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The Schooner Marjorie

6/6/2016

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The Schooner Marjorie photo restoration with before and after

THE SCHOONER MARJORIE

The Marjorie was a four-masted schooner, is a fine example of the great tall ships that graced the world's oceans in the time before steam. Built in 1890 in Camden, Maine by Holly M. Bean, The Marjorie was 216 ft. and was registered out of Dennis, MA. She was wrecked on Timbalier Island, LA on February 15, 1899.
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Edwin H. Edwards was the Master of The Marjorie at its launch in 1890. The photograph was brought to Picture Renewal by his great-grandson Mark Edwards owner of C.G. Edwards Co, Inc. Located in Boston, Massachusetts, C.G. Edwards Co, Inc. was founded by Mark's grandfather and passed down to him by his father, continuing a long and fine maritime tradition.

The Restoration:

The original is a 16"X20" mounted albumen print. c1890.
Albumen printing was popular from 1855-1920. The paper is made using egg whites as a binder to hold the light sensitive silver salts.

The print was extremely faded, stained, dirty and scratched.
The digital restoration required a high resolution scan.
I removed dirt and damage speck by speck, scratch by scratch, and then had to add back in missing head and fore stays (ropes) and painted in some hull planks where necessary.
Thanks to the Mystic Seaport for assistance in finding more information about the Schooner Marjorie
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BOSTON STRONG, 1940.

8/24/2015

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1920's vintage American LaFrance Pumper equipped
with anti-aircraft gun.
Boston, Massachusetts 1940


Picture Renewal Restoration of 1940 antiaircraft gun on Boston Fire Department Truck

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Picture Renewal Popular Science 1940 Boston Fire Department
Picture Renewal Boston Fire Department LOGO
"BY MOUNTING an antiaircraft gun on a fire engine, smoke eaters of Boston, Mass., recently demonstrated how their force could cope with an enemy air raid. Now plans are reported to arm a number of other fire trucks similarly, and to train gunners with the cooperation of the National Guard. In case the firemen were attacked by low-flying raiders, while putting out a fire started by air bombs, the powerful machine gun would provide an effective defense. Other engines, roaring along highways with sirens shrieking, would serve as mobile antiaircraft units exclusively, supplementing the work of regular military defense units."
From Popular Science, December, 1940. (Google Books).


About the restoration:

The original is a 4X5" very dark and grubby photo reproduction from the Fire Apparatus Journal July/August 2015 issue.
Photo courtesy of the Bill Noonan Collection.
The published photo was scanned at 1200ppi and edited and enhanced in Photoshop after using special programs to mitigate the dot screen pattern (half-tone) used in most printed media to render photographs.
A split tone was added to give it that 20's look. Final custom print size: 11X14" on Red River UltraPro Satin paper.

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PHOTOGRAPHY'S FIRST ENLARGEMENTS

7/2/2015

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Crayon Portrait c.1890 Hand Colored Photo Restoration

THE CRAYON PORTRAIT

PictureWoodward's Solar Camera 1857Woodward's Solar Camera 1857 (Click image for more info.)
Prior to the mid 1860’s the size of your photograph was pretty much determined by the size of the camera. Copies were limited by the number of lenses on that camera or ‘contact’ printing them. Contact printing is so-named because the negative and photo paper are placed in direct contact with each other and exposed to a light source. Then you wait for the image to appear on the photo paper. And wait. And wait.


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Then came along the photo printing system of enlarging a negative onto a sheet of photo paper and developing that sheet in a darkened room with chemicals that greatly sped up the process of print making. We call them darkrooms. Replete with an enlarger and trays (and often, clothespins).
But the enlargements were very weak in detail. They needed a little help. Often, a lot of help!



Enter the “Crayon Portrait”. It caught on wildly up until the 1910’s, offered by mail-order, through studios and itinerant photographers. Charcoal, pencils, watercolors, oils and pastels were used.

Crayon Portrait c.1912 Photo Restoration
Greek Sailor prior to Balkan Wars c.1912
Crayon Portrait c.1890 Photo restoration
This fine Victorian lady went on to have 10 children and lived to 98!
As with any artistic endeavor the results can be quite varied!

Crayon Portrait Baby Girl c.1900 Hand Tinted photo restoration
A note about this image. The baby's weird posture is probably due to being held by her mother during the photo session and the "crayon artist" was really bad! It certainly wasn't the photo restorers fault!
The definitive book on Crayon Portraits is Crayon Portraiture: Complete Instructions for Making Crayon Portraits on Crayon Paper and on Platinum, Silver and Bromide Enlargements (1882) by Jerome A. Barhydt

Another interesting article about Crayon Portraits and identifying olde photographs I recommend this brief piece I found by DiAnne Iverglynne.
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OLD IN THE NEW

4/13/2015

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The Phi Beta Epsilon Renovation and Expansion at MIT

Interior Photo Mural Picture Renewal Restorations PBE, MIT
In the summer of 2013 Picture Renewal was commissioned to scan and restore approximately 100 photographs and documents from Phi Beta Epsilon’s archives. It was a major undertaking done in concert with their building restoration and construction of a new wing.

Among the dirty, dusty, smelly and torn albums and photos were some fascinating examples of 19th and 20th century studio portraiture and daily life on campus. A great line drawing of the original facade and a hand painted coat-of-arms were especially challenging.

Picture Renewal is proud to point out that a project of 100 pieces or 1 is treated the same! Each photo and document scan, restoration and custom print is done one at a time with care and respect to the original media and historical and emotional context. Each is unique and valuable. No push button factory here!
Seeing our custom prints (from 10” up 40”) framed and beautifully hung in the old and new buildings was a thrill!

The wall mural designed by PBE and MIT alumnus Brian Hunter was particularly rewarding to see.

Working on a project of this magnitude and with other professionals is a true joy. I wish to thank the architects at Epstein Joslin Architects and photographer Neil Alexander for allowing  me to use samples of their beautiful work.
A special thank you is due Mark Beasman, MIT '75. Co-Chairman, PBE Vision 2020 Capital Campaign.



Class oc c.1919 Phi Beta Epsilon Photo Restoration
Line Drawing Restoration by Picture Renewal
Photo by Neil Alexander
Photo by Neil Alexander
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    Stephen Sylvester

    Photographer, Photo Restorer, Artist

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