Bringing Memories Back to Life;  The Restoration Process

We want to tell you how we are preserving the legacy of the Sayville High Drama, Comedy and Musicals through some AI restoration.  These vintage memories—originally captured in black-and-white yearbook scans and faded newspaper clippings—have undergone a remarkable digital transformation.

We owe a huge thank-you to Buzzy Gertzen, who has stepped in time and time again to help us restore these treasures. Many of the stunning restorations you’ve seen are courtesy of Buzzy’s talented work. But we can’t always lean on him—he’s a working man with a busy schedule!

So sometimes, we roll up our sleeves and take on the restoration work ourselves.

Today’s featured photo—from the 1936 production of Captain Applejack—shows you the before and after of what we do. We know some of you love the original vintage look, so we’ll always keep that version available. But we also know many of you appreciate the restoration process, which breathes new life, color, and excitement into these cherished images.

So wherever possible, we’ll give you both—the past as it was, and the past as it could be.

By utilizing advanced AI restoration techniques, we have:

• Eliminated Halftone Noise: Removed the “dot” patterns characteristic of old printing presses. 

• Enhanced Facial Clarity: Sharpened features to reveal the true expressions of the performers. 

• Authentic Colorization: Applied historically appropriate tones to costumes, stage sets, and 

lighting to bring these scenes to life for a modern audience.  Hope you enjoy them! 

— your 100% volunteer Sayville Alumni Association Team