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When you think about the photos you may have accumulated – that is, actual pictures printed on paper rather than images on your smartphone – do you ever wonder how the photographic process began?

After hundreds of years of experimentation and advances in optics and chemistry, the first recognizable photograph was created by Frenchman Nicéphore Niépce in 1822. His View from the Window at Le Gras has survived all these years, and may be seen online. At that time he called his process “heliography.” The more familiar term, “photography, ” meaning “drawing with light” was coined in 1839 by British Scientist Sir John Herschel.

In 1829 Niépce formed a partnership with Louis Daguerre. When Niépce died, Daguerre continued to develop the photographic process with ideas of his own. The result was an improved image he called, appropriately enough, Daguerreotypes. Although an improvement, they were difficult to make. By 1860 daguerreotypes had been superseded by newer, less expensive processes.

In 1840 here in America, Alexander Wolcott invented the first camera that made photographs that did not fade as quickly

In 1885, George Eastman pioneered paper film. Three years later he switched to celluloid film and developed the Kodak #1 camera. This made casual photography available to millions of amateurs. No technical training was necessary – just point and click the shutter. The camera came complete with a roll of film sufficient for 100 photos. When the last picture had been taken, the entire camera was sent back to the company where the film was developed, the photos printed and fresh film was installed in the camera. Then both photos and camera were returned to the customer.

Although best known for the camera, Eastman’s real genius was in marketing. His memorable slogan, “You press the button, we do the rest” remains a perfect example of effective advertising.

Beginning with Niépce and continuing with Daguerre to Wolcott to Eastman, growing interest in capturing the images of the people, places and events in our lives drove many other entrepreneurs to develop new advances and methods culminating, most recently, in digital photography.

With the exception of jpegs on your smartphone, how many old photos do you have tucked away in albums, envelopes, desk drawers and cardboard cartons? How have they been stored? What condition are they in? Of those old photos, how many might need a little extra care? Are some beginning to fade? Are some of the colors beginning to lose their luster? Are some cracked, torn or damaged? Are there pieces missing?

Such matters can often be corrected. All it takes is time – and skill.

And, speaking of images, how many old documents might need a little touchup – a grandmother’s marriage license? A treasured hand-written letter from someone special? A special award or certificate from the early 1900s? A love letter written during the Civil War?

Fading text can be brightened and individual characters can be reconstructed. The result can be returned to you in high-resolution print form or as a jpeg on disk or flash drive.

Your old materials won’t last forever. Don’t lose the irreplaceable images of the people, places and events in your life. Bring them here for restoration and preservation. Rates are determined by the complexity of the work. Call now for a free estimate.

Another privately produced vinyl album was a joy to work with. The joyful renditions of so many traditional ballads truly lifted my heart. And, in my fifty-six years in audio, it was the cleanest, quietest analog recording I’d ever heard. There was almost none of the traditional snap, crackle and pop of surface noise to interfere with the enjoyment of the music. All those years ago, someone invested quite a bit of time and money to produce such an outstanding recording.

With the careful application of level one noise reduction, the few remaining noises were eliminated completely so that the digital conversion was completely noise free. The music itself was simply gorgeous – fresh, innovative choral arrangements and superb musicianship presenting choral classics. What a treat for the ear!

It was interesting working with a pair of albums from the late 1940s or early 1950s featuring simple songs for children. Led by an adult and accompanied by simple instrumentation, it was a joy to hear those tiny voices raised in song.

The recorded surfaces had suffered over the years, and were noisy in the extreme. So many years ago it never occurred to anyone that replacements for damaged favorite recordings might not be available in the future. We could replace current playback technology with whatever came down the pike, but many priceless recordings were never re-issued.

Although restoring the sound quality to pristine perfection wasn’t possible, a little care resulted in a noticeable improvement so that a new generation could enjoy the music.

I enjoyed working with VHS videotapes from 40 years ago. The tapes were careful transfers from original sound movies, and quite well done. A few years later the tapes had been transferred to DVD videodisk. Considering the equipment available at the time, that was done well, too.

This time it was decided to repeat the analog-to-digital transfer and try to make improvements along the way – some segments of the videos were so extremely dark that the subjects were nearly impossible to see.

Side-by-side with the client, we reviewed some of the tapes, experimenting with adjustments along the way in order to determine what was possible. It quickly became apparent that the result wouldn’t be worth the effort. In order to improve an image, there first must be a recognizable image. Like Grandmom used to say, “You can only stir soup if there’s soup in the pot.”

So, instead, the original tapes were re-digitized and transferred to disk using more modern equipment and better quality media than previously. The result was an increase in clarity that made a visual review of priceless moments in family history more enjoyable. Free microwave popcorn was included.

What a pleasure it was to produce a video of songwriter Larry Ahearn in concert at Central Wayne Arts Gathering in Wayne. Well-attended, it was an excellent show featuring an enjoyable mix of original and cover material.

Larry has a long and colorful history in music circles, having served for many years as co-manager of Bryn Mawr’s famous Main Point coffeehouse.

Jim McCusker’s new novel, The Edge, continues to move along at an increasingly brisk pace. In pleasant collaboration, we’ve put Chapter 20 to bed and will soon complete Chapter 21. As I write this, Chapter 22 is waiting for my attention.

