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Restoration of a photograph from 1912 Olympic Games commissioned by the famous New York Fencing Club.

RESTORATION OF A PHOTOGRAPH FROM 1912 OLYMPIC GAMES

Many old photographs contain stories to be told and mysteries to be unraveled. To bring back to life not only a picture but also the history behind it, a skilled restoration artist has to be not only a trained painter, a photographer, a chemist, a genealogist, and a carpenter, but also a private detective, a history expert, and an archeologist. Imagine, if you will, a combination of Sherlock Holmes, Sheldon Cooper, Leonardo da Vinci, and Indiana Jones. Restoration of a faded, water-damaged, and ink-stained photograph of a group of fencers at the 1912 Olympic Games was one of many commissioned by the famous New York Fencing Club.

 

The 1912 Stockholm Olympic Games were meant to further straighten the bonds of friendship and cooperation among the participating nations. Instead, they became the last games held before the world was thrown into the horrors of the global war, which took away millions of lives and caused immeasurable suffering to hundreds of millions more people world-wide.

The hero of the Stockholm Games was Jacobus Franciscus Thorpe. A member of the Sac and Fox Nation, Thorpe was the first Native American to win a gold medal for the United States of America in the Olympic Games. Despite having his athletic shoes stolen right before the competitions, Thorpe won both the pentathlon and the decathlon events, which are justifiably considered to be the most difficult and challenging among all of the Olympic competitions. For his dedication and perseverance, Thorpe received the well-deserved challenge prizes from King Gustav V of Sweden for the decathlon and from Czar Nicholas II of Russia for the pentathlon.

 

Another athlete who took part in the 1912 Olympic Games was a young fencer. He was, according to the caption on the photo, Lieutenant Patten, USA. A regular photo retouching artist, primarily concerned with making a photo look pretty, would probably not give it a second thought. But a restoration expert instantly noticed something peculiar about that name.

A quick check proved the suspicion that the mysterious Lieutenant Patten was no other but the future General George S. Patton, the hero of WWII, who, according to the New York Times, “was one of the most brilliant soldiers in American history. Audacious, unorthodox, and inspiring, he led his troops to great victories in North Africa, Sicily, and on the Western Front. Nazi generals admitted that of all American field commanders, he was the one they most feared."

 

But in 1912, George Smith Patton Jr. was still relatively unknown, a lowly lieutenant misnamed and pictured second from the left in the back on a faded, nearly forgotten photograph. Two other fencers in the picture were members of the New York Fencers Club. Established in 1883, the Club is the oldest continuously existing organization in the Western Hemisphere, dedicated exclusively to teaching and promoting the sport of fencing. Since its founding, the club has trained 64 athletes who have won a total of 23 Olympic medals.

 
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Restoration of a 19th Century photograph of American tourists in Egypt with the Sphinx and the Great Pyramid seen in the background. 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. Sebastian Wintermute offers high-quality photo scanning and photo archiving of vintage photographs, photo albums, negatives, and transparencies, providing scans of unprecedented quality and retention of details with the highest degree of attention given to the preservation and safety of the originals. The old photograph of the famous 5th Avenue, Broadway, and 23rd Street intersection digitally archived upon request of one of New York’s societies dedicated to the preservation of the architectural history of the city. Restoration of a fire damaged photograph of the first and only US Air Mail delivery from Long Island to Fire Island. 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. Depending on the extent of the damage, a photograph that is stuck to glass can either be separated from the glass with minimal loss or restored by digital retouching and reproduction of the original. A number of rarely seen photographs were digitized and retouched for the publication of a book about Rebbe Menachem Mendel Schneerson. Restoration of the 1887 NYPD Patrolman Appointment Certificate signed by Theodore Roosevelt during his term as the Police Commissioner of the City of New York. 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. Before it was restored to the original condition, this wedding photograph set in the closet for many years, slowly deteriorating from exposure to harmful chemicals used to disinfect and to the mold and mildew. Restoration of an oil-tinted baby picture that underwent additional coloring at the hands of a 5-year-old artist was carefully retouched to remove all signs of flaking of the original pigments as well as the magic marker colorization that was generously applied to the hair, eyes, and the baby's outfit. Restoration and digital archiving of photographs from the collection of New York’s Racquet and Tennis Club. A small photo medallion was restored for the HBO documentary film Triangle: Remembering the Fire, dedicated to the 100th anniversary of that tragic event.
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