Part of the fun of old photos is studying the details of the time -- the clothes, hairstyles and settings. Even the expressions on the subjects' faces add to the story! These little details keep the history of a family, time and place alive. It is an honor for us to preserve them for future generations to enjoy.
The top two photos are of Jonathan's great-grandmother Eliza and her family, and the bottom photos are of Eliza's daughters -- Linda and Sadie, Martha and Sadie, and Linda, Sadie, Martha, Olivene, Lois and Cass. They are pictured with Eliza's husband and their father, Clovis Yates.
You might notice that the top photograph has some spots and a tear in it. I personally find decaying photographs to be quite beautiful, but as a preservationist, I scan the original image and save two copies -- one in its lovely original state and one that I've restored. The photo below gives an example of how a restored photo can look. This is a pretty simple restoration -- I didn't remove every little imperfection -- I just cleaned up the big spots and fixed the tear. If you have questions about photo preservation and restoration, feel free to contact me directly or leave a comment below!
