When it comes to photography, image alteration has long been prevalent. It is more than just a humorous reference to the past; a genuine airbrush was regularly employed on prints long before digital photography was even a glimmer in our eyes. The airbrush tool is more than just a fanciful reference to the past.
Tony Richards, a British photographer, began to take a closer look at fine albumen prints, which is when he first became interested in the Victorian touch-up technology. During the process of scanning the photographic plates that were used to create albumen prints, he discovered that the photographers had put touch-up marks on the emulsion side of the plates. He observes that this result was “quite possibly the opposite effect than that [which] was originally intended for the printed version.”
h/t: vintag.es