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Add Natural Lifelike Colour to Your Photographs

Imagine seeing an old black-and-white photograph in a whole new way – brought to life in full colour. The past suddenly feels closer, the details more vivid, and the memories more real.

With our professional photo colourisation service, we can carefully restore and add natural, lifelike colour to your treasured photographs. Whether it’s a portrait of a loved one, a family gathering, or a piece of history, colourisation gives a new perspective to the moments that matter.

Photographs Forever Colourisation

Why Colourise Your Photos?

✔ See details you’ve never noticed before
✔ Make your family history feel more real and connected
✔ Create a unique and meaningful gift for loved ones

Simply send us your photo, and we’ll take care of the rest.

Questions About Your Photos? We’re Just a Phone Call Away!

In today’s world, it often feels harder than ever to get hold of someone on the phone. At Photographs Forever, we believe in doing things a little differently. Some might call us old-fashioned, but we think being available to speak directly with our customers is invaluable.

Every photo, enquiry, and customer is unique, and we know that you might want some reassurance before committing to send us your precious photos. Whether you need advice on our services or just want to chat about your specific requirements, we’re here for you every step of the way.

As a small, family team we love hearing from our customers and providing help and advice where we can. While we’re often busy restoring your photos or preparing your beautiful photobooks, we encourage you to leave us a message if we can’t answer right away. We promise to call you back as soon as we can.
So, if you have any questions, big or small, or simply need guidance, don’t hesitate to pick up the phone. Your memories are precious, and we’re here to make the process as easy and reassuring as possible.

Robin’s Solution to ‘Lest We Forget’

Our customer Robin has a very striking story behind this photograph he took during a visit to Auschwitz about 10 years  ago and asked us to restore….

 

Photograph Restoration Example

Here’s his story:

“The photograph was taken approximately 10 years in the Auschwitz-Birkenau Camp (just outside of Krakow).

The image is of Kazimierz Budzinski – who entered the camp on 24.04.1942 and was executed on 27.05.1942.

There was a galleried corridor in the camp adorned with images of inmates – his image struck me hard and I stopped for what seemed some time and examined it…examined his expression and his eyes….there was a look of abandonment and fear. I took the photo and kept it. I took this photograph because I wanted to make sure he and his tragic plight would never be forgotten.

Years later I asked Photographs Forever to preserve it and print it for me – which they did brilliantly and it now adorns a space on the wall in my kitchen. Friends et al who visit ask who he is – and by asking – its ‘job done’ because he has not been forgotten.

I subsequently had his number tattooed on my left forearm – exactly as it appeared on his left breast side and it reminds me of him as well as what we are capable, as humans, of doing. People ask about the tattoo and its significance – and again it serves its purpose well – he has not been forgotten.”

Hopefully by adding this to our blog it will be seen by many more people and will continue to reinforce Robin’s dedication to preserving the memory of this man who represents a huge number of people who suffered a similar fate during the Second World War.

Historic and Fascinating Circus Photograph at Wembley 100 Years Ago

British Empire Exhibition - Wembley Stadium1925. Photographs Forever - Photo Restoration

Our customer Clive visited some time ago and brought one of the most fascinating photographs I have seen since I started restoring photographs in 2009. Not only is the quality of the original photograph stunning, the detail contained in the photograph is amazing and you can see some close up details below. This is Clive’s story:

“So here’s a little bit of a back story on the photo that you restored for me and the family. “The Stadium”

The first time I ever set eyes on the photo I was about 6 years old and my father Bruce was arguing with one of his uncles (Neil Cooke) who wanted to sell the photo to which my father was quite annoyed and gave him £100 saying sold (this was about 1980).

As my sister and I grew up the photo hung in the dining room of my parents house and for many years it would get admired from time to time when the room was used. my Grandmother Ouida Monica Cooke pointed out to us that her father (my great grandfather) Leon Douglas Cooke was one of the 5 ringmasters standing in the centre, (he is second in from the left Top hat on and white waistcoat showing) his wife Iona Cooke (Formally Ginnett’s) is sitting rather sternly on the horse to the left of the photo (4th in from the left, Black jacket, right arm on hip).

