Hamilton Jr. High School Janitors

Before

This photo was taken about 1933.  Grandpa Lee is the 3rd from the right.

After

Dina?

I left the writing on this photo because it's the only clue as to who this is.  I can't figure out who it is but maybe someone else can understand the writing.  The only thing written on the back is "Ma" Mother-in-law.  Someday if someone wants the writing to be removed it'll be a very quick & easy thing to do.

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After

The Butterfield Family

This photo is of James Butterfield Sr., Myrtle Butterfield, Helen Winefred Butterfield & James Butterfield Jr.  It was taken in Long Beach, CA around 1916.

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After

Helen Winefred Butterfield

Every time I restore an old photo, I'm frustrated at the lack of info available about the photo.  This photo is one of the rare cases where they actually included more info than I would have asked for.  This is Helen Winefred Butterfield.  Taken on November 7, 1914.  Age 2yrs 2months & 8days.

Originally I thought that this picture would be a simple restoration but once I got in close, I realized that the facial damage was going to take quiet a bit of time.

I wish there was a way to zoom in on my blog so that you can see the before & after photos better.  I'm currently working on creating a website.  Hopefully when I do, you'll be able to see the damage clearer.

Before

After

Mr. F.M. Hopkins - updated

Ok, I'm finally back to working on this stack of old, old photos.  I've been working on a project for a client which has taken up all my time for a few months now but it's finished so hopefully I'll be able to work through these photos at a quicker pace.

This photo is of a Mr. J.M. Hopkins.  He's 40 yrs old & that's all I know about him.  Unfortunately, like most of the photos in this project, there are no dates.  I've searched through genealogical files & the closest I've come up with is a J.M. Hopkins born in 1934 but has no link (that I can find) to the Hopkins family line that this picture came from, or a J.F.M. Hopkins born in 1956 but I have no way to verify it's the same person.  It's made me see just how important it is to label ALL photos with a Name & a Date.  Other info would be nice, like what's going on in the picture but I won't get greedy.

I really enjoyed working on this photo.  It had liquid spilled on it and other paper stuck to it.  It had been mounted on cardboard so there were no bends or cracks.  I cleaned up the dirt & the spills but I didn't remove the fading.  It wasn't harming the photo but made it look like the old photo that it is.  I don't want these photos to look like the subject walked into a 2010 photo studio & asked for an "old fashioned" photo.

The frame has quite a bit of damage around the edges.  As I got in close, to fix it, I realized that the design was done by hand.  Each circle is unique & there is no pattern to it.  I cleaned the spill off the design but I didn't repair it.  I was afraid that in repairing it, I would lose some of the uniqueness of it.  I also had to hand draw the design on the left of the word "Paris".  There was a piece of paper stuck over the design so I had to fill in the blanks.

Although you may not be able to see it on my blog, Mr. Hopkins' face & body are covered in fine scratches.  In order to remove the scratches without losing the details, I had to remove one scratch at a time. It took awhile.

The photo itself was a Simple Restoration but the frame ended up being a Major Restoration

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After

*Update*  I've since learned that J.M. Hopkins was actually F.M. Hopkins (Francis Marion Hopkins).  I guess I need to brush up on my early 1900s cursive.  Anyway, I'm glad that I've figured out his name.  Now I need to dig through the pedigree charts to find out when he was born.  FamilySearch.com is a nice website but it's pulled up quite a few people with the same name.  I guess the search continues.

Back to School Photos

When I was in school, I remember always dreading getting my school pictures.  It seemed I always had that strand of hair sticking out funny or that ugly pimple that just had to show up hours before my picture was taken.  Whatever it was, there always seemed to be something I wanted changed about my photos.

Now there is something that can be done & for a very affordable price.  Let me help you make your school photos look the way you & your student want them to look.

 

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After