How to copy a wedding album...

[ChristopherCoy]

I'm putting this here, because I dont know where else to put it.

I have a friend who emailed me for help. She wants to get some copies of her wedding pictures made, and has a few questions. First of all she got married in the mid 80's, and cannot find the photographer who shot her wedding. She's looked everywhere, and searched everything trying to find him, in order to purchase the negatives. Second, she has the album but can't figure out how to get it apart to even scan the images.

So the first question is, what is the protocol for getting copies of images made by a photographer who is no longer in business and cannot be found?

And the second question is, how do you take apart this wedding album? I've included pics of the album that she sent me.

[revjvegas]

I know the frustration.
We were married 19 years ago and we could not locate our photog either when we came to think about wanting to do something with the pictures. Luckily, I have a scanner that is decent and our wedding album is not sealed like the one you posted looks to be.

Not sure if you can take that one apart without destroying it.

[mmuhlenkamp]

Can the brass corners be gently pried off? I'm thinking the right edge might open up if the brass corners weren't holding it together.

[J Eddington]

Why not ask Art Leather about how to properly remove them? :)
Did you check for a opening in the center?

[Howard Barlow]

The inserts 'snap' in place under the mat. Yes, they can easily be removed. Lift up on the spine side of the page and gently jiggle the insert until it wants to move. Push the insert out. Hopefully, the print is taped to the insert with small pieces of tape.

Definitley, DO NOT try to dismantle the brass edges. It all goes together, and come apart from the spine edge.