Photo Restorations by Tim G.

Breathing new life into old photos since 2012.

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52 Ancestors, No. 10. Henry Anflick: An Honest, Reasonable, Reliable Paperhanger

Henry Anflick was my mother’s paternal grandfather. Piecing together his early family history has been a conundrum. It may be time to call in the professionals to whisk me away, Who Do You Think You Are? style, to the place of his birth: Odessa, Ukraine. Okay, well, maybe best to wait until things settle down over there. The current unrest notwithstanding, some Ukranian archives are probably the most likely place to find clues as to this man’s origins.  Continue reading

52 Ancestors, No. 8: Antonino Rocco Scaletti, Prolific Sicilian Farmer

Of all the heros on my family tree, I believe none are more widely and openly venerated by his living descendants than this man, Antonino Rocco Scaletti. I say widely because that describes the breadth of his progeny. I say openly because he is the only one of my great-grandparents for whom photographs and memories are facebook news feed staple among his living grandchildren. Continue reading

Major Restoration: Discoloration

Here is one of my better efforts, done for a client a few weeks ago. I don’t offer full colorization (yet), but if some portions of your photo have been discolored, I can match the unaffected portions of the image. This restoration took several sessions to complete, so I would ask more than usual. Remember, though, that I do watch a lot of American Pickers, so I’m open to negotiation.

52 Ancestors, No. 4: Anne Reibold, Bighearted Farm Woman


I haven’t yet planned out my year of ancestors. I might plan it, so as not to neglect some essential persons. (Who would be a non-essential person?) So far, I’ve chosen whom to write about week-by-week, and preference has gone to heroic people with great stories,for whom I have a picture suitable for restoration, and about whom, I suspect, most living people in family would not have known, but for my research. The trend continues this week, with one slight difference: This week’s ancestor is a hero of the everyday variety. I don’t expect to find her picture in the newspaper, or any recordings of her in the Library of Congress. No buildings bear her name. No gimmicks. No tricks. Don’t let any of that fool you. She’s a family hero. She is Anne Reibold.  Continue reading

52 Ancestors, No. 3: John P. Boland


Maybe I’m front-loading my list with family superstars whom I truly admire. I think you’ll begin to see, however, that no story is too small, as Amy Johnson Crow will remind us. To the contrary, I think the heroism of my everyday ancestors will reveal itself once it is properly showcased beside the legends. All stories are big, in a way.

This week’s legend is Philadelphia Judge John P. Boland, a cousin of my paternal grandfather’s father. Continue reading

52 Ancestors, No. 2: Samuel Harmon Anflick, Big Band Violinist

I took an interest in my maternal grandfather’s family early on for three reasons: First, he died in in 1986, when I was five years old, so my memories of him are barely there. I could nary remember what he looked like before my mother showed my some pictures for my nascent genealogy project. Researching him and his family is a way to make up for lost time. Second, he was Jewish, whereas my other three grandparents were Catholic. I was raised Catholic, myself, so researching his family has been like adopting a new culture. Perhaps most of all, however, the name fascinates me. Continue reading

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