Old Photograghs sealed together

[XMouse2U]

I recently came across a few photographs (square cut, no borders and on Kodak paper) that have sealed themselves together. The Polaroid Instant OneStep pictures were not sealed together, but just the normal fading over time.

The Polaroid's will be copied and restored.

How can the others be separated without tearing, so I see the image on those photographs? The negatives were not with the pictures. Want to see the images on the pictures because the Polaroid pictures included deceased family members.

Anyone with any suggestions or recommendations to save my history would be helpful?

 

[Ms.FemmeFatale]

Water for stuck pictures, Freezer for pictures stuck to class. That is the usual rule I follow.

The following technique can be risky. Place stuck pictures in room-temperature distilled water (sold at grocery stores) for 20 to 30 minutes image-side up, so you can monitor them. (A long exposure to water may cause distortion.) Remove, then gently pull apart with your fingers, or slide a thin silicone spatula between them. Shake off the excess water, place each picture image-side up on a stack of paper towels, and weigh down the edges to prevent curling.

Once they are apart and dry, you can scan them and print new copies of the pics. If you are too nervous to try this, find a conservator near you. http://capc-acrp.ca


Good luck

 

[SkyRider]

The Polaroid's will be copied and restored.

How do you copy and restore? I tried using my scanner but the quality of the scanned copy is pretty poor.

 

[Ms.FemmeFatale]

How do you copy and restore? I tried using my scanner but the quality of the scanned copy is pretty poor.

You need a very good quality scanner. I would take pictures to a proper photography and printing shop to scan and restore. Most people who can work in Photoshop can do the restoration part. It is the scanning part that you need to make sure is of good quality. Walmart is not going to cut it for something like that.

 

[GPIDEAL]

Water for stuck pictures, Freezer for pictures stuck to class. That is the usual rule I follow.

The following technique can be risky. Place stuck pictures in room-temperature distilled water (sold at grocery stores) for 20 to 30 minutes image-side up, so you can monitor them. (A long exposure to water may cause distortion.) Remove, then gently pull apart with your fingers, or slide a thin silicone spatula between them. Shake off the excess water, place each picture image-side up on a stack of paper towels, and weigh down the edges to prevent curling.

Once they are apart and dry, you can scan them and print new copies of the pics. If you are too nervous to try this, find a conservator near you. http://capc-acrp.ca


Good luck

You mean Freezer for pics stuck to GLASS?

 

[shakenbake]

Water for stuck pictures, Freezer for pictures stuck to class. That is the usual rule I follow.

The following technique can be risky. Place stuck pictures in room-temperature distilled water (sold at grocery stores) for 20 to 30 minutes image-side up, so you can monitor them. (A long exposure to water may cause distortion.) Remove, then gently pull apart with your fingers, or slide a thin silicone spatula between them. Shake off the excess water, place each picture image-side up on a stack of paper towels, and weigh down the edges to prevent curling.

Once they are apart and dry, you can scan them and print new copies of the pics. If you are too nervous to try this, find a conservator near you. http://capc-acrp.ca


Good luck

I agree for paper photos stuck together. The gelatin/emulsion can get sticky over time with humidity. I would go one further by suggesting exposure to high humidity for an extended time period, and not to soak the entire paper in the water for a significantly long time. Emulsions may tend to separate from paper if left too long in the water. That was how they used to separate emulsions in the process to 'mount' the photo on canvass.

http://www.realsimple.com/magazine-...imple/pictures-stuck-together-00000000038164/

The last post in this link with canvass mounting is interesting.

http://www.tribemagazine.com/board/tribe-main-forum/154797-how-mount-photos-canvas.html

 

[Ms.FemmeFatale]

You mean Freezer for pics stuck to GLASS?

Yes, when they stuck to the glass of a picture frame for example.