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Restoration and reproduction of an award poster from 1951 Bolivarian Games held at the Estadio Olímpico de la Universidad Central de Venezuela in Caracas, Venezuela.

Restoration and reproduction of an award poster from 1951 Bolivarian Games

An award poster from the Bolivarian Games is is a great example of how even the most damaged document or photograph can be restored with the help of modern technology. On this beautiful certificate, the repeated folding caused tears along the seams. The document sustained significant chemical degradation as a result of the clear tape used to join the fragments. Additionally, the top of the document became completely missing.

The Bolivarian Games so named after Simon Bolivar, the famed Venezuelan military and political leader who, in the early part of the 19th century, led what are currently the countries of Venezuela, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Panama to independence from the Spanish Empire. Bolivar is regarded as one of the great heroes of independence movements in modern South America.

In 1938, the first Bolivarian Games were held in Bogota, Colombia , on the 400th anniversary of the city's founding. Like the Olympics, the Bolivarian Games were organized with the idea of strengthening unity among the countries through sport and friendly competition.

 

Because of the extent of the damages, digital restoration was the only option to save this document and make it presentable for display. The background was cleaned, and all tape residues and minor damages were retouched. The missing areas were filled in, and the top of the document was carefully painted. The restored image was color corrected and printed on premium archival matte paper prepared for framing.

 
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