Rust and a gradual darkening of the emulsion are common problems with tintypes. In this case, rust had lifted the emulsion and portions had been lost. The image was grainy and lacked detail, and there were numerous scratches over the entire surface. Missing portions can often be re-created from other areas of the image or from reference photographs. It may not be possible, however, to restore important details, such as facial features, where none exists in the original, and if no other source material is available.