Here is the story of the album as told by Stephen:

“John Kempster joined Harland and Wolff, Belfast in 1900 and was appointed a managing director in 1906 in charge of the electrical plant. Kempster became involved in the construction and launch of both Olympic and Titanic. He was also a very keen photographer and in 2012 an album of photographs taken and developed by him came to light.

A lady walked into a Wiltshire auction house and asked if the album she was holding was worth anything. As well as a number of photographs of the Kempster’s family holiday in America in 1911 the album contained stunning, never seen before, photos of Olympic leaving Belfast for her maiden voyage and also the launch of Titanic and her own departure from Belfast for the first and last time. The photographs are of exquisite quality and finely detailed. The initial plan of the auctioneers was to break up the album and sell off the photographs singly or in small batches. Steve and Jane Raffield, collectors of Titanic memorabilia, were able to negotiate the purchase of the whole album so that this unique record of both Olympic and Titanic at Belfast would be preserved for the future. Photographs Forever digitalised the photos earlier this year in preparation for the album and selected photos to go into exhibition.

The original Kempster album

The album, photos and the rest of the Raffield Collection are currently on display in Brisbane, Australia.”

This is an article written by Stephen’s son Tom for the  Atlantic Daily Bulletin – Autumn 2024, explaining the story  in greater detail. Many of these historic photographs can be seen in the article.

The post The Appearance of John Kempster’s Photo Album of The Titanic first appeared on Photographs Forever.

This is Nigel’s story:

Well Richard, those amazing photos that we got you to restore and that you somehow managed to work your magic on have a very interesting history attached to them.

There were three key extremely wealthy people back in the late 1800’s that basically pretty much owned most of the land and properties in and around the Nutley and Sheffield Park area. Lady Castle Stewart, who owned the Old Lodge and a large chunk of the Ashdown Forest, John Nettlefold (junior), who owned the Chelwood Vachery up on the Forest, his land went right across to Chelwood Gate, and Albert Turner senior and Albert Turner junior who owned Sheffield Saw Mills, are the people where the main pieces of the jigsaw back in the day and what a rich pattern of life was to unfold.

The Turners were felling down huge areas of forest in around Sheffield Park and the surrounding area, preparing the timber and transporting it to London by rail from Sheffield Park, now known as the Bluebell Railway. As time went by, they found that they had to go further afield to find more timber, which added to the cost of transporting it back to Sheffield Park to send on to London.

That’s where these photographs, that you kindly did for Nutley Motor Services reception area display come into play.

Albert Turner junior, being young and enthusiastic, with grand ideas, stumbles across a large pond in Nutley, Perfect he thought for running his newly acquired steam engines for sawing up the timber in and around the Nutley area, so he acquired the land for a small fee, but would have been a reasonable amount of money back then. He purchased which is now the A22, the land from the A22 and out to Nether Lane and down to Fords Green Nutley, the A22 was just a dirt/mud track back then.

He then built the buildings, now know has Nutley Motor Services on the edge of the pond, as the photographs now show in NMS reception. Hence it was from then on known as the Timber Yard.

Over the years he built his managers and some of his senior employees, foresters’ cottages on the surrounding land around the Timber yard.

Then came his biggest hurdle, his grand idea!

Which is one of the main reasons that he purchased the Timber Yard land and was to apply to have a railway line run across the Ashdown Forest to Edenbridge, so as to ship his freshly cut and sawn timber from the rich forests of Nutley to London.

It’s amazing when you think about it, people come and go, buildings and business disappear, or the buildings are altered, like Nutley Motor Services, Mid Sussex Garage of Chelwood Gate, not to mention how many pubs have been turned into dwellings over the years.

If it wasn’t for photographs, this history would be lost for good!

The post The Fascinating History of Nutley Motor Services Premises first appeared on Photographs Forever.

In Series 3 Episode 5 Sarah Beeny discovers many odd antiques and family heirlooms that have been passed down through generations and decides that the best way to use these findings in their new home is to transform their downstairs cloakroom into a Victorian cupboard of curiosities. That’s where Photographs Forever came in and we were asked to restore some of the deteriorating precious family photographs.

Here’s one as we received it, together with the restored version and below as it appeared actually in situ in the cloakroom.

New Life in the Country is a Channel 4 documentary series starring property expert and TV presenter Sarah Beeny and her family. The show follows Beeny, her husband Graham Swift, and their four sons as they embark on an ambitious project to build a sustainable new home and start a new chapter in the Somerset countryside.

The series documents the Beeny family’s move from London to rural Somerset, where they take on the challenge of building a modern, eco-friendly home on 220 acres of farmland. It captures the highs and lows of creating a new life in the countryside, from construction challenges to the family’s adaptation to a different lifestyle.

The show is a mix of property development, family life, and lifestyle change. It highlights themes of sustainability, self-sufficiency, and the rewards and difficulties of significant life changes.

Throughout the episodes, viewers see various stages of the home’s construction, interior design decisions, and landscaping projects. The show also delves into the family’s day-to-day life, interactions with the local community, and adjustments to country living.

The series has been well-received for its genuine depiction of family life and the beauty of the English countryside. Viewers appreciate Sarah Beeny’s relatable approach and openness about the challenges they face.

