The advice to look at the loan agreement is critical.  I believe that unless
there is wording that specifically addresses this, you do not have
authorization to do any treatment, and could be sued if you did,
particularly if the owners ended up dissatisfied with the results.

 

Lucy Sperlin

Benton County Historical Society

Oroville, CA

 

  _____  

From: Museum discussion list [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf
Of Pamela Silvestri
Sent: Monday, July 02, 2007 6:03 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Treating painted furniture

 

Jackie,

 

I'm very interested in this because of the many issues surrounding it. For
what your contending with, it's most important for the owner of the
collection to be aware of all the options in order to make an informed
decision. 

 

However, since the furniture is from a private collection, and I assume from
what you've written, that the furniture is on loan and displayed/housed at
your facility...it probably would be wise to not consider treatment/cleaning
the furniture any further at all while it is there. Even with the proper
advice/research, I don't feel it is your responsibility to take on actually
doing much more than that. It would be important to consider this issue in
the context of the loan agreement.  Light cleaning -dusting as you are doing
is most appropriate as far as I can see from what you've written.

 

It may be best for you to simply pass along copies of technical leaflets,
etc., to the owner and recommend that he consult with a furniture
conservator. I feel that doing anything beyond this...such as possibly doing
the work yourself (other than dusting) is not your responsibility not that
of your organization. Nor would it be wise to allow the owner to do the
actual cleaning while the furniture is in the possession of the museum.

 

I've never been a big fan of wax because dust/dirt/debris becomes imbedded
in the wax so easily. Wax and polish can inhibit mold growth if proper RH
isn't maintained.

 

Dust and perhaps lightly cleaning with a soft (except where loose paint is
present), damp cloth are the least invasive methods of cleaning. Anything
much more than that may go beyond surface cleaning and disturb the original
patina. 

 

Besides this...a determination would need to be made as to whether the paint
is original to begin with. And if it's the only layer of paint. 

 

In regards to monetary value, the example Dave of how a piece can be
devalued by removing the original finish and thus the patina is a something
I've heard so many times before and it is so true!

 

I love older furniture and I refer to my home decoration style as "Early Tag
Sale". Most of the antique furniture I've acquired aren't pieces that are
rare or of much value, but before I do anything to them, I keep in mind that
they may become valuable in the future. 

 

I have an oak chest of drawers that my mother bought for me when I was
little and she had spray painted it. The paint was very easy to remove by
lightly sanding with very fine sanding paper. "Ingrained" in the wood,
beyond the original finish, were burn marks and rings, from a coffee cup
perhaps. At first I wanted to see if I could remove these by sanding a
little further or using a product to lighten them up so that they wouldn't
be so 'unsightly'.

 

I for sure didn't want anyone who saw the chest to think I was the one who
caused the burn marks, etc. But I consider this damage part of the history
of the chest and it adds character to it. I'd even find myself imagining who
the previous owner(s) was and how she or he caused the damage. (It was a
'he' and he was being careless and otherwise, hadn't thought much of the
common, cheap oak chest).

 

I've brought home so many filthy, seemingly ruined pieces and...if the stain
was still there I'd simply take a damp cloth and clean off the dirt and then
poly them (hand-rubbed, usually). 

 

I mention my personal methods of cleaning furniture because it is important
to know how the owner has cared for them. We can't assume that every antique
piece that we come across has been meticulously cared for over time. But
what we can find out is how they were typically cared for throughout time
and the types of products they may have been available and may have been
used. And also what methods/habit of cleaning may have been used by the
owner(s).

 

Had the furniture that you are caring for been previously waxed by the
owner? Even if there doesn't appear to be a wax on it now or most has been
worn off, there may still be some residue. These sorts of issues also need
to be known before deciding on a method for cleaning the surface.

 

I also get the sense that the owner may turn out to be dissatisfied by the
results of any cleaning. More intensive cleaning and/or stabilization of the
paint will not assure a better appearance of the furniture.

 

Pam

 

In a message dated 6/29/2007 11:21:15 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time,
[log in to unmask] writes:

Can anyone recommend a course of treatment for 1830s stenciled furniture?  
These are pieces in a private collection and the owner would like to "clean"

them and then asked about perhaps using a wax on them to seal the surface.  
Some of the furniture exhibits actively cracked and possibly loose paint on 
the surface. On these pieces I don't feel comfortable doing anything other 
than dry dusting, let alone subjecting them to the vigor needed to wax them 
as well.

Other pieces, however, are in much better condition. I am afraid to use 
anything without knowing what the composition of the paint is and I'm not 
sure of what the least reactant wax might be.  Any advice is greatly 
appreciated. I've consulted the technical leaflets of the NPS and also the 
AIC, but consulting a conservator specifically about this is unfortunately 
not in the budget. I would like to improve the appearance of the furniture, 
but not at the cost of ruining the surface.

Thanks for all input.

Jackie Killian

 

Pamela Silvestri, Seasonal State Parks Interpretive Guide
Northeast States Civilian Conservation Corps Museum
Shenipsit State Forest Headquarters
166 Chestnut Hill Road
Stafford Springs, Connecticut 06076
Telephone: (860) 684-3430
e-mail: [log in to unmask] or
[log in to unmask]





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