March/April 2009 Kansas City Homes & Gardens Magazine
A precious old photograph can become like new with today’s technology.
The Way They Were
Years of improper storage and handling may mean your heirlooms and art are in need of professional
restoration or conservation to get them back in mint condition.
BY
BJ Alderman
PHOTOGRAPHY
courtesy of Black & White Specialties
You’ve just inherited works of art, but Aunt Madge didn’t keep them so well. What do you do with
family heirlooms too damaged to display? Restoring an item takes it back to its original condition while
conserving it stops deterioration in its tracks. Whatever your object, here’s how to care for it.
Textiles
Leila Harritt of Textile Conservation Services conserves everything from Civil War flags (one found in
a shoebox) to historically important tapestries. As for family pieces, Leila says she typically sees quilts,
samplers, carpets, small tapestries and christening gowns. She cleans them with a specialized vacuum,
inspects for insect damage, makes repairs, mounts them and advises the owners to display them away
from direct sunlight. She recommends that pieces not on display be stored in acid-free tissue or boxes.
Larger items should be wrapped in clean cotton or muslin.
Paintings
Smoking not only damages lungs, it can ruin heirlooms. Leila notes that tapestry conservation in the
Missouri Senate Lounge was only partially successful after fibers absorbed smoke for 50 years.
Fortunately, Mary Schafer of The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art is able to reverse the effects of smoke
on oil paintings. The most common condition issues she sees are paint flaking and damaged canvases,
usually caused during storage or a move.
“Make sure you don’t have a loose fit in the frame and that the hanging hardware is sound so the
painting doesn’t fall off the wall,” she says, adding that you should avoid hanging paintings in direct
sunlight or on exterior walls where temperatures fluctuate. Don’t hang them in master bathrooms or
store them in the attic or basement. It’s best to dust an oil painting with a soft bristle brush once a year to
get into the crevices. “Never try to strip yellowing varnish yourself or dust an oil painting with a rag,”
she warns.
Photographs
Ric Cummings of Black & White Specialties says early imaging methods can be easily smudged or
scratched with a rag. Silverfish may have eaten the paper in a mounted piece, leaving fragile patches
where only the emulsion remains.
While Ric doesn’t restore original photographs — an extremely costly endeavor — he can digitally
reproduce them and restore the copy. Images that have darkened or faded to mere faintness can be
brought back with astounding results. Scratches, creases and discoloration disappear. Even damage to
facial features has been reversed by using additional photos of the same person. Ric retains digital
images indefinitely so family members can purchase copies for years to come.
He recommends that valuable photographs by the likes of Ansel Adams or Imogene Cunningham be
copied then display the copy. “Store the original in a cool, dry, dark place to preserve it,” he says.
Copying on archival paper will help photos last 100 to 200 years more.
Sculptures and Fountains
Paul Benson signed on for a two-year stint at the Nelson in 1992, and he’s still there working on
sculptures. He also volunteers for the nonprofit Save Outdoor Sculptures and works on pieces made of
marble, limestone, lead, bronze and cast concrete. If you’ve purchased a house with garden art or a
fountain that needs repair, or you don’t wish to keep it, Paul can help. For homeowners associations, he
addresses issues like coatings for bronzes and seasonal protection of fountains. For commercial building
owners, he conducts a condition survey and advises on maintenance as well as grants available to help
with conservation.
Picture and Mirror Frames
While considering the profession of paintings conservator, Bob Hamon met a frame conservator and it
changed his career. Now he teaches framing, conserves for museums, makes reproduction frames, and
designs and fabricates them for designers.
Antique frames gap at the corners due to wood shrinkage. After 100 years or so, the V-shaped gaps at
the corners, plus the cracking and loss of the design sculpted from compo (composite material), leave
unsightly damage to a frame.
“When it comes to restoring frames,” Bob says, “the bulk of the expense is in the labor, unlike picture
framing.” Basic framing is something you can learn to do yourself. Anyone interested can call
Woodcraft Supply (913.599.2800) at 87th and Bluejacket to sign up for Bob’s next class.