This tintype was about as bad as they get without being totally unsalvageable. The original was so dark that the image was barely visible—what you see on the left is an enhanced scan, before restoration was started. Below, center, the detail enlargements show just how much facial work was needed.
The background, clearly unrestorable, was discarded. A suitable period background could have been added, but the vignette removes a lot of junk that distracted the eye away from the subject.