Repair of Edna Tilstone photograph

[BoslemBoy]

This rather damaged photograph of Edna Tilstone was taken early 20th century.  It's the only individual photo we have.  Edna was born in 1880 and died in 1917.  How old is she in the photo?  I assumed it was taken about 1915 when she was 35 but it could have been earlier.  On the reverse she had written in pencil:  "Think of me sometimes, Love, Edna x".  I wondered if this was the photograph her husband took away with him to war when he volunteered in 1915.

[loord74]

My Try

[Greywolf907]

Try this.......

[BoslemBoy]

Fascinating contrast between these first two clean-ups.  The first takes some years off Edna's appearances; the second leaves in the wrinkles on the brow.  I'd never noticed them before, and perhaps they help confirm that she was well into her 30s by this time.

My thanks to you both.

BB

[Trishanne]

A try from me
Pat

[Greywolf907]

@Boslemboy re "The first takes some years off Edna's appearances; the second leaves in the wrinkles on the brow"

I am sure that many of us have our own differing ideas on 'restoration' and the 'tools' used to accomplish the end results.
I have always favoured keeping the integrity of the original image as intact as possible and not over egging the pudding as it were!

[Handypandy]

I agree with your sentiments to a degree Greywolf907, however I think that its the diversity of styles that make this site so interesting. All the above contributions are excellent in their own way.

[Trishanne]

This was a particularly hard photo to clean, because of all the fingerprints and dirt on the original. In order to keep to the original as much as possible which I am sure was a reasonably clean photo, it was inevitable that some characteristics would be removed..
 It has been stated that you can 'say' many hundreds of words just with a slight change of expression in your face. This is one reason I would never use a facial recognition programme when doing restoration, as some do,  because it cleans a face of expression and all the eyes are too perfect.
We do our best, as we see it, I always try to keep as much to the original as possible. As Handypandy says it is the diversity of styles which makes this site so interesting..

[BoslemBoy]

I appreciate, welcome and enjoy the contrasting approaches.  I am so conscious of the supplied raw material being rather grubby.  The fact that this copy of the photograph quite possibly survived being taken out to the Western Front in 1917-18 in the personal possessions of my soldier grandfather, and yet has been capable of being restored to the quality we have seen from the contributors here shows how you're all doing a superb job!

BB