The photo was taken at  The British Empire Stadium (Now named Wembley Stadium) some time between 22nd June and 15th August 1925.

For the film lovers among you, the opening scene of the film “THE KING’S SPEECH” starring Colin Firth as King George VI giving his first ever public speech opening the British Empire Exhibition.

The original photo had some minor damage and had also started to fade due to light, I knew that I wanted to get this scanned and digitally preserved but also restored as best as possible and I wasn’t prepared to let any happy snaps have a go, It was with this in mind that I began my search, coming across Richard at Photographs forever (from an online search) and after meeting him I was more than happy to let him do his thing and what a wonderful job he did.

Thank you Richard I will be forever grateful for your work.”

Here are some small sections of this amazing photograph

Photographs Forever - Photograph Restoration

Photographs Forever - Photograph Restoration
Photographs Forever - Photograph Restoration

Photographs Forever - Photograph Restoration
Photographs Forever - Photograph Restoration
Photographs Forever - Photograph Restoration

Robertson and Ginnett’s Gigantic Circus was a significant attraction at the British Empire Exhibition held at Wembley Stadium in 1925. This circus was part of the exhibition’s second season, which opened in May 1925 after considerable debate due to the financial challenges faced in the previous year.

The circus featured an impressive spectacle inspired by the famous chariot races held in the Circus Maximus of ancient Rome. Organized by Messrs Ginnett and Robertson, these races involved 400-500 performers in each event, creating a grand and thrilling experience for the audience.

The Ginnett family had a long history in the circus business, with their involvement dating back to the early 1800s. John Frederick Ginnett, a notable circus proprietor, was known for owning a popular circus during his time.

The British Empire Exhibition of 1925, which hosted the Gigantic Circus, was a significant event that aimed to develop imperial trade connections and foster closer political ties between Britain and its territories. Despite the financial challenges faced in the previous year, the exhibition reopened in 1925, partly in an attempt to recoup the government’s investment.

The inclusion of Robertson and Ginnett’s Gigantic Circus at this prestigious event underscores the importance of circus entertainment in early 20th-century British culture and its role in showcasing spectacle and skill at international exhibitions.

Original Photograph Restored and Enlarged Over 15x

We recently restored a small 10cm photograph from Ross Howard. It was a photograph of two men and Ross required a new photograph with just one of the men so that it could be printed life size.

The picture below shows the comparative size.

Here is Ross’s story:

“We run a yoga ashram in Southampton called The Yoga Sanctuary. The man in the photo is Swami Yogeshwar Ananda Saraswati, the guru in our lineage, known affectionately to us as Guruji. Guruji left his body in 1985 and I don’t expect there is picture of such detail (and size!) anywhere on the planet. Hence we are truly grateful, Photographs Forever’s work has meant a lot to all of the community here.

“The original photo was retrieved from an ashram in Rishikesh, India.

Swami Yogeshwarananda left home at 14 for a life of renunciation. He found his way to the Himalayas of North India and Tibet where he practiced severe Yogic disciplines for many years. Through this, he became an adept master and began teaching the wisdom of Yoga, setting up several ashrams across northern India. The Sanctuary’s roots stretch back to when our teacher (Steve Harrison) made contact with Guruji at his ashram in Rishikesh. Guruji left his body in 1985 but continues to inspire the work we do here at the Sanctuary to this day.

On a recent trip to the Rishikesh ashram last December we uncovered some photographs that hadn’t seen the light of day for many years. We brought them back to the UK to make digital copies and decided to get one blown up to life-size to display in our Yoga Shala. A few years back Photographs Forever had enhanced another picture of Guruji that we were also able to get blown up in size  so we knew they were the right people for the job!

We couldn’t be happier with the result. It is like he is standing in front of you in life-like detail. I expect this is the biggest and highest quality photo of Guruji anywhere on the earth and it will cherished by the whole community here for many years to come.”

