RESTORATION, PRESERVATION & ARCHIVING

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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.

RESTORATION OF 19TH CENTURY IRISH WEDDING PORTRAIT

This 19th-century wedding portrait came from a collection of art pieces, photographs, and documents belonging to Irish American families with a history spanning well over 150 years. It was brought in in such a state of distress that the client was doubtful that anything could be done to save this priceless family relic.

As with most such projects, the first step was to clean the surface of the portrait from the accumulation of dust, grime, and smoke residue, followed by the rejoining of the broken pieces.

With the clients wanting to be able to share the restored portrait with other members of the extended family, a high-resolution scan was made of the photograph, which was further retouched to remove all signs of damage and discoloration.

The letter from the client speaks for itself:

Dear Sebastian,
Well, it arrived on Christmas Eve but I promised myself that I was not going to open it until New Year's Eve......and that's what I did! I wanted something special to start the New Year with.
It's beautiful. And it's a perfect fit and if I live to be 100 years old I will not be able to thank you properly. The photo is now in the original frame it was intended and hanging proudly on my living room wall. It's a beaut!!
But I did not see an invoice included with the photo.
So, you tell me how I pay you and how much......is a million enough?
Many, many thanks.

All the best,
Tom

 
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