Photo booth picture

[Leslie S.]

I had a customer yesterday bring in a "photo" of her and her husband, taken in one of those photo booths that you squeeze into, with the cheesy little curtain that you pull across the door. (Remember those?) Anyway, this was taken about 16 to 20 years ago. It is quite large, about 16 x 20, and is on very thin , fairly brittle paper. It has been rolled up in tube for most of its life. It is really dented from the rolling, but no holes. Her husband recently died of an unexpected heart attack, and her kids want this framed. How should I go about mounting this? I don't think she can afford the expense of a paper conservator (they have plenty of other pics of them together, this is a fun thing) I don't usually dry mount stuff much anymore, but maybe fusion would be o.k. onto rag mat. Were these things of that time frame heat sensitive? I have it pressed under weights for now, but I don't think it will flatten out much that way. Ideas, please?

[Mike Labbe @ GTP]

One possible idea might be to work with a color reproduction of it. (from one of those machines common in drug stores that print to Kodak photo paper, or from a professional photo shop) This might take out the wrinkled look and make the colors look more vibrant.

Then again, maybe they want the ORIGINAL framed and preserved.

[AnneL]

First question, is it color or black & white? if color, is it starting to fade? If so you might want to consider Mike's suggestion however if it is just for fun and the customer can't afford alot you might also want to leave it as is. I would probably carefully drymount it, although Ron would probably use PMA. smile.gif If it is color, it is probably on an RC based paper and I don't know how well Fusion would hold as Rc papers are plastic. Black and White would also likely be an RC paper. If it is on a fiber based paper, fusion might work, but most likely given the type of photo it sounds like it is printed on a single weight RC paper. I usually mount all our RC photos on rag using colormount which is specially made for RC papers.

[AnneL]

redface.gif Ok, I stand corrected. My photographer husband Gary just came past and I asked him about this type of picture. He says it is actually probably a black & white on a single weight fiber base paper. He says RC papers weren't very common back then and don't roll up well. If it is fiber base, it will feel like paper on the back, if RC it will feel like plastic. A fiber base paper can be carefully rewashed and dried, then flattened in a warm dry mount press or under weights. If you would like instructions on how, let me know. I find archival mount works well for fiber base papers.

[Less]

I’m with Mike on this one,

I would strongly recommend that they have it professionally photographed. Make a transparency or negative, and if needed digitally correct the photo, and then have a negative made. This will ensure that they and future generations can treasure a piece of their family history.

After there is a negative available, I then, if they wanted, would frame the original per Grumblers’ recommendations. If they don’t want the added expense, then at least you showed that you are concerned about their heirloom.

Hey, you may even get to frame the copies.

[Leslie S.]

Thanks for the help guys. It is a black & white (actually kind of sepia) on very thin, fiber paper, not plastic at all. I think making a copy is a great idea, but it will have to be someone with a large format scanner, or whatever. ( I didn't know those photo booths did anything but the little passport size photos.) Doesn't anybody frame diplomas anymore? All I've gotten in the last two weeks are oddball (read...time consuming) things....

[jframe]

Leslie,

There is someone in Dallas you can trust to help you with this. The name of the business is Photographic Archives Gallery. They are on Lovers Lane near Inwood. Beckie & Andy Reisberg are experts at handling photographs. I think the phone number is 214-352-3167 or 3166 both numbers should work. You may have to make an appointment to see them, I'm not sure when they are open to the public. They are great people tell them I sent you.

[Leslie S.]

Dear Jo,
Thanks for the reply, but I already know these good folks, I met them about 8 or 9 years ago when they hosted a PPFA meeting. I've been sending business their way ever since, in fact I'm waiting on an old oval picture to come back from there now, and I just gave their number today to another customer. They really do good work, don't they! I'm sorry I didn't get to the conservation workshop, I was in charge of getting my 90 year old mother-in-law on an airplane to see her sister that day. Hope to get to meet you at something soon, though. Maybe I'll even break down and rejoin the PPFA smile.gif

Leslie