Photo Restoration - Tear/Rip

[Runscott]

One more example. This was the first one I attempted. When I acquired it 15 years ago, I tried to remove a new mat from it and broke it in half. It's been stored in two pieces since then.

I did not do a good job of matching the halves together - in practice they fit almost perfectly, but when I glued them to the mat, my hands must have slipped (notice it was also glued to the mat slightly off-center, but it was off-center originally, so I guess that's okay). You can also see a vertical tear at the bottom left that I created by not handling the wet print properly. It could have been a much better result, but this is why I say you should practice before attempting on anything important. These are both photos taken in bad light, so use your imagination.

[Exhibitman]

If you are looking to repair [not restore] a tear in a regular photo try using Transparent Mending Tissue from Lineco. It comes in a roll, is pH neutral, archival and has an acrylic self-adhesive. I use it to repair tears and stop further damage on old photos by applying on the backs. As an added benefit it nearly 'disappears' when you apply it. I've also used it to reinforce seams on newspaper items and other old paper pieces that aren't worth the attention of a world-class restorations expert.

[MikeKam]

Originally Posted by Exhibitman

If you are looking to repair [not restore] a tear in a regular photo try using Transparent Mending Tissue from Lineco. It comes in a roll, is pH neutral, archival and has an acrylic self-adhesive. I use it to repair tears and stop further damage on old photos by applying on the backs. As an added benefit it nearly 'disappears' when you apply it. I've also used it to reinforce seams on newspaper items and other old paper pieces that aren't worth the attention of a world-class restorations expert.

Thanks for the suggestion!

If I were to do it myself, my main concern would not be so much putting the tear together, but on getting the colour back.