Hand-coloured Photo Restoration

Before the advent of colour film and printing, photographic studios would hand paint over the top of lightly exposed images. This method was popular from the 1910s through to the 1950s.

These images are typically discoloured, stained and creased, but otherwise retain their depth and detail. After restoring these images, we usually print the image onto matte fine art paper, for an authentic look and feel.

Examples of our work

Hover your mouse or swipe over the image to compare before and after.

We recovered the severely smudged and stained lower section of this image by grafting in elements from other images, and carefully painting in new detail to match the original image.

Hand coloured photo restoration beforeHand coloured photo restoration after

Colour correction and blemish removal.

Brighten and remove mould spots.

Contrast and colours restored.

Colour correction and blemish removal.

The damage to this photo gave the false impression that this young lady had quite full cheeks. We repaired this with reference to a second image taken around the same time.

Colour correction and crease removal.

Colour correction and crease removal.

Colour correction and tonal correction.

Detail and clarity added to face, colours improved.

Colour correction and stain removal.

Severe creasing painted out.

Missing areas painted in.

Water damage removed, colour correction.

Colour / tonal correction and blemish removal.

Yellow cast and stains removed.

Colour correction, stain and warping removed.

Colour correction and adhesion mark removed.

Colour correction.