I think that StarTrekHistory.com does not, in fact, assert that restoring the images has given them the right to receive income based on that restoration; they seem to have done the exact opposite--refraining from deriving any income from those images.
Converting the images to black and white doesn't suddenly grant
that "restorer" the right to make money from the images, does it?
You're still dancing around the issue, dude, that restoring a photo gives NO rights to the photo. You're acting like it gives total ownership to the photo. I believe these are all public domain = free to everyone to repost.
Everyone has the right to republish those images on the web or in books. That the definition of material that is not legally copyrighted by anyone but is part of the Public Domain.
And being part of the Public Domain (non-copyrighted) is not the same as being available to the public. I think the written text in the book is a new creation that can be copyrighted by the author ... but those photos can be reused by anyone.
startrekhistory, or perhaps others here, seem to be asserting that restoring public domain images gives them the right to prevent others from publishing copies of those public domain images - which is not true, IMO.
Peace and Love, Dudes. I guess we'll just disagree on this!