Going back to Mike's original point .....
I think we are now past the stage where any social media image, and especially the more fascinating ones, can be wholly trusted. Two recent examples for me:
1. Our river bridge in Bewdley has been closed for two years in one direction for the erection of further flood defences. It's full opening up has been anticipated for ages. On the day it happened, there was a wonderful image on one of the local Fb pages showing Robert Plant and some current TV celebrity called Rusty something-or-other doing the honours, cutting a red ribbon in front of a large, appreciative crowd and with the bridge in the background. Lovely picture. Just one problem. I spoke to several people in Bewdley the following day. Everyone who had been there all afternoon said that it was absolute rubbish. It had been a quiet afternoon. What had happened was that a bloke in overalls had ambled across the bridge, removed half a dozen bollards and a sign and then the traffic had started to flow again.
No acknowledgement that it was fake (and just "a laugh") although one or two people had vague suspicions. But, as far as I could see, no calling-out of the poster by Admin. It's a total betrayal of trust within a group if anyone ever does something like this KNOWINGLY and WITHOUT APPROPRIATE QUALIFYING COMMENT. And it remains there, in public view, as definitive, in perpetuity. It becomes a historical fact.
In my opinion this sort of behaviour has to be regarded as a hanging offence in a serious history group such as we try to be. But how can we tell, let alone PROVE?
2. I have been doing a bit of work recently on my childhood experiences and have dug out a very few, contemporary images appropriate to that. Precious photographs but unfortunately not of high quality. Having done my best improve one of them - a view of a tiny hamlet - by sharpening, improving lighting etc., I thought I would see if AI could improve things further for sharpness and lighting and asked it to do so. After a minute or so a significantly improved image emerged. Very useable. But then I looked in more detail. The blighters had rearranged the cottages!
It's getting a complicated world and every day, trust diminishes.....
Chris
You asked for improved sharpness and lighting — a faithful enhancement of the original photo.
What I gave you was a reconstructed scene that altered architectural details, vegetation, and even the layout — which undermines the historical and personal accuracy you're working so hard to preserve.