Bringing new clarity to old photographs while respecting their history

Photographs are an important part of the St. Margaret’s Cemetery & Heritage Archive. They preserve the faces of our ancestors, record changes in the community, and provide a visual connection to people, places, and events that might otherwise be forgotten. As we continue restoring and expanding the archive, we are making use of modern technology to improve the presentation of some of these valuable historical images.

Many photographs on our original website date from 2008 or earlier, and some are considerably older. During the early years of the website, when internet connections were slower and computer screens were smaller, photographs were often reduced in size to make pages load more quickly. In some cases, the only surviving digital copy is just a few hundred pixels wide. These images may have been perfectly adequate for the website of the time, but they are often too small to display clearly on today’s computers, tablets, and phones.

To help overcome these limitations, we have begun using artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance selected photographs. This technology allows us to enlarge images, improve sharpness, reduce digital noise, and make details easier to distinguish. The results can be particularly helpful when viewing photographs of individuals, family groups, gravestones, historic buildings, and community events.

The Benefits and Limitations of AI Enhancement

AI enhancement can produce remarkable improvements, but it is important to understand what the technology actually does. Unlike conventional photo editing, which primarily adjusts information already present in an image, AI can reconstruct details that were poorly defined or missing from the original. This is especially noticeable when enlarging very small photographs, where facial features and other fine details may consist of only a handful of pixels.

Although these reconstructed details can appear convincing, they are not necessarily accurate. AI may subtly change a person’s eyes, smile, hairstyle, or facial features, or introduce small differences in clothing and surrounding objects. For this reason, we do not consider an AI-enhanced photograph to be an exact reproduction of the original.

Whenever possible, we compare enhanced images with the source photographs and other available historical references. Family members may also recognize inaccuracies that would not be apparent to someone unfamiliar with the individuals pictured. Their knowledge can be particularly valuable in helping us produce a more faithful representation.

Our intention is to improve the clarity and accessibility of historical photographs without changing their meaning or misrepresenting the people and places they depict.

An Example From the St. Margaret’s Archive

A recent example is the photograph accompanying our November 27, 2008 article, Honouring Their Ancestors. It shows Anne Kells, Helen MacDonald, and Pat Malone, members of the committee involved in restoring St. Margaret of Scotland Pioneer Cemetery.

The photograph preserved on the original website measured only 439 × 288 pixels. While suitable for a small image within an article, it could not be enlarged significantly without becoming blurred and difficult to appreciate. Using AI enhancement, we produced a higher-resolution version that allows visitors to view the three women more clearly.

During the enhancement process, we also used additional family photographs as references to improve the likeness of Helen MacDonald, whose facial features had not been reproduced accurately in the initial result. This experience demonstrated both the usefulness of AI and the importance of reviewing its work rather than simply accepting the first image it produces.

The enhanced photograph now appears in the restored article, where visitors can enlarge it for a closer look. The original remains part of our historical collection.

Identifying Enhanced Photographs

We believe visitors should know when a historical photograph has been substantially altered using artificial intelligence. For that reason, AI-enhanced photographs displayed on our website will carry a small slate-blue label reading “AI-enhanced image.”

The label indicates that AI technology has been used to improve or reconstruct aspects of the photograph. It does not mean that the image is entirely computer-generated, nor does it imply that every visible detail can be verified against the original.

Routine adjustments such as cropping, resizing, or minor corrections to brightness and contrast generally do not require this designation. Our concern is primarily with enhancements that reconstruct details beyond what can be clearly established from the surviving photograph.

We will also preserve original digital photographs wherever possible, keeping them separate from their enhanced versions. For historical and genealogical research, the original remains the primary photographic evidence, while the enhanced image serves as an aid to viewing and interpretation.

Preserving Our Photographic Heritage

The restoration of the St. Margaret’s archive is an ongoing project, and many photographs have yet to be reviewed. Some will require little attention, while others may benefit considerably from careful enhancement. We expect this work to continue as more historical articles, family records, and community photographs are added to the website.

We also recognize that the best source of historical photographs is often the families who have preserved them. Original prints, negatives, and higher-resolution digital files may contain details that were lost when images were prepared for the old website. We welcome contributions from anyone with photographs relating to St. Margaret’s families, churches, schools, homesteads, cemeteries, and community life.

We particularly appreciate assistance in identifying individuals, confirming dates and locations, and correcting inaccuracies. A photograph becomes much more valuable when its history is known, and even a small piece of information can help establish an important connection.

Artificial intelligence offers us another useful tool in the preservation of our community’s heritage, but technology alone cannot establish historical truth. That responsibility continues to rest with original records, careful research, and the knowledge passed down through families.

Our goal is to make the photographs of St. Margaret’s past clearer and more accessible while remaining faithful to the people, places, and history they represent.