First a huge shout out and thank you to Joey F for not only making this available to me, but working with me on the deal allowing it to happen. This immediately becomes one of the best Gehrig photos I own and, IMHO, is one of those "cream" pictures Ben was speaking about. I am about as giddy as a grown man can be about owning a photograph of a dead baseball player.
Ok, now that I am finished being emotional, here is the question. Should I send it to a conservation place to have it restored/preserved or not? I am torn about it. On one hand the condition of the picture is part of it's history and I wouldn't want to ruin it in any way. On the other hand, restoration can do incredible things for an item's beauty. While "value" is not the reason I collect, it is not lost on me the fact that the condition of the photo is part of the reason Joey could purchase it for the price he did and I could purchase it from him for the price I did. As with many posters and prints in other auctions, I think that a well done restoration would definitely enhance the value of the photo as well.
So what do you think? If I decide to send it for restoration, can anyone recommend a restoration place they have experience with?
Thanks everyone for your opinions.
Best,
Mark