Restoring fine collector pieces
We strive to restore each piece to its original condition when first experienced by the American public. That said, these are not restored to "pristine" condition devoid of character. Every piece is evaluated before and during restoration to ensure the "feel" is reatined so your fine are collection truly feels like a step back into time. We are not trying to make these images perfect, but retun them to original condidion that still preserves the honor and weight of Marine Corps history.
We wanted to take the opportunity to show off a little about our process or archival restoration. So take a look at the resources below and enjoy!
Squidoo Lens
Check out my Squidoo lens for some more on how I perform historical poster restoration:
Restoration Video
I have recently posted a time-lapse video on YouTube of a poster being restored. Here it is if you would like to take a look (scroll down for more info on how I restore the posters):
Poster restoration using Adobe Photoshop
Step 1
The first thing we do is find a suitable image; this is often the toughest part of the process! Our originals are primarily obtained from historical archives and museum collections. The originals are scanned at an extremely high resolution so we will have as much data as possible to work with.
Looking at some of these images makes you wonder where they have been. Many of the originals have been around for over 90 years! Perhaps they were originally hanging in a metro train station at the beginning of the war, or perhaps it was located in the window of a corner diner in some small town. Who's to know? But one thing is for sure, they are really in need of serious attention before they can be returned it to good condition.
The image below is a good example of the quality of image we often start with. It's not uncommon to use a source document that is faded, damaged, or even ripped in places.
This is a great piece of history, a recruiting poster titled "U.S. Marines - Soldiers of the sea Military training, travel, education, development" by Sidney H. Riesenberg. It was created in 1913.
Step 2
I like to zoom in real close and check out all the little places on the document that needs to be repaired. Here is a section of the image detailing some of the damage.
And an even closer view of the scratches and other damage.
Step 3
After performing the high-resolution scan of the source image, the document quality is carefully evaluated, and notes are made on a copy as to what tasks will need to be performed to restore the image.
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Step 4
After working on the image for a number of hours we can a see a marked improvement between the original image (left) and the working image (right).
And a closer view of the work in progress.
The two images zoomed in so you can see the damage that I have started to repair.
Step 5
Finish the restoration!
Well, this image is a work in progress and since it is heavily degraded, will probably take another 8-10 hours to finish. Once done, it will be posted in the gallery. Keep an eye on that space for updates!