The Barefoot Photographer®

a photography blog

Friday, May 22, 2009

Vintage Photo Friday


This is the photo that started my interest in restoration. About 10 years ago I was in my grandmother's basement looking at things and thinking what is there that I would like to have at my house.  I opened an old trunk and found it basically empty except for a couple small shells, buttons and a tiny photo about the size of a postage stamp.

The little photo was of my grandmother, her older brother, mother and father.  Her younger brother had not been born yet.  The tiny photo was not in good condition.  There was a crack going from top to bottom and through my grandmother's face.  The corners were also cracked and damaged.

No one in the family had ever seen this photo before.  I took the trunk home with me, and the photo.  As soon as I got home, I took the photo to a local camera/print shop.  They told me that they could repair the photo for me (actually they had to send it to the lab in Atlanta).  The charge was $45 for the repair, the photo on a disk, and a couple 5x7 prints.  A very reasonable price for what needed to be done.  But I started thinking.  I had a digital camera and did very limited editing on the computer --I could purchase a program that did more for less than the price of having two photos repaired and I could do it myself.  So from that point on -- I did it myself.

This photo shows my grandmother's mother and father.  Aunt Anna (last week's VPF) was her sister -- remember sisters married to brothers.  Trying to date this photo -- I am looking at my grandmother for help.  She was born in 1916.  In this photo she appears 2 or maybe a little younger -- so the photo is from 1917 or 1918.  I wish it was clearer so you could see the clothing better.  I have other photos of these great grandparents wearing very fancy clothing.  The photos were most likely taken at a studio on Washington, D.C. around the turn of the century.  I do have a little dress that was my grandmother's that I believe is the same dress she is wearing in this photo.

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