RESTORATION, PRESERVATION & ARCHIVING

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Sebastian Wintermute Photo Restoration Service New York

 

Since opening his restoration studio in sting of 2002 Sebastian Wintermute has been providing those interested in preservation of visual heritage, business legacy, family history, and genealogy an opportunity to restore photographs and documents that otherwise would literally fade away.

He had restored time withered papers signed by Presidents of the United States and fragile documents from the NASA Apollo Space Missions, cracked Polaroid snapshots of newborn babies, and the only surviving photographs of victims of the Holocaust.

Because of his professionalism and experience Sebastian has been entrusted to restore and to preserve photographs and documents by many individual clients and some of the most prestigious companies and organizations in New York and worldwide.

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SERVICES

Sebastian Wintermute provides a full range of Photo Preservation, Photo Archiving, and Photo Restoration Services, dedicated to protecting and bringing back old photographs that have faded with age or became stained, torn, burned or water damaged.

Cleaning photograph from smoke damageEvery project begins with a consultation with a client to assess the damage to a photograph, to discuss the requirements, and to advise a client on techniques, methods, and materials that will be required to restore a photograph and to bring an image back to it’s original appearance.

Elements taken into consideration include photograph's physical condition and shape.  Rolled up photographs will have to be flattened, stains cleaned, creases and tears repaired and reinforced, and requirements for a final print of a restored photograph.  Based on all those factors and on an expected time frame an estimate is presented to a client before the work begins.

Restoration of photographs of the loved ones, especially of those who are no longer with us, can be extremely personal and moving experience for many people.  Sebastian appreciates, and carefully listens to and follows client’s suggestions and instructions, and strives to fulfill all of their wishes and expectations.

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PORTFOLIO

An artist's PORTFOLIO is a window into their skills and specialties, highlighting the different mediums a restorer often works with, their professional experience in restoration, and their level of expertise, along with the kinds of projects they have completed. Sebastian's portfolio showcases his commitment to maintaining outstanding craftsmanship and integrity. Thanks to his talent and expertise, even the most badly damaged photographs can be beautifully restored.

 
A 19th-century husband-and-wife portrait came from a collection of family portraits and photographs of an extended Irish-American family with a history spanning well over 150 years. A black and white photograph of Milan Rastislav Stefanik was restored and colorized, accurately recreating the appearance of WWI uniform and the military decorations as they were confirmed by research and consultations with experts in military history, decorations and uniforms. The faded photograph of the Apollo 8 taken during the moment of lift-off from Cape Canaveral and the NASA badge were brought by the family of an engineer who, for many years, worked on the NASA space program to be restored and combined into a photo collage. While there is no easy fix for photographs covered with stains and mildew, and restoration can be time-consuming and costly, a professional photo restorer can bring those water-damaged photographs to their original condition, to be enjoyed by a family for generations to come.
To restore and bring back the vivid colors of the happy days, after the photograph was carefully cleaned, it was scanned and digitally retouched to remove stains, tears, and scratches. Then, the colors were applied according to the best memories and the suggestions of the client. Over time, tobacco smoke containing nicotine and other harmful chemicals build-up can ruin paintings, photographs. The ugly, yellowish-brown sticky film will coat any surface, making photographs lose their original appearance and destroying the photo emulation layer. To restore a photograph that became stuck to glass, it can either be separated from the glass or restored by making a high quality scan and digital retouching. Restoration of a striking portrait of a Jewish spiritual leader from Eastern Europe was one of many that were brought to us by those who strive to preserve and protect Jewish heritage.
Even a photograph that was torn into little pieces and thought to be beyond salvation can be restored to its original appearance with skill, hard work, and a bit of luck. Restoration of a Boy Scout Lifesaving and Meritorious Action Award for saving a man from drowning as a present to the original recipient on his 95th birthday. To restore this ink and paint-stained photograph, first it was carefully cleaned from dirt and dust, and as much of the paint splatters as possible were removed before a high-resolution photo scan was made of the photograph, and those damages that could not be repaired on the original were digitally retouched. Humidifying, unrolling, and restoring a rolled-up photograph. Those pictures were frequently tightly rolled up, and as time went on, they dried out and cracked, making it impossible to unroll them without causing more harm.
Restoration and reproduction of a historic WWII photograph of General MacArthur and General Eisenhower taken during their meeting in Japan by Tom Shafer. Water spots and mildew stains are common damages on many old photographs. A professional photo restoration artist can repair and remove these damages from an original photograph or produce a high-quality digital reproduction, bringing back the photograph's original appearance. Even the most faded and damaged photographs, for which a client had given up hope of having them restored, can be brought back with hard work and a touch of miracle.

For additional examples of Sebastian's work and to discover the fascinating stories behind many of the restored photographs and documents, please view the full portfolio.

 

CUSTOMERS' TESTIMONIALS

Sebastian Wintermute always aims at providing his customers with personable service, expert knowledge, exceptional results, and on-time delivery. Here are a few of clients’ testimonials he received:

Sebastian is a miracle worker! His restoration of some very damaged photos, pre WWII, is nothing short of remarkable. His meticulous work has helped bring back to life my relatives who perished in the Holocaust. His work will be featured in the CD booklet for my humble project to remember my Uncle Norbert.

 

What can I say? Sebastian is a miracle worker! His restoration of some very damaged photos, pre WWII, is nothing short of remarkable. His meticulous work has helped bring back to life my relatives who perished in the Holocaust. His work will be featured in the CD booklet for my humble project to remember my Uncle Norbert.

Roger Peltzman
"Mother’s Savior: A Revelation"

 

I went to Sebastian, told him what I wanted -- he did exactly what I wanted & more. Many of the photos were small, so he was able to enlarge & really pay attention to every detail, is also very gentle, mindful of fragile original photosI wanted to restore old, damaged, but precious photos with great sentimental value.
I went to Sebastian, told him what I wanted -- he did exactly what I wanted & more.
Many of the photos were small, so he was able to enlarge & really pay attention to every detail, is also very gentle, mindful of fragile original photos.

Sebastian is very easy to work with, flexible & kind. His quality of work in restoration is: impeccable, faultless, more than amazing -- flawless.

Maria

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RESTORATION FAQ

Here you will find some of our most common questions about photo restoration process and services, such as:

If you need more information, please call 212-598-5847 or email restoration@sebastianwintermute.com and Sebastian will be happy to answer your questions and get you started with your photo restoration or preservation project.

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  Photo Restoration Service in New York

NEW YORK STUDIO

For over twenty years Sebastian Wintermute Studio has been situated in the historic Lower East Side of Manhattan.

From here, he provides a comprehensive restoration, preservation and archiving service with a focus on historic photographs, and those photographs that hold great sentimental and personal significance.

Please call 212-598-5847 or email restoration@sebastianwintermute.com with any questions you may have or if you require additional information.

To schedule a consultation please e-mail the following:

 

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