1890’s photographic plates restoration (link to all images in description)
I recently received a box of exposed photographic dry plates shot in the late 1800s. The plates, made by the M.A. Seed Dry Plate Company, are photographic negatives on glass since plastic didn’t exist at the time. We can date them because, in 1902, M.A. Seed became part of the burgeoning Eastman Kodak Company. Plates sold after 1902 would have borne the Kodak brand. Remarkably, despite being around 130 years old, these plates have held up well. They were faded with age and showed some minor damage from handling and fungus. Each plate was meticulously cleaned and restored before being scanned. Once we had high resolution digital images they were brought into ON-1 @on1photo where missing emulation, scratches and other damage were repaired. This was our first restoration since switching entirely to ON-1 and it was highly successful! ON-1 alone gave me all the tools that previously required three separate applications.
We don’t yet know who these people are. Their names may be lost to time, but we’ve had instances in the past where someone recognized a face, allowing us to eventually reunite the photographs with the descendants. It’s likely these individuals were a family that lived in the Vancouver area around 1900.
If you want to see the images and the restoration process, use this link to the full story www.sollows.ca/photographic-plates-from-1890s-restored/ If you have any tips or think you recognize anyone in these photos, please let me know. Special thanks to Chris @stepback_ca for rescuing these precious plates.
Website: www.sollows.ca
1890’s photographic plates restoration (link to all images in description)
I recently received a box of exposed photographic dry plates shot in the late 1800s. The plates, made by the M.A. Seed Dry Plate Company, are photographic negatives on glass since plastic didn’t exist at the time. We can date them because, in 1902, M.A. Seed became part of the burgeoning Eastman Kodak Company. Plates sold after 1902 would have borne the Kodak brand. Remarkably, despite being around 130 years old, these plates have held up well. They were faded with age and showed some minor damage from handling and fungus. Each plate was meticulously cleaned and restored before being scanned. Once we had high resolution digital images they were brought into ON-1 @on1photo where missing emulation, scratches and other damage were repaired. This was our first restoration since switching entirely to ON-1 and it was highly successful! ON-1 alone gave me all the tools that previously required three separate applications.
We don’t yet know who these people are. Their names may be lost to time, but we’ve had instances in the past where someone recognized a face, allowing us to eventually reunite the photographs with the descendants. It’s likely these individuals were a family that lived in the Vancouver area around 1900.
If you want to see the images and the restoration process, use this link to the full story www.sollows.ca/photographic-plates-from-1890s-restored/ If you have any tips or think you recognize anyone in these photos, please let me know. Special thanks to Chris @stepback_ca for rescuing these precious plates.
Website: www.sollows.ca