The first step in the restoration process is to have a clear vision of what the completed restored map to look like. My objective is to bring the maps back to as close as possible to their original condition showing that they were hand produced.
A common problem with most of these maps is that they are often stained, have penciled in notations, foxing, acid damage, tears chipped edges, missing sections and are soiled from wear.
I use high-level magnification to bring back the map its original state and to preserve both the original artwork and the acquired tone of these old prints.
In most cases I am able to restore a map to its original state while maintaining its tone (See Hingham 1879). When an original map’s background is damaged and soiled (See NYC 1885 below)-the restoration process includes creating a more uniform background-while still maintaining the original tone of the detailing.
The actual physical process starts with scanning the original maps at 300 to 400 dpi using a large commercial scanner. Once the scans have been produced I use Photoshop a high magnification to restore the maps. The final print is printed on Epson museum-quality acid-free papers 100% rag cotton textured fine arts paper in order give the final prints the character of fine art water colors. The prints are produced on an Epson printer that was developed for fine art production
(Please scroll down to see the difference restoration can make)
Hingham-1879 Goal: To restore detail.
NYC 1885 (Original detail) Goal: To restore detail.
NYC 1885 (Original detail) Goal: To restore detail.
Please contact me if you want any advice on digital map restoration.
