Scientists at Threadbone Laboratories have unveiled a remarkable "colour" photograph of the late Professor Brian Thrupiece, created from a black and white original using advanced photo-technology. Developed by the team at Girton Non-industrial Light and Magic and used hitherto only in high budget thrupiecefilm productions, the hyper-digi-optical-holometric-transgenic processing reveals the Professor as never before.
Though a great enthusiast behind the camera, Professor Thrupiece was rarely snapped himself. For this reason there are few existing portraits and still fewer the authenticity of which is not hotly disputed. Even the present likeness, which has hung, since 2005, in it's original black and white incarnation in the Foyer of the DHRA Headquarters in Great Heaving has its detractors. ' "Brian captured by Enrique" ' may well be the least disputed of the disputed portraits', explained, Victoria Albert, keeper of the Thrupiece Museum of Science and Technology 'but there remains significant doubt whether this is in fact the Professor despite the fact that the subject holds an Agfa-Gaevert Uni-focal Type H camera of a kind similar to that favoured by the Professor'.
Still, undaunted by matters of historical verisimilitude, Threadbone Laboratory scientists have spent minutes - some say hours - in "a labour of love" aiming always to bring additional life to the famous image and with stunning results. "It's like seeing him in the flesh, though I never saw him in the flesh", commented culinary design student and Thrupiece literalist, Amy Courtauld-Institute. "It's so uncanny", she continued, "it's like wherever you are in the room, his eyes follow you like, you know, like he sees you. And that smile ... enigmatic I call it".
Speaking at the unveiling, Mrs Amanda J Threadbone acknowledged that the digital restoration was likely to prove controversial. "For some people we have interfered with an icon and you don't interfere with an icon lightly. For this reason we have interfered with it heavily and time will tell whether anyone gives a toss".
Thrupiece enthusiasts can judge for themselves. The portrait is on show in The Tea Rooms, Glanvilles Wootton, until February. A high-definition preview is available by clicking on the image below.
