Whether massive in size or sensitive in material, many pieces that come to The Conservation Center present unique challenges that our conservators are always eager to take on. Most recently, this challenge came to us in the form of a giant teapot from the Springfield Art Association.
It was in September of 1862 when 15-year-old John Alexander Parker enlisted in the 18th Illinois Volunteer Infantry Regiment of the Union Army. Although the minimum age requirement for enlisting was 18, it wasn’t unusual for younger boys to join. Often referenced as “The Boys’ War,” the Civil War provided a variety of positions for male youths. For John Alexander Parker, his role in the war was rooted in song: he was charged with carrying the Regiment’s drum.
This year marks the 150th anniversary of the end of The Civil War. Like any thread in the fabric of our cultural heritage, this point in our collective memory was captured countless times by the artist’s eye. With photography still in its infancy, fine art and literature still serve as major artifacts for this defining time period in American history. While many of the artist’s names have been lost over the years, the importance of their work stands as a testament to this era. One of these remarkable works is a painting titled Steamboat U.S.S. Switzerland on River (artist and date unknown), belonging to our friends at The University Museum at Southern Illinois University (SIU) in Carbondale, Illinois. The museum recently engaged The Conservation Center to preserve this piece of Americana, and also taking the opportunity to educate its audience in the importance of art conservation.
Last month, The Conservation Center spent a lovely Saturday afternoon with more than 40 members of the Freeport Art Museum (FAM)—a jewel of a collection located in Freeport, Illinois, right outside of Rockford. Together with Roberta Kramer, a Chicago-based art appraiser, we made a special presentation that marked the end of a two-year project, which, while not beginning under the most auspicious of circumstances, concluded with cause for celebration. Many key pieces of art from FAM’s collection were properly appraised and saved from water damage that occurred in its 2D storage unit.
Just in time for the holidays, The Conservation Center completed extensive frame work for a beautiful Madonna and Child painting for the Diocese of Rockford collection. Josh McCauley, one of our Senior Conservators, carved out new decorations by hand, showing off his true attention to detail and expert craftsmanship. Learn how the Madonna and Child frame was conserved.
When wandering a flea or antique market, one just never knows what treasures there are to be found. From terrific steals to relics from a past long forgotten, there is usually something to excite the fancy of just about anyone. During one of his frequent visits to the Grayslake Antiques market, The Conservation Center’s client Robert Le Clerq had one such awe-inspiring moment that brought him back into his younger days. He came upon an old, carved wooden sculpture that immediately reminded him of nuns of the order of the Sacred Heart. Though this probably would not be significant to most, Mr. Le Clerq has fond recollections of Barat College. From serving mass as an alter boy, to watching his older sister graduate, to even dating a few of the girls who attended the private Catholic school, Sacred Heart had played a significant role in Mr. Le Clerq’s younger days.
The First National Bank of LaGrange (FNBLG) recently brought its Presidential Check Collection--one of the most comprehensive in the country--to The Center for conservation. This assemblage of checks written by 39 of the 43 U.S. presidents captures a unique piece of American history and gives a glimpse back into the chief executives' professional and private financial lives.
In 1883 while presenting a lecture at Oxford, premier art critic John Ruskin said that “for a long time I used to say, in all my elementary books, that except in a graceful and minor way, women could not draw or paint. I’m beginning to bow myself to the much more delightful conviction that no one else can.” It was the paintings of artist Lilias Trotter (1853-1928) which were causing Ruskin to question his convictions. With Ruskin’s support, Trotter was at the cusp of a new career that could have changed art history; in fact, Ruskin believed that if Trotter devoted herself completely to her artwork, that "she would be the greatest living painter and do things that would be immortal."
Gertrude Abercrombie (1909 - 1977) was the only child of two opera singers who happened to be on tour in Texas the day she was born. While they continued to relocate throughout her early childhood, the family eventually settled in the Hyde Park neighborhood of Chicago where Abercrombie lived for the remainder of her life. While Abercrombie had some formal art training (she took courses at The School at the Art Institute of Chicago and the American Academy of Art) and she worked in art advertising for a time. Here she quickly developed a distinct style that was all her own, taking inspiration from the Chicago jazz scene.
We are all going through a very challenging time on many levels: the health threat of COVID-19, the financial security of our families, the future of our jobs, and more. This has caused me to pause, reflect upon the history of The Conservation Center, and consider how we might use our past to inform our future as a team and company during this difficult time.
Anna Heyward Taylor (1879 – 1956) was a celebrated printmaker and one of the principal artists of the Charleston Renaissance. Her lush, vibrant prints frequently feature floral and avian motifs. We were thrilled when a client brought in an unusual Anna Heyward Taylor piece – with all the hallmarks of her work; however, there was one key difference: instead of a print, this work was the actual linoleum she used to make the prints themselves which she then painted to take on a life of its own. The client was concerned as the paint was peeling from the linoleum, due to an inherent vice in the work.
This football down marker came to us from the Cushing Memorial Library and Archives at Texas A & M University Libraries. Well worn from its days on the field, this football marker’s paint layer was badly flaking, the metal was corroding, and the wood topper was splitting.
This incredibly intricate frame also came from The Cushing Memorial Library and Archives at Texas A & M University Library. The frame is composed of wood, gesso, plaster, and an original combination of metal and gold leaf. Unusually so, the frieze is composed of large pebbles, and gilded, a non-traditional move away from most frames, which choose a fine grain of sand.
After comprehensive treatment, the Imperial Screen of Emperor Qianlong we treated for the Lizzadro Museum of Lapidary Art has been reinstalled!
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