Old photos by decade
Photographs from each decade were made differently and fail differently. Start with the decade, then decide whether to restore the colour or add it.
Restoring and colorizing 1920s photos
Most family photos from the 1920s are black and white silver prints: small snapshots from box cameras like the Kodak Brownie, and larger studio portraits. They age by fading, silvering and cracking, and they colorize well once restored.
Open →Restoring and colorizing 1950s photos
The 1950s were the decade colour arrived in family albums, so a box of prints from then mixes black and white snapshots, early colour prints that have faded badly, and Kodachrome slides that often still look superb.
Open →Restoring 1970s photos
Most 1970s family photos are colour prints, and many have drifted orange or red with faint blues and greens. That is dye fading, it is predictable, and it corrects well.
Open →Restoring and colorizing 1940s photos
Family photos from the 1940s are mostly small black and white snapshots, taken when film was scarce, plus formal portraits for weddings and service. They are often creased from being posted and carried, and they colorize well once repaired.
Open →Restoring 1960s photos
The 1960s is when colour took over the family album, so a box from the decade is mostly small colour prints that have shifted towards red or magenta, mixed with black and white from the early years.
Open →Restoring 1980s photos
Photos from the 1980s are glossy colour prints from one-hour labs, compact cameras and the first disposables. They have aged better than 1970s prints, but they bring their own problems: grain, date stamps and glare.
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