The Framers Forum

I have been slogging through my families hoardings and found some paintings and photos in frames mostly with brown paper backs and quite horrid cheap old ugly frames. But I would like to gild some of them and maybe just paint some to match the wall if that's not weird...the ones without pictures I thought I might hang as sort of wall panels. And I have used gild before but I've never taken the picture out and rebacked it. A lot of smoking went on and lots of yellowing inside and outside the glass and the paper is brittle and cracking. I had thought I might get the photos photocopied and the contrast adjusted as some are very faded. and then I've no idea what to do from there. The backing boards and fronting boards with holes for the picture to peek through... And even how to hang them. so hopefully I will get some good advice on here. It will take me some time its an ongoing project so I'm not in any rush. But may as well be in the forum for that moment where I put my foot in it and need emergency advice! As very often happens half way through me thinking I'll have a go of fixing some old thing or other. Anyway. Looking forward to learning.

Hello Nooby and welcome to this forum.
It would be really useful if you were able to post photos of some of the pictures, in their frames.
That way you'd get more informed advice.

HI Nooby,
Welcome to the forum.
You're right, it's worth getting old photos scanned adjusted and reprinted, keeping the originals somewhere safe and dark. Not only does it allow more family members to have a copy framed but often gives you such a good result that nobody wants to hang the original.