 

Here is the website of the sanctuary : www.yogasanctuary.co.uk

The Magic of Photograph Restoration – and a Perfect Gift

As a family, we know just how hard it can be to find unique gift ideas each year. That’s why we want to remind you of the magic of photo restoration and colourisation. Every photo collection holds the power to transport us back to meaningful moments in time…

Behind every photo is someone who chose to capture that moment. We’re here to restore those moments, so you can enjoy them as they were meant to be.

Unfortunately, physical photos deteriorate over time, and because it happens gradually, we often don’t notice until the damage is severe…

Whether it’s a wedding day or a loved one who’s no longer with us, photos bring a flood of emotions. This connection to family, friends, pets, and places, and the chance to relive special moments, is truly priceless.

Photographs Forever Restoration Example
Choosing which photos to restore can be daunting, especially for someone else. Our Gift Vouchers make it simple – available in any value and valid for any of our services. Let your loved one decide which photos to restore, while you give a meaningful gift without the stress.

Gift Voucher

 

The Fascinating History of Nutley Motor Services Premises

During the last five years we have restored many historic photographs which capture the local history of our village. Nigel is the owner of Nutley Motor Services and he is fascinated by the history of the buildings that are now his premises. So he asked us to restore and frame many of these photographs to display in his main reception area.

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!

 

Photographs Forever – Truly a Family Business

It has occurred to us you might not know that we are a family team at Photographs Forever. So, we thought we would take a moment to re-introduce ourselves and remind you of the true value of a family business.

I began Photographs Forever in 2009 and, since 2021, I have been lucky enough to have my daughter Amy working alongside me.

Amy and Richard – Don’t panic, this photo of us is from 1999!

As a father and daughter team we truly span the generations, offering a great wealth of experience and a first-hand understanding of just how important our photos are.  Being a small team allows us to act with empathy and common sense at all times – your photos are unique to you and we understand that this means our process needs to be unique as well.

Building relationships and trust with our customers is at the heart of what we do. We have developed so many amazing connections over the years and we love hearing all of the wonderful stories behind your photos – we have been lucky enough to restore some amazing historical images!

As a family business, we know personally just how essential photos are in keeping us connected to our past, for now and generations to come, and we are always here to help or offer advice whenever you need it.

Today, Amy’s partner Luca works alongside us too, heading up our in-house design projects and ensuring we continue to thrive together as a family business.

All you need to do is take the time to sort out those special photographs, and you can leave the rest to us!

How Stephen Saved The History Of The Titanic…

We’d like to share with you the fascinating story of Stephen Raffield, an avid Titanic historian and collector, who came to us last year with a very special photo album. Stephen and his wife had acquired a personal photograph album of John Kempster’s containing unique, never before seen, historic photographs of both Olympic and Titanic ships. The album was headed for being completely dismantled before they stepped in.

Stephen explains, ‘John Kempster joined Harland and Wolff Belfast in 1900, and was appointed as 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.’

Stephen came to us with the Kempster album.  We scanned the photos in high definition so that each photograph could be safely stored on Stephen’s computer and was also able to appreciate the greater detail of the enlarged images for the first time!

We went on to digitally enhance, and bring out of the photos even more definition by using modern technology, and removing any imperfections from the photos which Kempster himself had developed and printed. We also re-created the album so Stephen could give replica copies to his children.

“The restored photos are simply stunning. The originals are amazing and I didn’t think you could improve much from what are the most detailed photos in the world of the launch of Titanic. Absolutely amazing!”

The original album, photographs and the rest of the Raffield Titanic Collection are currently on display in Brisbane, Australia.

Going, Going, Gone! 

Here is one of the frames we provided showing photographs of the Titanic actually being launched.


It’s very easy to start the process of saving your own precious photos. All you have to do is send us a message!

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Reigate & Banstead Mayors Have Been Restored!

We were asked by Reigate & Banstead Borough Council to restore 49 faded framed portraits of their Mayors going back many years. This involved removing the existing photographs from their frames, scanning and digitally restoring each one as well as reintroducing all the red and gold elements of many.  Here is just one of the worse ones showing before and after our restoration.

Photographs Forever Before and After

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.

Photographs Forever