Articles — The Conservation Center

Justin Gilman

Justin Gilman

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Don't Do It Yourself: Cautionary Tales of At-Home Art Treatments

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Don't Do It Yourself: Cautionary Tales of At-Home Art Treatments

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.

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Unzipped: Solving an Issue with a Jean Paul Gaultier Prêt-à-Porter Piece

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Unzipped: Solving an Issue with a Jean Paul Gaultier Prêt-à-Porter Piece

It is not very often that the Textiles Department at The Conservation Center resembles the racks of a high fashion atelier, so when Columbia College Chicago contacted us regarding an iconic piece of French fashion from its Fashion Study Collection, our interest was immediately piqued. Instantly recognizable because of its cone-shaped corset top, the dress, designed by Jean Paul Gaultier, arrived at our laboratory with a damaged zipper that posed a threat to the integrity of the outfit as a whole. Because this dress belongs to an academic institution and is used as part of an active study collection, even something as seemingly minute as a damaged zipper could render it useless as a teaching device. As our textiles conservator began to work, she quickly understood that, due to the very technical method in which it was hand-tailored, repairing the zipper was not going to be an easy task.

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A Cherished "May Milton" Lithograph by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec Dances Back to Life

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A Cherished "May Milton" Lithograph by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec Dances Back to Life

Sometimes a singular work of art can inspire an entire collection. When this is the case, the collector cherishes that first piece above all others. When a client of The Conservation Center brings in a work that we can actually see the joy and affection brought on by it, those feelings are contagious. This is what happened recently when Bruce Romick, a private collector from Indiana, contacted us about one such treasured item. Mr. Romick and his wife had acquired a lithograph of May Milton by famed Post-Impressionist artist Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec in 1978. While it was in very good condition when purchased, after 37 years, some degradation was to be expected. Our Paper Department was in charge to bring “May” back to life so it would continue to bring the Romicks the same joy for many years to come.

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Lucienne From the Bloch: Conserving a Modern Mural for a Jewish Temple

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Lucienne From the Bloch: Conserving a Modern Mural for a Jewish Temple

In honor of Pesach (Passover) earlier this month, we’re highlighting a major conservation treatment for Temple Emanuel, located in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The Conservation Center’s team worked tirelessly on-site and in our laboratories to help restore a massive 1,000 square-foot mural that covered the entire expanse of the rear wall of the synagogue. Painted on multiple lightweight wood panels by the Swiss-born American artist Lucienne Bloch (1909–1999), this modern mural stands as a testament to a dynamic time in religious architecture that aimed to keep up with societal trends in art and construction.

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I Can See Clearly Now: Bringing a Family Heirloom Painting Back to Life

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I Can See Clearly Now: Bringing a Family Heirloom Painting Back to Life

When The Conservation Center encounters an heirloom that has extraordinary sentimental value to our client, we always like to learn more about its history and the meaning of the piece for the family. Recently, Mary Anne Keane brought us a reproduction of Jean-François Millet’s (1814–1875) The Angelus that was on display in her living room. “Ever since my childhood, I’ve always had fond memories of this painting hanging in my grandparents’, and eventually my parents’ home,” said Mary Anne. “After finally inheriting The Angelus, I realized that if I didn’t take good care of the artwork now, though it had made it a century so far, it would not be around much longer for my family to appreciate.” Mary Anne also began investigating its provenance to better understand the origin of the piece.

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Slide Show: Deinstalling and Examining Lucienne Bloch's Epic Mural

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Slide Show: Deinstalling and Examining Lucienne Bloch's Epic Mural

In 2012, significant leaking from the roof caused severe water damage of the plywood panels, causing extreme warping, staining, and delamination of the veneers from the panels. The mural itself, which was painted using water-soluble paints (something similar to gouache), started to drip down across the panels as soon as water entered the space. Devastated, Temple Emanuel contacted The Conservation Center to perform an on-site assessment to best determine how to conserve Bloch’s work. Years of constant use and handling of the doors and tracks around the mural had also caused issues beyond the water damage—fingerprints had darkened and smudged areas of the paint, to the extent that there were significant losses that needed to be addressed. There was also a thin layer of grime that needed to be removed from the panels. However, because of the nature of the paint used, most methods of cleaning would strip away the design. Eventually, six panels came back to The Center’s lab in Chicago to undergo treatment.

