Conservation • Restoration • Consultation

Select Projects

Paintings

Tavern Scene, by Buchner

This painting was heavily deteriorated with surface deformations, and a heavy layer of soiling and discolored varnish, and a layer of animal glue applied to the reverse. The narrow tacking margins were brittle with numerous tears. Large areas of the painting were no longer visible because of the overall darkened appearance.


Before Treatment Images:

Raking light, showing planar deformations

detail showing loss of detail and area of overpaint on wall

Treatment included removing the canvas from the stretcher, humidifying and bringing the canvas into plane, adding an edge lining to reinforce the fragile tacking margins, cleaning the surface to remove heavy accumulations of soiling, aged varnish, adhesive, and areas of overpaint. Losses were filled and inpainted to minimize their appearance, and the painting was varnished overall.


After Treatment Images:

Raking light, showing improvements

detail showing revealed details

Objects

Leather suitcase used by the client's relative to escaping Austria in 1938

The leather of the suitcase was torn at the hinge, lifting along a side seam, and exhibiting early-stage red rot in several areas. Travel stickers were detaching, and packing tape had been applied to the surface along edges.


Before Treatment Images:

Treatment included carefully removing the tape, reattaching lifting areas of leather and the historic travel stickers, and consolidating the areas of red rot (a process that also slightly darkened the leather, in this case bringing it closer to its original color).


After Treatment Images:

Presentations

Presentations on Collections Care to general and professional audiences, including:

Are Objects Forever? The Evolving Thinking on Conservation and Collections Care with the George Floyd Global Memorial, Panel discussion (Hosted by the Arizona State University Art Museum online, May 9, 2024)

Caring for Your Family Heirlooms to St. Cloud Area Genealogists (St. Cloud; MN, 2023)

Caring for Catholic Diocesan Archives, and Ask the Conservator to The Association of Catholic Diocesan Archivists (ACDA Annual Conference, Mundelein, IL; 2022)

Choosing Materials for Museum Storage a free webinar for museum professionals (Connecting to Collections Care, online; 2021) archived at: https://connectingtocollections.org/museum-storage/