Before & After: McLean

[Mike Serpa]

Brigadier General Nathaniel C. McLean - National Archives photo #528579

He's been waiting for more than two years for me to finish restoring him!

 

[TinCan]

If the general could see your photo Mike I'm sure he'd think it was well worth the wait.

 

[LoriAnn]

And we're still appreciating it! Amazing work.

 

[FarawayFriend]

I think it must have been a relief for the good general to have the straw between his lips removed... and the two arrows in his chest that had bloodstained his uniform...

Excellent work, as usual, Mike!

 

[civilwarincolor]

Well done Mike. I know from having done a number of these that the light/dark changes from the streaks/splotches on his uniform can be the most challenging. You did a great job. Two years was worth the wait!

Edit: Realized that you posted this in 2014, glad that you are finally getting recognition for it.

 

[Brenal]

Great job, well done sir.

 

[zrski]

20 some years ago I Photo Shopped Chamberlain's early war picture and thought that I had done a "GREAT" job. Seeing your work -- Well, I jut put my dots away and wait for your next piece of work.
For those who do not know, it's a LOT harder to clean a photo to this degree than it looks.

Good Job!

 

[rdengmurr]

Really great job of restoring, it is so clear that I can even see the critter in his beard

 

[7th Texas Mounted Rifles]

Great job, @Mike Serpa.

I may be alone in thinking this, but there is something about Mclean's eyes... They are almost unnerving.

 

[pamc153PA]

I think it must have been a relief for the good general to have the straw between his lips removed... and the two arrows in his chest that had bloodstained his uniform...

Excellent work, as usual, Mike!

Ha--you made me look at the original again! So observant! So creative!

 

[War Horse]

I sure he is satisfied with the results. Awesome as usual.

 

[James N.]

Phooey - McLean's would've been a snap compared to a real mess like this one from my collection! This poor corporal was my very first hard image, and as you can see, the emulsion has cracked, and worse, separated from the tin body making this now VERY fragile and probably impossible to restore except possibly through digital imaging.

 

[civilwarincolor]

Phooey - McLean's would've been a snap compared to a real mess like this one from my collection! This poor corporal was my very first hard image, and as you can see, the emulsion has cracked, and worse, separated from the tin body making this now VERY fragile and probably impossible to restore except possibly through digital imaging.

I agree with you, from what I can see here doing a physical restoration may completely destroy the image. From a digital restoration standpoint I think it could be accomplished easier than you might think, but would require a higher resolution version of the image and a little bit of time.

The real challenge I see with the image is that most of the uniform (particularly on his right) is very dark and does not have a lot of detail visible, so a restoration might only look "OK", but not great.

 

[James N.]

I agree with you, from what I can see here doing a physical restoration may completely destroy the image. From a digital restoration standpoint I think it could be accomplished easier than you might think, but would require a higher resolution version of the image and a little bit of time.

The real challenge I see with the image is that most of the uniform (particularly on his right) is very dark and does not have a lot of detail visible, so a restoration might only look "OK", but not great.

Sadly for this image, since he's essentially a nobody it wouldn't be worth the time and effort necessary to restore it.

 

[donna]

Mike great work. Sorry so late in seeing this.

 

[civilwarincolor]

Sadly for this image, since he's essentially a nobody it wouldn't be worth the time and effort necessary to restore it.

Personally I think all images are worth restoring. I think the thing with this image is not so much that he is a "nobody" but that the image itself is not very compelling. There is an image of Captain Schwartz, who probably would also have been forgotten, except that his photograph is very engaging.

It too suffers from severe damage and particularly when you look at the full size TIF file on the LOC here that you see that the extent of the repairs needed.

I have had this one on my radar for 5-6 years. Would love to take it on sometime, but just don't know if I have the time.

 

[FarawayFriend]

Personally I think all images are worth restoring. I think the thing with this image is not so much that he is a "nobody" but that the image itself is not very compelling. There is an image of Captain Schwartz, who probably would also have been forgotten, except that his photograph is very engaging.

It too suffers from severe damage and particularly when you look at the full size TIF file on the LOC here that you see that the extent of the repairs needed.

I have had this one on my radar for 5-6 years. Would love to take it on sometime, but just don't know if I have the time.

To be honest, I can't wait to see the result! I hope that whenever you will have completed it you will show us!

 

[James N.]

Personally I think all images are worth restoring. I think the thing with this image is not so much that he is a "nobody" but that the image itself is not very compelling. There is an image of Captain Schwartz, who probably would also have been forgotten, except that his photograph is very engaging.

It too suffers from severe damage and particularly when you look at the full size TIF file on the LOC here that you see that the extent of the repairs needed.

I have had this one on my radar for 5-6 years. Would love to take it on sometime, but just don't know if I have the time.

The good Captain was himself likely unimportant in the long run - what makes his image compelling is that he was a member of the 39th New York - the notorious Garibaldi Guard (note the GG on his hat) - and the luscious and wonderfully silly-looking Pettingill revolver he's aiming!

 

[civilwarincolor]

To be honest, I can't wait to see the result! I hope that whenever you will have completed it, you will show us!

Ugh! I should not have shown it. I love the image but the amount of work is incredible. I still would like to do it.

 

[FarawayFriend]

Well. take your time. You can be sure we will still be here when you will have finished it. I imagine it to be as challenging as a 20000 parts puzzle! The tent alone - or better, what is in it...
So, you will not be bored once you will be retired!