Restore ancestor photographs
Cabinet cards, tintypes, sepia portraits, and the early-20th-century family group photographs that anchor a genealogy project — restored without losing the period feel that makes them valuable.
From 10 credits ($1.00) per photo · 12-month validity
How it works
From upload to download in three simple steps.
1. Upload
Upload a JPG, PNG or WebP up to 10 MB. The clearer the original scan, the better the result.
2. AI processes
Our AI analyses your photo and applies the appropriate model. Most jobs finish in under a minute.
3. Download
Compare before / after, then download the high-resolution result. Your originals are never used to train AI models.
See the difference
A faded family scan repaired and colourised by Photo Repair Lab — no slider tricks, just the real result.
Original
Restored
Restored & ColourisedGenealogy restoration is different
A genealogy researcher wants the opposite of what an Instagram filter wants. Authentic period feel, preserved studio imprints, intact mounting cards, original sepia tones, and unmodified details (jewellery, clothing, regimental insignia) are all features, not bugs. Our restoration preserves all of this while removing the actual damage — fading, foxing, surface scratches, and water marks.
For very old photographs (Victorian cabinet cards, tintypes, ambrotypes) use Conservative Restoration — the gentlest option, designed to repair damage without flattening the soft, slightly imperfect look that defines 19th-century photography.
Preserve, don't modernise
We do not retouch features that look like damage but are actually historical detail — embossed photographer logos, decorative card mounts, censorship stamps, hand-written annotations, and original sepia or albumen tones all stay. If you specifically want a "modern look" version of an ancestor photograph, run a second pass with Comprehensive Restoration and colourisation for a side-by-side comparison.
Frequently asked questions
You might also need
Complete the project
Restoration is usually step one. Here’s what most people do next.