Webinar talks by Peter King. A one hour talk and Powerpoint presentation consisting of, A historical background of photography, How to date photographs, Preservation of photographs, Scanning, copying photographs, Organising photographs,Photo restoration. A popular talk which has been modified from the usual group session because of Covid 19. Held regularly by various libraries, historical societies, … Continued
Faded photographs Fading has been a problem since the earliest days of photography. In 1855 The Photographic Society of London established “The Fading Committee”, a title that now seems quaint. The early photographs often show tarnishing or oxidisation caused by exposure to air. “Albumen” prints faded because of the decomposition of the silver-albuminate compounds. Humidity and … Continued
A “timeline” of photography can help to better understand the main photographic developments. In the context of family history photo research, it is important to know type of photograph you are looking at, and when they were made. In the early years of photography, the main advances occurred in the period between 1840-1880. When doing photographic … Continued
Oval bubble glass frames are often advertised for sale on ebay. These are dated from the 1890’s to the 1920’s. The mouldings vary from the elaborate made from plaster, to the more common timber. One often seen is called “Tiger Wood”. (not to be confused with the famous golfer!) The photograph in the frame was … Continued
Commercial Street Photography Many people have photographs taken by commercial street photographers in their collections. Sometimes they are the most candid and personal of photographs. Taken unprepared, people were seen relaxed, rather than posed as so often they are. Street photographers were a common sight from the 30’s through to the late 50’s in many … Continued
Whether it is a 19th century carte de viste, left by a great uncle, or a more recent school formal photo, a question many people ask is “how do I preserve and keep my photos from deteriorating or fading?” The main preservation risks to photographic prints are mould, sunlight and insects (silverfish). Photos should be … Continued
Colour print fading. It is worth noting that since the 1980’s technology for colour print stability has greatly improved. With the advert of Digital photography and inkjet prints, it has reached a stage that colour prints should last a lifetime and longer if stored in cool, dry conditions. Prior to this the chemical reactions … Continued
Retouching original photographs All repairs to original photographs are best left to the professional conservator, however small spots and cracks can sometimes be fixed using dyes and a fine brush. Digital retouching Digital photo editing can: Adjust contrast and density Correct colour Add colour to black and white images Retouch cracks, creases or stains Add … Continued
Although we take more photos than ever before, the family photo album has become a thing of the past for many families. Hundreds, sometimes thousands of images of family and friends are often only stored on mobile phone memory. Even if they are stored to the cloud backup, it is never the same as holding … Continued