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Photo types and eras

Old photo types and eras

The kind of photo you are holding tells you a lot: roughly when it was made, how it was made, and what is likely to go wrong with it. These guides help you recognize common types of old photographs and the photos of each decade, and explain how to copy, restore and reprint them without harming the original.

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Example of a damaged old photo, a wedding portrait, before restoration
Example of a damaged old photo, a wedding portrait, before restoration
Photo types and erasRestoring 1940s family photosFamily photos from the 1940s: how to recognize and date them, wartime and wedding portraits, typical damage, and how to restore and reprint them.Photo types and erasCabinet card photosWhat a cabinet card photo is, how to date one from the mount and studio imprint, how it differs from a carte de visite, and how to restore and reprint it.Photo types and erasTintype photosWhat a tintype photo is, how to tell it from other early photos, how to date one, the damage tintypes suffer, and how to copy and restore one safely.

More from Old Photo Prints

Photo repairOld photo repair, by type of damageGuides to the damage old photos suffer: fading, tears, water stains, cracks and more. What causes each, what can be repaired, and how to send the photo.GuidesGuides for old family photosPractical guides for family photos: how to scan old prints with a phone, how to store originals, paper finishes, print sizes and what restoration costs.

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Start with a scan or a phone photo of the print. You see the restored photo before you pay, and prints ship free.

Start with your photo