jose. I suspect most LF users know, and practise, how to stop their negs and prints from deteriorating or getting damaged in the first place.

Old (pre-digital) books on photography tended to have a 'prevention is better than cure' attitude as well. 

I'd surf some archivist's websites and the like.

4 hours ago, jose_angel said:

how to flatten materials, to save a badly washed or unfixed paper, to delaminate emusions from damaged cardboards, to clean spots, increase contrast, etc. etc. 

Most of those processes involve re-wetting film or prints and applying, or dunking in, chemical baths. All risky stuff that can easily go wrong and make things worse. 

Go the digital restoration, or film copying route first, because at least that's fairly risk free and non-destructive. 

For example: Increasing the contrast of a faded print chemically would involve bleaching back to a halide and re-development, or metal toning. A skill that is likely to involve destroying a few prints to acquire. Whereas simply optically filtering and copying has almost zero risk of damage to the original. 

Plus I don't think anyone here would want to advise you to do anything that might put your negs or prints at any risk. 

Professional archivists, OTOH, should have been through that apprenticeship and know what works and what doesn't. But I suspect most of them will still advise a non-physical form of restoration as a first resort. 

Edited January 15, 2023 by rodeo_joe1

[jose_angel]

Thanks Rodeo.

Yes, I know that restoring old prints is a risky undertaking. I have an archive that gets bigger every day with very old images, some seem to be in rapid degradation. My intent is to keep the originals in the best shape possible, so I'd like to know how to (at least partially) stop this degradation.

Many of them have already been digitized and edited, especially the most interesting or the worst preserved.

I'm pretty sure galleries, museums and archives have professional procedures in place to repair some issues with prints before archiving them in "archival" conditions... Unfortunately, I'm not willing to pay for this professional work (sure to be incredibly expensive! ).

Print restoration seems to be a well-kept secret... to the benefit of restorers (which, of course, I respect) 🙂

Edited January 16, 2023 by jose_angel

[rodeo_joe1]

Museum curators and archivists don't get paid a fortune, and most that I've met are glad to talk about their work. 

Maybe get friendly with the archivist(s) at your nearest museum - that's if you can find them in their (usually basement) dungeon. 

There's also lots of stuff online about archival procedures - not so much about putting right the result of not following it! 

P. S. The PN member called 'Invisible Flash' runs an archive. It probably wouldn't hurt to contact them. 

Edited January 17, 2023 by rodeo_joe1

[jose_angel]

Thank you Rodeo!

Edited January 17, 2023 by jose_angel