Finlay, Thames, Dufay, and Paget color screen process collections: Using digital registration of viewing screens to reveal original color
Geoffrey Barker, Jan Hubi\v{c}ka, Mark Jacobs, Linda Kimrov\'a, Kendra, Meyer, Doug Peterson

TL;DR
This paper presents a digital method to reconstruct original colors of early additive color screen photographs from negatives and transparencies, using infrared imaging and open-source software, to preserve cultural heritage.
Contribution
The authors introduce a novel open-source software tool for digitally recreating original color filter patterns in early color photographs, enabling restoration of faded or monochromatic images.
Findings
Successful digital reconstruction of original colors from negatives
Infrared imaging eliminates the need for physical color filters
Restoration of early color photographs enhances cultural heritage preservation
Abstract
We discuss digitization, subsequent digital analysis and processing of negatives (and diapositives) made by Finlay, Thames, Dufay, Paget, and similar additive color screen processes. These early color processes (introduced in the 1890s and popular until the 1950s) used a special color screen filter and a monochromatic negative. Due to poor stability of dyes used to produce color screens many of the photographs appear faded; others exist only in the form of (monochromatic) negatives. We discuss the possibility of digitally reconstructing the original color from scans of original negatives or by virtue of infrared imaging of original transparencies (which eliminates the physically coupled color filters) and digitally recreating the original color filter pattern using a new open-source software tool. Photographs taken using additive color screen processes are some of the very earliest…
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Taxonomy
Topics3D Surveying and Cultural Heritage · Photography and Visual Culture · Conservation Techniques and Studies
