Keep a Photo Front and Back Together as One Tropy Item
By ImgHeal · Updated
Use one Tropy item for a physical photograph when its front and back are two views of the same object. This keeps a portrait and its inscription connected without pretending they are one image. Give each view a clear name and preserve the separate source files.
Explore this topic: Organize a photo archive
Decide what the item represents
Write a short rule before combining files: an item represents one physical print, not every photograph of a person. Two prints of the same portrait may have different inscriptions, dates, owners, or damage. They deserve separate object records when those differences matter. For one print, identify the front and back captures using the same stable object ID plus a view suffix. Check the physical or scan-session evidence that ties the two sides together instead of pairing files merely because they are next to each other.
Attach both views and inspect shared information
Tropy permits multiple photos within one item. Add the back view to the existing front item using its photo-adding workflow. Name the views so the inscription is easy to find. Put information about the whole object at the item level, and keep observations that concern one capture attached to that photo or a specific selection. If a back was photographed at another time, record that capture history separately from the scene date. Avoid making a capture timestamp into the object's historical date simply because it is precise.
Check the item in a real research question
Search for the object ID and ask whether a reader can move from the portrait to the inscription without guessing. Review the view order and compare your transcription with the full back image. A cropped inscription can be useful, but retain the complete back including stamps and edges. If you add an ImgHeal viewing derivative, label it as edited and distinguish it from the original front capture. Keep the research record understandable when somebody sees the restored portrait alone by carrying the object ID into its filename or accompanying caption.
Check this workflow
- Define one physical object per item.
- Name front and back views explicitly.
- Keep view-specific observations out of shared object facts.
Sources and further reading
- Tropy: Combine photos into itemsDocuments item grouping, retained metadata during merging, and splitting combined items.
Questions about this restoration task
Should every picture of one ancestor be merged into one item?
Usually not. Shared subject matter is better represented with organizational links or tags. Separate physical photographs can carry distinct provenance and inscriptions.
Continue with a related guide
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