Jim’s well-crafted stories need very little adjustment, so all I do is offer occasional suggestions on sentence structure, grammar and word choice.

In recent chapters I’ve finally learned what was in the cartons in the back of the big truck. Now, I have to find out what action Ricky will take. Investigating the company he works for is not in his job description, and his employers would not appreciate his unwanted attention into their highly illegal activities. More than risking his job, Ricky is risking his life in pursuing this. Yet, like all flawed heroes, he will press forward driven by the need to know.

I look forward to future developments with genuine excitement!

Sometimes an unusual writing and editing assignment will arrive in my mailbox. One recent project involved just ten lines of text. The words were the easy part.

To be used in a display, the block of text had to have specific dimensions and be precisely centered in the new document. The original font had to be matched as closely as possible, and each line of text had to contain the same words as the original. The purpose of this was to create a new document that could be edited according to the penciled instructions on the original. Most of my time was used in meeting the technical specifications required by the client. This was a rare case where technical skill was more important than creativity.

This has become a very interesting business in that a growing number of clients are folks I’ve never met. Since we communicate by Postal Service, email and telephone, I can’t help but wonder what they look like!

Interest seems to be growing in my (long) short stories, with the latest copy of Harry’s Adventure sent to a client in Florida. In this case, long short story means more than 11,000 words printed on 35 book-size pages.

The story is about a shy man named Harry who had trouble meeting women. Much of his difficulty, as you might imagine, was based on his fear of rejection. However, when Harry began to follow a friend’s detailed instructions, his social life began to improve and true love was found at last.

“Delightful – I really liked it!”

“You are a philosopher! Of all the short stories I ever read, this is the best. We are so serious about life, and life plays with us. Write more, you have such talent.”

*  *  *

Believe in reincarnation? Ask about Reborn Again, a most unusual love story. If you could live your life over, how would you do it?

“This story was like the best delicacy – a love story without equal. More-more-more!”

For a dose of reality, Getting On Top is a 33-page, fully annotated paper exploring both the cause of – and the cure for – human conflict.

“Major, sweeping, provocative and wonderfully done. Congratulations – it’s monumental, moving, informative and thought provoking. I loved the cure – self-awareness!”

“I read your Getting on Top. It is absolutely brilliant. And absolutely correct. Made me remember the song, Money Makes the World Go Round. You analyzed it perfectly – money and power, the two driving forces.“

“A very thoughtful and thought-provoking piece.”

*  *  *

My 410-page autobiography, Little Boy Found, is doing well, with the latest autographed copy sent to a reader in Oklahoma.

“Your book was delightful and entertaining. I enjoyed it very much!”

“I enjoyed it a lot! How can you remember so many details from so long ago?”

“I read the second half in one sitting. I love it! I love the way you did it. Unique. My diagnosis – you have too many talents!”

“Just want to let you know how much I’m enjoying your book.”

“Highly readable, love the Lessons Learned device. Can’t wait to get back to it when I don’t have such pressing matters looming. Great, great job. Congratulations!”

“Great read! Just completed the first fifty pages of Little Boy.”

“The week leading up to Christmas I read your book! When you handed it to me, I believe you said, “I had a very interesting life.” What an understatement! I was just fascinated! We often hear and marvel at how Bob Dylan has continually and creatively “reinvented “ himself over the years. You have mastered this art as well! Thank you so very much for sharing your remarkable story!”

“I am so glad I got the book. Not only well written, but rich with great detail.”

“So love your book. Beautiful cover title and photo . . . goes right to the heart. A very rewarding story that we can read ourselves into.”

 “Love the way you described people, places and friends.”

“Simply captivating. I woke up at 1:30 this morning and read some. Too much like my childhood. Thank you for talking to my inner child. It’s time for me to unwind and get ready to move on.”

“The personal stories resonated with me. I also enjoyed learning about the guy who ran the Main Point [coffeehouse].”

“I wish I’d had this book when I was sixteen. I’d have saved myself a lot of grief.”

“A fascinating read! A very unique person sharing all aspects of his life. Excellent!”

“I very much enjoyed reading the entire book!”

Stories or Articles, hard copy only, $4.95 each, cash or check.

Book: Little Boy Found $31.75

All rates include tax & postage

For more fascinating facts and outrageous opinions see

Open-reel, cassette and micro cassette tapes

Original disk recordings

Videotapes

Photographs, 35 mm slides, documents, letters, awards, etc.

Precise splicing

Replacement audio and video cassette shells

Demos for singers, songwriters and musicians

Complete albums of either original or cover songs

Narrative for educational and promotional video

Audio books

Radio commercials

Narrative for TV commercials

Poetry

Voice recordings for meditation, relaxation and pain management

Music-and-information-on-hold for business telephone systems

Pre-recorded eulogies

Articles

Books

Advertising materials for small business

Poetry

Song lyrics

Business presentations

Seminars and training programs

Speeches

Newsletters

Posters

Effective business card design

Well, that’s pretty much what goes on up here at “King Street Recording Company World Headquarters.” (was that a little over the top?)

What’s next? I expect you to tell me. Everything listed above was the result of someone’s inquiry or request. If you don’t see what you need here, please ask.

You just might get it!

Chief Executive Poobah-in-Charge

King Street Recording Company World Headquarters (Oh, really?)