Welcome to the “Photo restorations” page of the DigiResLab project. Here you can see the before-and-after transformations of selected images, witnessing the remarkable process of bringing damaged photographs back to life with digital methods for restoration explored in the free Training Modules and the other educational materials provided by the project. The following showcase offers glimpse into the practical applications and capabilities of digital restoration, serving as a valuable resource for organizations and individuals interested in preserving visual history. Explore the tangible results of the project research and expertise as well as the potential for revitalizing your own archival treasures.
The following showcases have been provided by the partners of the project.
FROM THE COLLECTIONS OF THE “GEORGE BARIȚIU” BRAȘOV COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY
Photographs received as a donation from Mrs. Mălina Dumitrescu, descendant of Braniște Family
PHOTO 1: Valeriu Braniște and his family having lunch; period: 1910-1912
1: Broken glass plate negative (before scanning)
1a: Broken glass plate negative with pieces put together (before scanning)
1b: Photograph after scanning – Scanner used: EPSON Perfection V850 Pro Colour Image Scanner
1c: Digitally restored photograph (after scanning)
– software: Adobe Photoshop
– applied: Spot Healing Tool – to correct the cracking marks, Burn Tool – to darken the overexposed areas (windows and table)
PHOTO 2: Man on a chair watching a dog; period: before 1918
2: Broken glass plate negative (before scanning)
2a: Photograph after scanning – Scanner used: EPSON Perfection V850 Pro Colour Image Scanner
2b: Digitally restored photograph (after scanning)
– software: Adobe Photoshop
– applied: Clone Stamp Tool and Spot Healing Tool – to correct the cracking marks and the spots, Unsharp Mask – for clarity
PHOTO 3: Young ladies from Missici Family from Lugoj watching a photo album; period: before 1918
3: Glass plate negative (before scanning)
3a: Photograph after scanning – Scanner used: EPSON Perfection V850 Pro Colour Image Scanner
3b: Digitally restored photograph (after scanning)
– software: Adobe Photoshop
– applied: Brightness, desaturation to remove the colour cast and get a B&W appearance, Clone Stamp Tool and Healing Tool to remove spots and scratches, curves, lens correction to straighten the image, unsharp mask for final clarity
FROM THE COLLECTIONS OF THE Bartin University, Türkiye
FROM THE COLLECTIONS OF STUDENT COMPUTER ART, BULGARIA
FROM THE COLLECTIONS OF THE MUSEUM OF THE HISTORY OF RIGA AND NAVIGATION, LATVIA
PHOTO 1: Members of Corporation Lettonia I semester, group portrait in Tērbata; date: 1894. Author of the photo: Karls Šulcs (C. Schulz). Material: Albumin emulsion, paper, cardboard. Dimensions: Photo: 31.8×48.1 cm, photo: 46.8×64 cm. Restorer of photographic materials – Kristaps Latvis.
Historical description of the photograph: Lettonia is a student organization that unites students of various academic courses and senior graduates. Lettonia is considered the oldest Latvian student corporation. The history of Lettonia (the student organization) is a part of the history of Latvia. It started during the revival of the Latvian people, when Latvian students had the opportunity to study.
Restoration program:
1. Photofixation before restoration.
2. Creation of object damage scheme.
3. Dry cleaning of the object, dust removal.
4. Ink fluidity test.
5. Wet cleaning of photographs.
6. Washing and rinsing the object.
7. Separation of the photograph from the cardboard.
8. Cleaning the glue remnants from the photo and the cardboard. Drying both objects.
9. Gluing of cracks of the cardboard, strengthening folds. Loss augmentation, toning.
10. Gluing the photo to the cardboard, pressing the object. 11. Photofixation after restoration.
