When I set out to launch a line of Victorian clip art packages, my original intention was to offer meticulously edited artwork, restored as closely as possible to the way it would have looked when it was first published more than 100 years ago.

Well, that approach had two problems. First, if I were to follow it, I'd probably be editing clip art well into the next millenium. But more importantly, my customers told me not to! Many of you have made it clear that you prefer the art to look "old" - that you want the foxing, the sepia toning, and the various other damages that declare to the world that this really is an "antique" piece of art.

So, for the most part, I'm now leaving the artwork pretty much alone. I do "clean up" issues that are the result of the scanning process rather than the age of the art itself, such as the odd gray tinge that the scanner seems to want to add to white pages. (If you see artwork with a white background, this isn't because the "sepia" has been removed. High-quality papers may never take on the characteristic "sepia" tone that is so often associated with Victorian art; they remain white to this day. But, the good news is, you can always add a sepia tint if you want one!)

There are exceptions, however. I do still offer some packages of "fully edited" art and ephemera. Below are some examples of the differences between "as is" and "edited."

Here's an example of an "as is" piece of ephemera, just as it was scanned from a Victorian scrap album. Scrap albums, by the way, have a terrible effect on the art they contain; most albums have highly acidic paper that creates lots of yellowing and discoloration. The exceptions are albums that are created from other types of books, such as old ledgers; ephemera from these albums are often as pristine (except for basic wear and tear) as when they were first pasted onto the page.)

While many of my ephemera packages are "as is," I do offer several fully edited packages, because for many, these offer a wider range of artistic options and art that is easier to work with. In fully edited packages, you may find several versions of the same image. I generally try to offer a restored version of the original image (e.g., greeting card or trade card), if it is salvageable. If the card has a greeting or motto, I may also offer a version with the greeting removed, so that you can add your own text to the image if desired. Where possible, I will also provide a background-free version of the main image, often with both a white and a black background. Here's how this works... (granted this one is a bit of a cheat, as the text is in the border and I just took the border off!)
Restored Original	Text-Free	Background-Free	Background-Free

Here's an example of a black-and-white illustration "as is" and with editing. This image comes from The Girl's Own Paper - and if you want discoloration, you'll find it here! Just click these images to see a larger, more detailed version.
"As Is"	Fully Edited

Enjoy the collections!
Moira Allen, Editor
VictorianVoices.net