Local photographer Adam Paris has taken on another pretty large project. His passion for local history has led to an appreciation for research and preservation, and he is now focusing that passion on restoring old photos and negatives from Hollywood Studio.
Hollywood Studio possessed the only natural color lab in the Owensboro area through the 1960s. Photography and life-size oil paintings were their specialty, though they also had a gift shop. In the early 1960s, they moved to the Emory Centre and their photos and negatives have been in storage since.
Paris connect with the former owner’s son Tony and his wife Jan, and they allowed Paris to salvage some of what could be saved.
“My ultimate goal is get these memories back to families that want them, and to encourage people to learn about their family and town’s history,” Paris said.
What’s in the collection?
Over 15,000 negatives and/or photographs of all kinds of portraiture including senior photos, wedding photos (some albums), in-studio single/family portraits, child portraits, on-site candid portraits, event photos, “scans” from originals brought in to be enlarged/modified and more.
“We’ve even seen funeral and casket images, pet images and more,” Paris said. “But we cannot guarantee the quality of the media as some may have water, age, or storage damage.”
“My goal is to pair these photos with anyone that may want them,” he said.
How can I find out what is there?
This link to a web-based spreadsheet will give first name, last name, alternate name(s), addresses, notes, and box number (if that data exists). The spreadsheet will be updated over time as quickly as possible.
Results will be sorted by last name. Some names are hard to read, so you may want to search for variations of names. You may also need to scroll left to see the “A” column. You should be able to sort and search the spreadsheet.
The spreadsheet also shows the latest date that names were added.
Paris said he would love a few volunteers to help with this project. Message him to learn more about the opportunities available.
“Most of the packets have a name and address on them in cursive,” he said. “Having a team of two people makes the process go fairly quickly. Having a laptop is a plus, as one person can enter the data while the other reads off the information.”
For more information on this project, visit the AP Imagery website.
Ordering Options
Option A – Pick up the packet as-is for $10.
Option B – For a $5 deposit (Paypal, Venmo, etc), Paris will find your file, give you some details about the content or send you a quick photo showing a negative/print so you can determine if you want it. If you choose to purchase a packet, they will be available on a “pick-up day” for an additional $10.
* Multiple packets for the same name will be not be extra, but differing names will be an extra $5/ea.
* Mailing is an option for $8.
Additional Services
Digitize Negative (additional $10) – Negative is pulled, scanned, corrected digitally, and a link is sent to you to download. If multiple negatives exist, add $3 for each additional negative.
Photo Repair (additional $25) – They can digitally fix most torn, scratched, or damaged negatives. Add $10 for each additional image.
Colorization (additional $30) – Digital colorization of black and white images to give some life to your images. Add $15 for each additional image.
