Xara :: Convert New Digital Image Into Black And White

there are two steps that have to be done:

1) convert the new digital image into an black and white one with that special look (is it the contrast, that makes that special b/w-look?)
2) make it look like disturbed or cracked, cut u and incomplete around the corners, a look, that must be the result of that old technique they have used for the photos at that time.

Is it possible to recreate that look for images, done with a digital camera today?(I have added a example image of an "old west show" I did, that is one of the images I would like to manipulate)