Sarah Beeny and Graham Swift’s project reflects their long-held dream of raising their children closer to nature and living a more grounded lifestyle. The documentary provides insights into the balancing act between professional ambition and family priorities.

Overall, New Life in the Country offers an engaging mix of home-building inspiration, personal storytelling, and picturesque rural life that appeals to fans of property shows and lifestyle documentaries.

The post Featured on Sarah Beeny’s Life In The Country first appeared on Photographs Forever.

When all 49 were fully restored we printed them all on archive grade paper (so the fading will no longer be an issue going forward) and replaced them in their original frames.  Here they are safely reinstalled and being regularly enjoyed by all visitors the the Town Hall.

The post Reigate & Banstead Mayors Have Been Restored! first appeared on Photographs Forever.

Yes, Photographs Forever was on BBC One TV, Morning Live at 9:15am on Thursday 11th November.

We were featured as part of a Remembrance Day programme where I discuss the importance of photograph restoration and we follow the restoration and colourisation of a sentimental army photograph from 1914 belonging to my customer Nigel. I then present the restored photograph to him for the first time, live on camera.  Nigel also explains the story behind this historical photograph and just how much the restored photograph means to him and his family.

Here is the link if you’d like to watch our segment of the programme.

The post Photographs Forever on BBC ONE Morning Live 9.15am 11 November first appeared on Photographs Forever.

My daughter Amy (Haines) has now joined Photographs Forever. She has been helping me part-time over the last 7 years and, having recently finished her degree at university, is now working with me full-time. Amy (Lees) has moved into a new role and Selina (Payandee) is now my Administration Assistant.

Introducing our professional framing service to complement and further enhance your restored photographs has proved to be very popular with my customers. This means we are able to offer a complete service, transforming your damaged and fading photographs into to a high quality framed photograph you will truly enjoy forever. Here is the link to more details and the advantages of our frames.

Our photobooks are also increasing in popularity and another great way to enjoy your favourite photographs by printing them in a book that will not fade or deteriorate. The photobooks we provide are good value and much higher quality and specification than those ordinarily found in the high street. Here is the link to more details of our photobooks with a step by step guide to help you to organise your photographs and make your photobook a reality.

CLICK THE IMAGE ABOVE TO SEE VIDEO OF THE TWO BOOKS COMPARED

Here is a photobook we completed recently which duplicated an existing album that was lovingly put together just after World War 2. The new photobook is virtually twice the size of the original and is now in a form that will literally last forever and can be handed down through generations to preserve precious family history.  

If you would like any more details, information or advice in relation to your photographs or how I can help please don’t hesitate to get in touch with me. I look forward to hearing from you.

The post Increasing Demand for Our High Quality Photobooks and Photograph Framing first appeared on Photographs Forever.

2020 has been a very unusual year in so many ways for all of us. One factor that has occurred to many of us is the importance of the family and close relationships as we have had time to reflect.

I will be moving to a smaller house soon and, as I have to get rid of quite a lot of ‘stuff’,  it has occurred to me that when I look around the house to decide what’s precious, there really is very little that I couldn’t live without. Except photographs. Photographs are one of the very few things that can’t be replaced and they are therefore possibly our most important and valuable possession.

Because we have all had more time on our hands than usual, photograph collections that have been overlooked for years have finally been finding the light of day and getting them scanned and either optimised or fully restored has enabled these very special photographs to be enjoyed so much more. 

So, if you haven’t checked out your own photograph collection yet, there is no better time than the cold dark winter months. Apart from anything else, it is actually a very enjoyable exercise. So make that diary note to do it. You’ll be glad you did. 

The post What’s YOUR Most Important, Irreplaceable Possession? first appeared on Photographs Forever.

I am now very excited to be able to offer you a top quality bespoke framing service. This means I can offer custom size prints, mounts and frames to show off your restored photographs in the best way possible so they can receive the attention and admiration they deserve.

The most popular moulding is the solid wood satin black or mahogany with single or double mounts.

Satin Black Frame

Mahogany frame

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I can also provide multi aperture frames – the one below is 20in x 16in with two landscape format 8in x 6in prints and two portrait format 5in x 7in prints. There are several multi aperture options available and the frames can be any size you choose. Heavier mouldings are available for larger sizes.

I can even show you what your photograph will look like before you order including all the relevant dimensions. This is particularly useful if you want a specific frame size to fit a specific space in your house.

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A representation of your own photo with dimensions added

Further details are available here

The post Top Quality Framing For Your Restored Photograph first appeared on Photographs Forever.

John, now long retired, and in the centre picture as a boy, had these three photographs of his brother, himself and his dad on his brother’s new motorbike. He the thought the photographs were beyond repair and was absolutely thrilled that I managed to get the photographs to look this good again. I even turned his dad around so they are all facing the same way to go into the frame!

The post Thought to be Lost – Restored to a Good Result first appeared on Photographs Forever.

Here is the before and after

Debbie then suggested that her customer added a nameplate with the details and also a genuine cap badge to go into the frame too. This was agreed and Debbie supplied these.

Here is the finished article

The post Framed Tribute to a Decorated Soldier first appeared on Photographs Forever.