photograph showcase

Photograph Showcase: Grandpa Duval at 54

DUVAL, Frank, 15 November 1955, negative
Frank Duval, 15 November 1955

My great-grandfather, Frank Duval, lived to be 94.  He died when I was in college.  I knew him better than any of my other great-grandparents.  I have lots of fond memories of time spent in his home.  He was such a good man.  Can’t you just see that in his smile?

DUVAL, Frank, 15 November 1955, negative, 2
Frank Duval, 15 November 1955

These first two photos came from negatives.  Just like last week, the negatives are wider than my scanner could accommodate so they are cropped a bit.  With the negatives were these two test prints (seen below) on very thin paper.  When I saw them I felt such a connection with my great-grandmother.  I knew that she painted photos with oil paints and it totally makes sense that she did other types of editing, but I have no idea how she fixed Grandpa’s hair.  I know how I would fix it using photoshop, but she did this completely by hand somehow.  I bet she would have been a photoshop wiz!  And now that I have seen her handiwork, I feel less guilty about touching up some of her beautiful portraits to remove dust and scratches.

And here is her final version:

Francis Henry Duval

She was so talented!

 

Happy Thursday, I hope you make a fantastic photo discovery today!  If not, I hope you will scan and share a special photo today.  xoxo