This Book From The 1900s Shows How Retouching Was Around Long Before Instagram And Photoshop Ever Was

Photo retouching may feel like a product of Instagram, filters, and Photoshop, but the urge to smooth, tweak, and perfect images is much older than that.

A 1909 edition of Complete Self-Instructing Library of Practical Photography shows just how far back photo editing goes, with examples of photographers altering negatives and prints long before digital tools existed. The book lays out the process in detail, from softening faces to removing unwanted flaws, and the before-and-after images make the point fast.

By the time the dry plate replaced the wet plate, retouching was already becoming part of the job. Read on, because the results are surprisingly familiar.

This image mentions the use of "first stage, preliminary etching."

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The finished result appears much smoother. The photographer used "second stage etching and retouching."

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The image on the left shows the original negative, while the image on the right shows the reproduced negative after retouching.

American School of Art and Photography

And below is the original negative print alongside the retouched negative print.

American School of Art and Photography

The photographers began removing imperfections from their subjects using a brush and color from each print individually. However, with so many images to retouch, photographers soon realized that the process was far too time-consuming.

Thus, it was time to develop a method to edit the negatives rather than the prints. "The results of these endeavors led to retouching the negative," the book explains.

A photographer using a pencil and etcher to retouch an image.

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Some front view before-and-after examples of first stage retouching.

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And the side view.

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Back then, the retouching process was far more involved than the Facetune and Instagram filters we use today. Photographers would use tools such as a magnifying glass, etching knife, retouching fluid, spotting brush, negative varnish, and more to retouch and edit their images.

An image retouched using an etching knife.

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And an example of practical commercial etching.

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This woman has been made to look thinner.

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Retouching like this also reminds me of the grandparents who looked built different in vintage photos.

The three stages of elementary retouching.

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This man's crossed eyes were straightened.

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And this woman's closed eyes were "opened."

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The size of this woman's neck was reduced.

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A child is removed from the photo.

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This woman's outfit was altered.

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And this woman was transformed into a statue.

American School of Art and Photography

Here's how people reacted.

i-Ake

"Photoshop is nothing new."

mskvzdt

"Ruining self-confidence for over 150 years."

AngelWyath

A good point!

ChefLoven

The truth is out!

amiokrightnow

Another interesting perspective.

David Little-Smith

"I still prefer the original."

Brandon Esp

The process couldn't be faulted.

Steve Reud

"Amazing to see."

Siobhan McKenna-Power

The book states that "by the combination of etching and retouching - i.e., by the use of the knife and pencil - you etch and model, and with these two instruments, you can make any alteration you desire on the negative." The most common alterations included straightening crooked noses, adding hair, making necks look thinner, and removing items or people from the background of the photos.

How fascinating are these images? What an insight into the beauty standards of history!

It turns out photo editing has been part of the image game for a very long time.

Want more “before-and-after” proof from the past, check out these Old Masters who were the original influencers.