CS thanks for all the sources you brought from the lubavitcher rebbe about the chizuk gained from pictures.
If anything you have reinforced my point. Pictures are useful for looking at, thinking about the person portrayed, and thereby becoming uplifted. This is not at all similar in any way to putting a picture somewhere where it can’t be seen and using it as something “holy” c”v.
And I find it frightening that pictures are treated like sheimos!