There are many objects which had more than one use... and as a result were modified for their later uses... particularly architectural or technological artifacts.  One common modification was paint, either over an earlier
 finish, or over other paint.  As a result you may need to remove paint to uncover a previous finish, or alternately remove paint due to failure of the existing paint system prior to repainting.

Paint removal may be appropriate after research and documentation of all the existing finishes.  Choosing to never remove paint, means that evolved artifacts can only represent their most recent incarnation, whether that
is the most significant or appropriate incarnation, or not.

We seem to have developed a schism in the museum community concerning restoration which I don't understand. We apply standards appropriate to art objects, to technological objects, but not to architectural ones. It seems
to be acceptable to remove paint from a historic building prior to restoration, but not from a piece of furniture or an automobile.

Randy Hees, President
Society for the Preservation of Carter Railroad Resources (SPCRR)
PO Box 783, Newark CA 94560

A not-for-profit museum specializing in preserving and interpreting the heritage of narrow gauge railroading of the Pacific Coast & equipment built by the Carter Brothers of Newark California. Operating the last regularly
 scheduled horse-drawn railroad at Ardenwood Historic Farm in Fremont, CA.

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There are many objects which had more than one use... and as a result
were modified for their later uses... particularly architectural or
technological artifacts.  One common modification was paint, either
over an earlier finish, or over other paint.  As a result you may need
to remove paint to uncover a previous finish, or alternately remove
paint due to failure of the existing paint system prior to repainting.

Paint removal may be appropriate after research and documentation of
all the existing finishes.  Choosing to never remove paint, means that
evolved artifacts can only represent their most recent incarnation,
whether that is the most significant or appropriate incarnation, or
not.

We seem to have developed a schism in the museum community concerning
restoration which I don't understand. We apply standards appropriate to
art objects, to technological objects, but not to architectural ones.
It seems to be acceptable to remove paint from a historic building
prior to restoration, but not from a piece of furniture or an
automobile.

Randy Hees, President
Society for the Preservation of Carter Railroad Resources (SPCRR)
PO Box 783, Newark CA 94560

A not-for-profit museum specializing in preserving and interpreting the
heritage of narrow gauge railroading of the Pacific Coast & equipment
built by the Carter Brothers of Newark California. Operating the last
regularly scheduled horse-drawn railroad at Ardenwood Historic Farm in
Fremont, CA.



John Scafidi wrote...

Is there warrant - other than a desire to DO something - for separating
the history of this object from the object itself by removing the prior
coatings?