This high chest of drawers is attributed to Marjo John Dunlap of Bedford, New Hampshire, circa 1970. As published by Leigh Keno American Antiques, "this high chest represents the highly innovative craftsmanship of Major John Dunlap (1746-1792) and Lt. Samuel Dunlap (1752- 1830), pioneers of a multigenerational family of cabinetmakers who worked in south-central New Hampshire in the late eighteenth and nineteenth centuries."
"When I first heard that The Center had a collection of instruments coming into the lab for treatment, I was not envisioning that they would all fit on my desk mat." But fit they did - all thirteen miniature instruments in total that came under the care of Senior Conservator of Furniture Rob Kleeman. As Rob shared, the project was interesting due to its "scale," but the story behind the curios illustrates the immense size of their importance.
Though today we call it a desk, this striking piece of furniture is a stunning example of a Queen Anne period bureau. Queen Anne-style furniture was predominant from the 1720s to the 1760s. This bureau, likely constructed circa 1730, is a stunning example of the craftsmanship and design of the time.
Families still come together for dinner, but how many are hosting dinner parties? Many households may have seating for two, four, or maybe 8, but these days not many have seating for 30. For affluent families at the turn of the 20th century, the ability to host large dinner parties was a mark of wealth and social standing - a display of opulence. Tables were deliberately designed wider than we see today, as speaking to guests across the table was considered bad manners. And dining room tables also had many leaves to adjust to the perfect length to accommodate that evening's guests.
Our Furniture Department is thrilled to have performed a complex, multi-step treatment of a Chinese masterpiece. The Imperial Screen was produced as a gift in 1791 during the reign of Emperor Qianlong (1711 - 1799), the fourth emperor of the Qing dynasty who had one of the longest reigns in Chinese history, lasting just over 60 years from 1735 to 1796. The screen came to the United States for display during the 1939 Worlds Fair; The Golden Gate International Exposition in San Francisco. It is now a prized part of the Lizzadro Museum of Lapidary Art in Elmhurst, Illinois.
After over a decade in their home, the owner of this Biedermeier table decided it was time to have The Conservation Center’s Furniture Department examine it for treatment. This tilt-top table features walnut veneer, a detailed vine motif boarding the edge of the tabletop, and trefoil legs adorned with transfer decoration of swans, making it a beautiful example of the Biedermeier style. But naturally, after about 200 years, there were conditions issues to address, and the owner determined it would be best to address them proactively before any further deterioration occurred.
Showcasing the beauty of antique furniture in your home décor can provide depth and warmth in a way that modern designs cannot match. The aged fabrics, custom finishes, fragile design details, and the maker's hand create a unique character that adds to the item's history and charm. However, age and history also require a certain level of consideration when putting antique furniture to day-to-day use.
Love is in the air with Valentine’s Day this month, and we couldn’t think of a more suitable time to finish restoring Abraham and Mary Todd Lincoln’s “Courting Couch” for The Springfield Art Association’s collection in Springfield, Illinois. Romantic sparks flew between the 16th U.S. president and his future First Lady, Mary Todd, right on this horsehair-upholstered sofa built in the 1830s. The Conservation Center revived an 180-year old loveseat and along the process, uncovered a lost piece of history hidden in the arm cavity.
The Farnsworth House located in Plano, Illinois experienced a devastating flood in 2008. The Conservation Center was contacted and our team was sent to safely remove the wardrobe during restoration of the house. It remained secure in our fine art storage facility until conservation treatment was approved.
Over the years, the Furniture Department of The Conservation Center has helped conserve many works of antique and fine furniture, both from museums and private clients. So this month, as the weather chills and we all get cozy in our big comfortable chairs, we wanted to highlight them, their work, and what we think are their best treatments.
The Center's Gilding Department specializes in the preservation of frames and objects with gold, silver, and metal leaf applied to the surface. A wonderful example of the type of projects our Gilding Conservators frequently undertake recently came to us in the form of a mirror in need of conservation.
The Conservation Center is proud to be part of a vast community of individuals and institutions dedicated to conserving the past. We recently had the opportunity to work with such an institution, the Oak Park Public Library, to help conserve a part of their history.
One of the misconceptions concerning work performed at an art treatment facility such as The Conservation Center is that an object or a piece of art must have significant value on the market to qualify for professional care. This is simply not the case. While many of our clients have high-end pieces that belong to large-scale collections and museums, our conservators also specialize in treating family antiques and heirlooms that have sentimental value.
Family heirlooms connect generations in a deep, personal way. From the handed down bible and grandmother’s knitted quilt, to a late 1800s baptismal gown and photos of a relative going off to war—anyone who has found or kept historic pieces in the family knows how moving they can be. These treasured items, passed down through the decades, provide insight into the lives of our ancestors and a richer understanding of our family's history.
The weather's heating up, but there are no signs of slowing down at The Conservation Center. From intricate conservation projects to private tours, our staff is hard at work in West Town. To celebrate the new season, we are bringing back our popular "A Day in the Life" photo series. With our camera in hand, we wandered around the lab and captured some amazing images to share with you.
There are few rites of spring more satisfying than the annual clean. And while spotless living spaces make a house a home, many of us unfortunately have to use harsh chemicals and solvents to achieve that goal. The application of products found under the kitchen sink can lead to chemical reactions on the surface of art objects that can prove to be quite serious, resulting in detrimental losses that are usually so much greater than the reward of a home cleaning approach. When it comes to caring for your art and antiques while freshening up around the house, we strongly advise our readers to adhere to the “DDIY” rule—Don’t Do it Yourself—and leave the job to professional art conservators.
Woodworking shops through the centuries—from ancient Egypt all the way until the Industrial Revolution, have been, for the most part, relatively unchanged. Despite variations in readily available materials or slight alterations in technique passed on from master to master, the art of furniture making and conservation essentially revolves around a number of basic, yet important hand tools. Today, when the Antique and Fine Furniture Department at The Conservation Center in Chicago approaches repairs of dated objects, the conservators—Stephen Ryan, Michael Young, and Andrew Rigsby—strive to preserve the integrity of the original craftsmanship that has been passed down for generations.
The Cressent Boulle Clock is on view at The Conservation Center's Pop-Up Lab @ EXPO CHICAGO/2014 (Booth 113) from September 18–21.
Charles Cressent (1685-1768) was a descendant of a family of furniture makers and talented sculptors. As a pupil of André Charles Boulle (1642–1732)—the French cabinetmaker who is generally considered to be the preeminent artist in the field of marquetry—Cressent's work is characteristic of the Rococo period with adornments of feminine figures and motifs, floral Arabesques, and exotic animals. To combine the gilt-bronze elements of his unique style and to ensure the quality of his mounts, Cressent broke the rules of the French guild system and was prosecuted for practicing two professions in the same workshop—cabinetmaking and gilding.
The gateleg table is on view at The Conservation Center's Pop-Up Lab @ EXPO CHICAGO/2014 (Booth 113) from September 18–21.
This gateleg (folding) table is likely British or American due to the use of walnut and box wood inlay. Stylistically, it is a 19th copy of an original produced in the late 17th century. It references a simple, utilitarian style, but the flair in the marquetry nods to a later William and Mary motif. The table came to The Conservation Center with loose veneer, and missing areas in the turned legs. In addition, the previous treatment relied on heavily pigmented polish to disguise the poor quality repairs—which masked the decorative effect of the inlay and the burr walnut veneer.
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