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Old Photographs, Recognition, Handwriting Deciphering => Free Photo Restoration & Date Old Photographs => Topic started by: PaulaToo on Friday 04 May 07 16:39 BST (UK)
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I have four, rather odd little photos taken at the seaside, of Joe, Jessie May and sister in law Kate.
First, they are of a type I have never seen before, about cigarette card size, very dark and shiny, and seem to be metal not paper.
3 questions,
Does anyone know what they are?
Does anyone recognise where they are?
and um....
Can anyone do anything to improve them?
Thanks for looking in, they are good for a laugh, if nothing else.
I have every confidence in you.
Paula
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And the other two...
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Hi Paula,
I'm laughing but in a very nice way. They certainly bring back
a lot of memories. The first 2 are posed and probably taken in the
usual seaside booth ( i.e professional photographer) But the second
2 look as though they are the normal photo's that a family member would take.
So Either the photographer followed them to the beach or....?
And the reference to them being on tin? I'm waiting for the experts to give
us their wisdom. Great stuff,
Tomkin ;D ;D ;D ;D
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They are fun, aren't they.
Certainly not taken on the faithful old Box Brownie that went everywhere with this couple.
Perhaps there wasn't room in the sidecar for it. Kate was a big girl...not as big as on the donkey, but a big girl.
I think they must have been taken by a professional...
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Gosh that was a toughy Paula... :o...couldn't get it any clearer though :-\
Mmmm...I'll have another go with it!!
T.T.
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Gosh you were quick there TT, at least you can see it. Every time I look at them I feel they are darker. Something has got to be done. I don't want to loose them.
Thanks.
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Oh...I agree...they're great aren't they....I will keep playing around with them a little later...I think a lot of people with have fun with these ;D..so watch this space ;)
T.T.
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Hi Paula,
Another quick play,
Tomkin ;D ;D
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Coo, tomkin, thanks...that's good.
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Hi Paula,
A bit more tweaking
Tomkin
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Here's one for me....will try the others when I have more time. Love the pic by the way!!
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Here's another try Paula :D
T.T.
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Here's another one Paula ;)
T.T.
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Hi Paula,
Stuff the privet,
Tomkin ;D ;D
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Genie, T.T. I am in awe. Tomkin, did the privet ever get clipped ?
What a great effort from all, at last I can see the pictures properly, and aren't they fun.
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Tomkin,
whata great job! Even the pebbles look indivually polished ;)
heywood
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Tomkin
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Glad I didn't stand between the hedge and its haircut, Tomkin.
These are just getting better and better.
How shy my dear little mum looks there....yeah....wonder how she managed that....
Thank you so much,
Paula
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Tomkin
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P.S. Thanks Heywood,
Tomkin ;D ;D
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I would consider a pm to Prue Paula .... she works in photographic conservation I believe and is likely to be able to tell you more .. Alternatively change the title of your thread to....
" Prue .. Your help is needed !" ;D ;D
Poll ;)
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They all look like the same people and I recognise the beach picture
being at Brighton, and the building behind the man is the 'Palace Hotel' I used to wash dishes there in the evening after work to earn a little extra.
Here are some clean-ups for you.
Mike.
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Another.
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Well, it looks as though it's Brighton, then. I've only been there once. I thought it might be, but wasn't at all sure.
Thanks Mike, Great.
Tomkin, I think the experts have done a runner,
They are certainly on metal of some sort, because the motorbike got bent right up at one corner...but what?
It looks as though it is Brighton,
And I don't think concrete would be as nice :D
Sound idea, Poll, I'll seek, locate and contact Prue later this morning...got a stack of things to do...
Love you all
Paula
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Here's one from me
Di
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Might they have been taken by one of those seaside photographers like Gratispool (?) who would waylay holidaymakers and take several snaps which you could pick up later? Except they're printed on metal, but that might have been an earlier form. We had loads of Gratispool photos from seaside holidays, taken in the 50s
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Thanks, Di, lovely version, just what i have come to expect when you drop in.
That's very likely, rance.
Then again, I was thinking last night...
Why wasn't my uncle there. Why was my aunt off with them on her own. I am now wondering if my uncle was there, but on the other end ofthe camera. He might have been the only one who could use it...
Hmmmm
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because the motorbike got bent right up at one corner
My motorbikes used to get bent up at the corner quite often.
Car drivers!!!!!
The use of metal plates quite intrigues me. I could understand if
the photo's were taken very early in the the 19th century but not in the
middle of the 20th century. Were any of them amateur photographers
i.e. with their own darkrooms etc) ? They could have had access to the
equipment and may have been experimenting as we used to do when making our own
photographic papers and pinhole cameras.
Tomkin AKA Tomkin the Hedgecutter. ( where the H... is that cement mixer?)
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My try at it ....
Genie
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I love the sepia one, genie. My Dad looks as though he's got winkle pickers on... ;D
Tomkin, that's tragic about the bikes ::) I don't think anyone was into photography. Snap happy, but not going any further.
I've PM'd Prue, Poll.
I wonder what she will have to say.
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Here I am!! ;D ;D ;D
Thanks for the PM Paula - I haven't been as diligent lately on the Photo board as I should be, so sorry I missed this thread...
They are tintypes - Tomkin is right, they were around from the mid-19th century but they hung around right up through the 1920s and I believe even into the 1940s (although I've never seen one that late). I have seen ones from the early 20th century and many of them are taken at the seaside, as if there were photographers hanging around there in the summertime to take piccies for you when you had a day out. Here is a quote from
http://www.edinphoto.org.uk/1_early/1_early_photography_-_processes_-_tintype.htm
Tintypes in the UK were more likely to be produced by itinerant photographers (seaside etc.) because the tin was light and unbreakable and tintypes became more and more popular in the 1880s and 1890s and lasted until as late as the 1930s on some beaches.
Hopefully that has solved your mystery, Paula :D
Cheers all
Prue
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Thanks for that Prue...
I know they are funny looking things and I've always wondered what the heck they were.
Strange how you forget things. I suddenly thought of them the other day and put them on here in the hope that something could be done...
Then we started to wonder...
Problem solved.
Oh, you're a lovely bunch...all of you.
Paula
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Hi PrueM,
Can you advise Paula how best to save them,
apart from keeping them from going rusty,
Tomkin ;D ;D ;D
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Hi Tomkin and Paula and everyone,
Best way to keep them safe is to wrap them in a good quality, neutral or alkaline tissue paper (art suppliers should be able to sell you this) and keep them flat and protected from humidity and flexing. Do a nice high quality scan so you have a good copy you can look at, and store the originals away. Flexing the metal makes the emulsion crack and pop off, which causes oxidation of the iron underneath (they're really not made of tin).
Cheers
Prue
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There were indeed photographers at seaside places taking snaps of holidaymakers (see my comment about Gratispool in an earlier message on this thread). During the heyday of British seaside holidays it must have been quite a lucrative trade. I think I'm right in saying that if you were only on a day trip you could have your photo taken in the morning and pick up the prints before you went home.
Thank you for the explanation of tintypes, I've often wondered what they were.
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Well, you learn something every day, don't you.
Now I know about tintypes and I've actually got some.
They have been kept all these years in a pretty little cardboard box that is just their size. I shall get some acid free paper and layer them in it, then put them away safe. My dear little Mum must have thought a lot of them, because they seem to have had special treatment. Perhaps it was a memory of a special day. They certainly look very happy.
Thank you one and all.