The Conservation Center's Services During EXPO CHICAGO
Consolidating a Flaking 17th Century Panel Painting
The Conservation Center Relocates to an Expanded State-of-the-Art Facility Designed by Studio Gang Architects
Over the past 29 years The Conservation Center has developed a national reputation as the ‘go to’ place for the rescue of some of the nation’s finest artworks and artifacts from fire and floods, as well as the restoration of cherished personal heirlooms. As of July, The Conservation Center has a space to match the breadth of their work: the company has recently moved into a newly designed, state-of-the-art 25,000 square foot space in Chicago’s upcoming arts district.
The Center's Custom Framing Room and Client Reception Area Featured on Administrative Floor
Now that our company move is completed, the administrative staff at The Center has been busy taking care of all the important details to ensure our business continues to run smoothly. Fortunately, we have moved into a spacious environment where we can better coordinate our daily tasks and client pick up and drop offs.
Conserving Antique & Modern Furniture
Recently, a Modern Charles (1907-1978) and Ray (1912-1988) Eames chair and an antique Thomas Sheraton (1751-1806) style chair were brought separately to The Conservation Center, for review. Both chairs are examples of influential furniture designs. We received some interesting background information from the collectors and an explanation from our associate furniture conservator, Michael Young about the various challenges faced when conserving 18th century versus mid-20th century furniture.
Grand Opening of Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art
The Conservation Center often assists museums, institutions, foundations and non-profit organizations with the presentation and care of their collections. Aside from providing a wide array of conservation services, The Center's experts are always on hand to consult on long-term preservation planning, on the display, packing, transport and long-term storage of collections, or to help formulate Disaster Response plans. Our conservators are also brought in on projects to provide courier services and condition reports for lending institutions, or to help with the final stages of exhibition preparation.
Conservation of an Albrecht Dürer Print
A private collector brought this print to The Center several months ago. To a critical eye, the print was in poor condition: the sheet was soiled and distorted, and there were two tears that were barely visible except upon close inspection (see figs. 1-3). The tears required intricate repair work to realign the edges and provide necessary structural support to the compromised sheet, while keeping the repair as discreet as possible. After the piece was safely returned in its improved condition, the collector wrote the following testimonial for us to share:
The Moore-McDermott Christening Dress
The Dress was in extremely fragile condition when it arrived at The Center. After consulting with the client, The Center’s Textile Conservator created a treatment plan that made it suitable for continued use and took into consideration the historic nature of the piece. The repaired dress was returned to the client in an archival box that can be used to protect and house the piece between christenings.
Heather Becker featured as "100 Women Making a Difference" in Chicago
Portrait of Thomas Fox
Corporate Collections and The Center
Whether a corporation’s art collection is a curated investment, a donation from an art-loving CEO, an act of community connection, or a trove of archival material, keeping it in good condition requires the knowledge of experts. The Conservation Center has a long history of caring for corporate art holdings in four categories: disaster response, re-housing, storage, and display.
A Dilapidated Document
When this vellum document arrived at The Center, it had experienced severe water- and age-related damage. Over the course of many years, the vellum had rotted and subsequently it exhibited severe distortion, in addition to having been stored folded in quarters. Moreover, the pages were wet, causing irreversible pigment migration between the touching pages; the water also left several water stains throughout. In addition to the fold creases, there were horizontal creases down the center of the sheet, tears at the lower left and around the edges, and a large loss at the lower right.
A Survivor with a Setback
The Animalistic Vase was brought to The Center because it was broken into over twenty pieces and minute fragments. It had previously been extensively repaired with adhesive, and the joints restored with painted plaster. Before treatment began, it was difficult to determine just how many losses there were, but it appeared that all main fragments were present and the losses were minimal. On the surface, there was archeological evidence, as well as evidence of use and wear with related scratches and abrasions.
A Mangled Matisse
A Portrait with a Problem
This portrait was one of a series of artworks brought to The Center after a destructive home fire. The painting showed signs of severe fire-related damage: the
ordeal left a heavy, dark layer of oily and acidic soot on the surface, obscuring the painted surface completely. Additionally, the stretcher had been charred, and undulations were present throughout the canvas.
Horses, Houses, and Honored Ancestors
The peoples living in what we today know as The People’s Republic of China have been making art for centuries. Our personal archives can hardly hope to present a complete picture of Chinese art history, but we have been graced with some excellent examples of artistic eras and traditions, spanning in some cases thousands of years.
Roccoco Revival, Restored
Waxing Aesthetic: Historical Considerations in the Restoration of a Napoleonic Dragoon Helmet
The Napoleonic Dragoon Helmet, an example of the Grecian-inspired helmets worn by specific members of Napoleon’s cavalry, was brought to The Center in need of restoration. The leather lining of the helmet was loose with several losses to the leather and the risk of further degradation. The proper right leather strap was loose as well, with both straps having been previously re-attached with blue putty. Furthermore, the skull of the helmet exhibited several shallow dents and the horse hair mane was tangled and messy. The top decoration was missing from the helmet completely. There were some scratches on the surface, as well as evidence of use and wear. The metal and hair elements were both coated with dust and grime. There was also some tarnish on the gilded areas.
Pulp Fiction: A Conservator's Detective Work
This painting is from a series of unique pulp art pieces brought to The Center. The conservator initially observed that the quality of the paint layer was inconsistent throughout the painting surface, indicating previous restoration. For example, the paint on the female figure was much more yellow and thickly applied than on the rest of the painting. Examination under UV light confirmed the conservator’s hypothesis of heavy overpainting; large expanses of previous overpaint were in fact present, including all of the woman’s body, face, hair, and the man’s jacket.
