This is an example of what can be done with a little computer work to improve old photographs. The picture above is from a very old post card. It is noted as being a view of Alimena, Sicily. The original scanned image is below. The adjustments were very simple. All it took was some fiddling with the contrast and brightness. Because the original is black and white, but scanned in color, it did not need any significant color or vibrance adjustments.
The image above is directly from the scan of the old postcard of Alimena, Sicily. Not that over the last 100 or more years the original photo faded and became washed-out. Processing this photo to make it look as it does in the top image takes only a few minutes and is well worth doing as it saves a picture that some people might have thrown out.