Gorskii-Prokudin Image Samples

Samples of restored color pictures of Russia (and Europe) ca. 1905-1915


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Monitor Calibration

All Pictures on this website are calibrated to the following monitor calibration:
In an optimal situation (with the lights off), each bar should appear to be change with equal value, with the leftmost bar being basically black and the rightmost being basically white.

In a normative environment with room lighting, the main difference is that the two leftmost bars should appear to fade a little more rapidly, while the rest should still be about the same.



Samples vs. Fully Restored Pictures

Study: Nets, c. 1915

Original sample
(click on thumbnail for larger image)

This is what typical pictures look like before they are touched. This one has minimal damage besides the fading -- cyan patches, and a lot of scratches that can't be seen at this size.
 Sample quality
(click on thumbnail for larger image)

A few minutes was spent on this sample to make it presentable as a sample. 		Restoration much farther along in progress (adjusted for monitor viewing) -- about 60% complete.
(click on thumbnail for larger image)


Much more time was spent on this sample to show the difference. between a basic sample and a complete restoration.

While the thumbnails of this picture and the previous picture might look fairly similar, the details and, particularly, the color curves and contrast make all the difference.

This one is much more subdued so that when printed, the softness of the picture will come out.



Fully Processed Samples


Here are two examples of finished restorations. These are processed to their optimial colors and contrast balance, only possible after most of the restoration is complete. Adjusted for monitor viewing -- Click on samples for larger version


Mugan. Settler's family. Settlement of Grafovka, ca. 1905-1915

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Detail Enlargement



Click on picture to see larger sized crop. Click here to see a 1-to-1 detail crop (100% zoom-in -- 1595x1221 pixels)





Resolution of the Pictures



The resolution of the samples are about 500x500. The originals are very high resolution. The high resolution scans are about 3300x3200, or 11.25" x10.25" at 300 dpi. Copies of the negatives are available, too, which, for the most part, increase the resolution.


Each picture has incredible detail. Here is an example. First, a 500x500 version:



Monks at work. Planting potatoes. [Gethsemane Monastery] , c. 1910

Now, a closeup at 50% size (click on the picture for a 100% closeup):

The samples

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