The Rhode Island Historical Society continues its free Inside the Archives series on Thursday, April 7, at 5:30 p.m., with a program exploring the five-year process to physically and digitally restore America’s oldest theater backdrop which depicts Providence.
Digital artist Lydia Gyurina and photographer and giclée printer Steve Gyurina will detail the unique process they used to create a fully restored digital reproduction of the early-1800s backdrop using multi-image capture and digital retouching, as well as the contributions of Matthew Andrade, who artfully retouched prints made from the digitally restored files by hand-painting trees, water and architectural details that could not easily be retouched digitally.
The program will be held in the ballroom of the Aldrich House, where guests are invited to admire the original theater curtain, as well as prints from the various stages of the restoration process. Free tickets are available at rihs.org.
Steve and Lydia Gyurina are a father-daughter duo working in Stoneham, Massachusetts, at Artopia Giclée, a digital fine art capture, archival print, and custom frame studio. Steve has photographed thousands of artworks during the past 35 years for artists, museums, galleries, art dealers and individuals. Lydia joined Artopia as a studio assistant in September 2020 after graduating with a degree in animation and video from Virginia Commonwealth University. At the studio, she helps to photograph and retouch documents and artworks, and manage client projects, while also freelancing in animation and design.
Inside the Archives is a part of the Rhode Island Historical Society’s Bicentennial Celebrations, sponsored by Amica Insurance.