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What's happening to my autographed photo? (Pics inside)

Hey everyone,

I need some help. I purchased this James Stewart autographed photo about three years ago. In the last few months I've noticed that the picture has started to develop "streaks", for lack of a better word, when the light hits it at a certain angle. I don't believe these "streaks" were there when I first bought it. The picture looks okay from a distance but these "streaks" seems to be getting more numerous. I have the picture framed and hanging on my wall, which does face a window, and until recently didn't have UV glass in it, just regular glass. Please have a look at the photos and let me know what you think.

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Permalink Reply by Kamran on August 4, 2016 at 11:44pm

it could well be a chemical reaction to the glass and the photo...it being a glossy print and not matt.....hi gloss pics are always very very sensitive esp with age....your best bet is to take it out of a frame and store it somewhere between plain a4 sheets of paper..otherwise it will not be fit for viewing the way it is reacting....so try and save it

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Permalink Reply by Paul on August 4, 2016 at 11:48pm

Did the framer glue this on the board?

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Permalink Reply by Eric Keith Longo on August 4, 2016 at 11:53pm

Hello,

Sorry to see/hear. I find the locations to be suggestive (not sure of what - hand retouching by a photographer not quite usual on gloss as other finishes I speculate). Most of this seems confined to odd dark areas such as the teeth and lip or follow something dark like the brim or lapel or eye and eyelid. I think Pete or Steve will know more. Whatever it is, stabilizing it, and identifying it, are the next steps as Kamran suggested. Is there some sort of third element - a wild card - unusual mat or adhesive or wood finish or something?

Best wishes,

Eric

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Permalink Reply by ShogunateDK on August 5, 2016 at 12:14am

Kamran - Thank you for the advice. I have removed it from the frame and will see if that helps.

Paul & Eric - A piece of card has been glued to the back of the matt board, so the photo is sitting between the two. I'm not sure if the photo is glued to the card or board, as it came like this. Could this be the potential wild card?

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Permalink Reply by Paul on August 5, 2016 at 1:29am

Can you seperate them. I doubt its the uv glass because that's what everyone uses.

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Permalink Reply by ShogunateDK on August 5, 2016 at 1:37am

Just adding to my original post. On closer inspection of my photo, the "streaks" were incorrectly described by myself. They are not streaks but small dots that appear to no longer have the pixels/ink there.

Paul - I have removed the card from the matt, but the picture has been sticky taped to the matt on all four sides. I have not removed that as yet. What do you suggest?

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Permalink Reply by Eric Keith Longo on August 5, 2016 at 8:55am

Hi ShotgunateDK,

Yet these nicks or bites are still glossy from what you say. I am wondering why they are confined the those odd dark areas and specific forms. Steve's suggestion is good, but this is not silvering (iridescent glow for lack of better words in darker areas from outer edges in usually) as I know it from your scans and our chat. Silvering is often an edge-in affair. These marks are oddly localized to certain form/areas, but not all. I have handled several thousand b/w's, less framed true, and not seen this nicking or speckling or loss of surface (while still glossy) as here - perhaps Steve has.

Best wishes,

Eric