RAK

I have such lovely craft friends.  Last night on FB, Paul, husband of one crafty friend showed what he had done restoring an old photo with PSP.  I have an old photo that needs something done to it.  So as I have PSP, I had a play.  Was quite pleased with my first attemp last night: and then this morning ... out of the blue Jak Heath messaged me saying she had played with the image and hoped I didn't mind! - well WOW it was brilliant; and then ...........

.... this evening she sent me one she had coloured, or rather somehow restored the colours - I couldn't believe it - it was perfect - I am afraid I was in tears, I was so overwhelmed.



original image we started with




my effort on right using PSP



Jak's repair to the original photo

Jak's coloured version

The original photo was a sort of touched up 1930s coloured photo, and Jak has got the exact colours.  Hasn't she made a fabulous job?  I don't know how she did it.  I think I mentioned that the dress in the original photo was lilac - but I just didn't expect this - it is exactly the colour of the original photo.  I don't even have it scanned in colour on my computer - so it is complete magic to me!

This photo means a lot to me - I never knew my aunt Dorothy, she died of TB before I was born, aged 23.  I only have 3 photos of my aunt - this one was in my parents photograph album.  Dorothy is the reason I started my family tree search.   Looking for a photo for my mum's stepsister back in 2000, I came across a little black pocket book which contained a diary started by my grandfather on the day Doh-Doh was born in 1914.  I transcribed his handwritten journal and dated it - suddenly realising that it was Doh-Doh's birthday.   Hairs on the back of the neck time.  (the diary only lasts a few months - and I presume it stopped because my grandfather was called up to serve in WW1 as it stops shortly after his entry for the declaration of war!).

This photo is Dorothy to a "T".  She was an avid book reader and Dad recounted various tales of Dorothy and her "misadventures" whilst always having a nose in her book.   I believe (as family stories go) that Dorothy was very clever, and was one of the first shorthand typists and was very highly qualified.  I think she worked for somebody high up in the publishing business.  (hopefully one day I will remember who it was!).  When I was younger my Dad said I used to look like Dorothy - think it was because I too always had my nose in a book, and I inherited her long legs!

The other reason I love this even more is that recently during my research I discovered from the London Electoral Rolls on Ancestry that Dorothy and my grandmother actually lived in the house where I lived as a child until the age of 5.  I hadn't realised that before.

I think you will all agree this was a real Random Act of Kindness.

Mags