Hoi,
In the results I noticed that the restorations are not marked as such. The original artist is credited. This is problematic because these pictures became featured pictures because of the massive amount of work done to get these pictures back to such a pristine quality. It is important because the visibility and appreciation of restorations stimulates more people to help us with their work. It is important because archives and museums value the documentation, for them it is an argument to share high quality images with us.

I showed several of the restorations done by Durova at the Spaarnestad archive, this is an archive that contains among other collections the archive of the ANP the "Algemeen Nederlands Persbureau" and they were REALLY appreciative of her work; they compared her restoration of an elder Darwin with their own restoration of the same picture and told me that technically they can do a restoration to such a standard, there just is not the money to do this..

In conclusion, I am not sure, this is an official announcement but I feel that I should edit this. I do prefer an official reaction and I prefer it to be done on the announcement itself and preferably with a reaction on the mailing list.
Thanks,
      GerardM

http://www.spaarnestadphoto.nl/

2009/5/31 miya <narniancat_miya@yahoo.co.jp>
Dear Wikimedians,

The 2008 Picture of the Year competition is now concluded at last,
and we are happy to announce the results:

WINNER: Horses on Bianditz mountain
 (File:Biandintz eta zaldiak - modified2.jpg)
   # 1 -  74 votes in Round 2
   # 1 - 260 votes in Round 1 - Category:Other animals
   Taken by Mikel Ortega  Edited by Richard Bartz. .

RUNNER-UP: Fire breathing "Jaipur Maharaja Brass Band" in Chassepierre, Belgium.
(File:Fire breathing 2 Luc Viatour.jpg)
   # 2 -  71 votes in Round 2
   # 1 - 225 votes in Round 1 - Category:People and human activities
   Taken by Wikimedian Luc Viatour.

2ND RUNNER-UP: Steam locomotives of the Chicago & Northwestern Railway in the roundhouse
(File:Locomotives-Roundhouse2.jpg)
   # 3 -  46 votes in Round 2
   # 1 - 170 votes in Round 1 - Category:Constructions
   Taken by Jack Delano.


As we couldn't get the automated server set up,
a low-tech voting method was used this year, and
we had a trouble in checking and took so much time.
(We hope there will be a better system for next year)

In the first round, there were 501 images in the gallery.
The candidates were all the files which were promoted to
the Featured Picture of Wikimedia Commons in 2008.

51 files, the winners and honourable mentions in each category
went on to the final round to select the picture of the year 2008,
where 712 voters voted.

Congratulations to all the contributors
who helped create these beautiful works
and made them available to the world as free content.

A complete listing of the voting totals is available at
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Commons:Picture_of_the_Year/2008/Results .

Thanks to all the voters for participating.


Thanks, Wikimedia Commons Picture of the Year committee
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Commons:Picture_of_the_Year/2008





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