02 Oct Heart & Care in Photo Restorations
Emotions run high when downsizing a home. It doesn’t matter if you’re moving into a smaller space or emptying a house after a loved one’s death; sorting through decades of belongings is stressful. Who has the right to determine the trash from the treasure? What seems unimportant to one person may be an irreplaceable heirloom to another, something John W. knows all too well.
A relative was cleaning out the family home after John’s parents passed away. They left a few boxes in the garage for John to peruse, and anything he didn’t want was going in the trash. “One box contained family Bibles, and another had family photos going back generations,” recalls John. On the floor, he found a fallen framed photo of his father at camp in 1933.
“It was severely damaged,” explains John. “Camp was a big part of my dad’s life from little boy through counselor. He would show us this photo.” At some point, the photo got wet and dried on the glass. The image tore during the impact of the fall. He knew he needed to save the photo and put it on display in his own home.
A New Life
This was one of the first projects John brought to Coyle Studios. Our team photographed the damaged photo, restored it, and created a new archival print. The photo looked exactly the way it was supposed to look in 1933. We used an Italian olive wood frame that was true to the photo and matched John’s personal style. He stored the original to keep the history together. The final piece was gorgeous.
As beautiful as the restoration and framing were, he loved working with John and Mary Lou Coyle. “I like Mary Lou’s approach and how she works with you when it comes to budget. I trust Mary Lou with framing. I may be artistic, but Mary Lou sees things in a nonpersonal way. The client can see options in a different way,” remarks John. “Everybody who comes through that door is important. They make that person’s vision really come to life and make it happen.”
Even though the photo was fallen and forgotten, the piece was important to John. “My dad loved camp. Most kids in 1933 were not in camp,” he notes. “I did this for me. It makes me think of my dad. He would have been pleased. He’s been gone twenty-four years this year. He was a good soul, a kind man, and a good husband and dad to the best he knew how.”
Future Projects
Since then, John brought numerous photo restorations, painting restorations, and custom framing projects into our studio. “John has everything from stunning paintings and antique photos to simple 4” x 6” snapshots of friends and family that he shares with them. He treats all of his projects the same way. That’s what makes him special,” says Mary Lou. “It’s always a privilege to work with him because he has tremendous heart and care behind all of it. Every project has a story.”
For John, the feeling is mutual. He loves supporting small businesses and believes in Coyle’s work. “If you want it done right, pay for it to be done correctly. That’s what you do. If you want cheap and quick, you may get the results you’re not planning on,” he advises. “Coyle will work with you to give different stages of expense to make it happen. It challenges Coyle as a business. Mary Lou is a perfectionist; she wants it to be right because it’s their signature. It’s not just a job. It’s their artistic ability to make [a project] good. It reflects who they are as artists. If you want cheap and quick, go to a box store. Go for it. [The final project] may be inappropriate to what the person wants to have. You get what you get. John and Mary Lou do not give sh*** work.”
