Nearly finished editing now. This one is my oldest photo taken in 1878.
On the left are my great grandparents, James and Martha and on the right my great great grandparents, Joseph and Emma. Joseph and Emma are Martha's parents. They are on my Dad's side of the family.
The photo was taken at the back of the pub my great great grandfather Joseph built in 1876. He was a stonemason and builder and he also built three adjoining houses next to the pub too. He and Emma lived in one house and two of his adult children lived in the other houses with their families.
I think this photo was taken just after Martha and James were married. James was 21 and Martha 18 years old.
To me Great Great Grandfather Joseph doesn't look too well in this photo. He died of tuberculosis 10 years after this photo was taken.
This photo took a lot of editing too, but considering it is 142 years old I think I have done quite a good job of it. Tomorrow I will post the last of my old family photos and you will see James and Martha with their family thirty years after this photo was taken.
Such amazing history you are uncovering, I wish I had such old family photos. When you say editing Babs, what exactly do you do. I certainly would not have a clue.
@ludwigsdiana This particular photo had folds and creases and damage to the surface of the photo with foxing (mildew etc). The top right corner was missing and I cloned the bricks back in.
I then sharpened their faces using the lasso tool and adjusted the contrast and brightness. There were foxing marks on Martha's skirt some of which you can probably still see, but you have to stop somewhere when editing. I didn't want the photo to look brand new. The photo itself is still rather grainy but I can't do anything about that, after all it is over 140 years old.
This is so wonderful, a real family treasure. For you to know all the details all these years later is remarkable! I have really enjoyed your historic photos!
These family images have been wonderful - a lovely historical presentation of fashions and architecture - and so good for your family to have them so beautifully restored and identified. :)
I have done similar editing on many of my family photos- it's painstaking work, but so worth it in the end. The hardest one I did was a shot of my great great grandparents at Niagara Falls. I think it was also from the late 1800's. Well done Babs!
I then sharpened their faces using the lasso tool and adjusted the contrast and brightness. There were foxing marks on Martha's skirt some of which you can probably still see, but you have to stop somewhere when editing. I didn't want the photo to look brand new. The photo itself is still rather grainy but I can't do anything about that, after all it is over 140 years old.
Ian