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A Little More Sweeney Todd Than You Might Think: Preserving a Vintage Barber Pole

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A Little More Sweeney Todd Than You Might Think: Preserving a Vintage Barber Pole

In preparation for a new exhibition entitled By All Accounts: The Story of Elmhurst, The Conservation Center recently joined forces with the Elmhurst Historical Museum to help get a few artifacts in its archives in tip-top shape. This innovative exhibit contains numerous photographs, artifacts, art objects, and informational materials from the last 165 years showcasing the growth and development of Elmhurst, a Chicago suburb. After an on-site assessment at the museum, The Center identified a few objects that needed our conservation team's attention--notably a vintage barber pole, dated from the turn of the 19th century. Presumed to be from a local barbershop, the all-wood, painted barber pole was found in a local resident's barn, and came to the museum by way of a donation in 1983.

Ready, Set, Hang: The Conservation Center's Shipping and Installation Team

Ready, Set, Hang: The Conservation Center's Shipping and Installation Team

Usually in our monthly newsletter, we often highlight the extraordinary art and heirloom pieces that The Conservation Center has cared for. And while we couldn’t fulfill the company’s mission without our expert conservators, they are in fact only a part of our whole team. Equally important—and often billed as the “gears and the grease” that keep the company running—to what we do here is The Conservation Center’s expert Shipping and Installation team: the skilled professionals whom we trust with valuable pieces, who spend most days out in the field with their boots on the ground, and who are instrumental in cultivating on-site relationships with our clients.

Scene and Heard: ALTEREGOS Opening Night at Packer Schopf Gallery, February 20

Scene and Heard: ALTEREGOS Opening Night at Packer Schopf Gallery, February 20

The bitter cold of February was not enough to keep the crowds away from Packer Schopf Gallery in Chicago's West Loop area on a recent Friday night as more than 200 art enthusiasts turned out for the opening of ALTEREGOS, The Conservation Center’s first employee art exhibition. The scene was hip and welcoming as friends, family, guests, and artists alike sipped wine, chatted, and took in the 30 works of art created by 15 of our immensely talented staff members. As the evening progressed, the mood began shifting from an excited anticipation to a more relaxed and fun atmosphere. Besides the success of the great turnout, it was a unique experience for The Center's staff to interact, come together, and be given the chance to enjoy each other’s creativity. 

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When Considering Paper Conservation...A Moment With an Albrecht Durer Etching

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When Considering Paper Conservation...A Moment With an Albrecht Durer Etching

In the field of paper conservation, there are a myriad of challenges that one can encounter. Some of the biggest issues that arise when treating works of art on paper are the result of fragile media and temperamental fibers within the sheet. “Works on paper were intended for daily use and handling, and thus do not stand the test of time as well as other art forms that were meant to be admired from a distance,” said Brian Kapernekas, The Conservation Center’s Senior Paper Conservator. “Many of the conditions we encounter are not only related to age, but also to improper storage.” Acid-free and archival housing materials are relatively new in the scope of framing practices. Most people do not even realize that acidic materials are usually the cause of the gradual deterioration of paper—until it is too late and the sheet is heavily yellowed, embrittled, and the damage is too severe to reverse.

Wax On, Wax Off: A Look Inside The Center's Antique and Fine Furniture Studio

Wax On, Wax Off: A Look Inside The Center's Antique and Fine Furniture Studio

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.

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Holy Kreuzer Konigsberg! Conserving a Lilliputian Battleship Model

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Holy Kreuzer Konigsberg! Conserving a Lilliputian Battleship Model

Whether massive in size or delicate in material, many projects taken on by The Conservation Center pose unique challenges for our team of expert conservators. Recently, the Robert R. McCormick Museum located in Wheaton, Illinois, brought us a curious object from its collection: a wooden model replica of a naval cruiser named the Kreuzer Konigsberg, commissioned during the WWII era. The amount of detail and veracity in the ship’s execution is staggering. However, upon closer examination, the model—which measures a miniscule 15” wide, 3” depth, 6” high—was found to be in poor condition, with broken segments throughout and worthy of a thorough cleaning and treatment effort.

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Saving A 10th Century Greek Codex From Water Damage

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Saving A 10th Century Greek Codex From Water Damage

After more than three decades of preserving fine art and heirlooms at The Conservation Center, we now have an impressive answer to one of the most the frequently asked questions by our clients and visitors: “What is the oldest piece that The Center has ever conserved?” Recently, a 10th century Greek Codex—which contains portions of the New Testament Gospels of Luke and John—arrived at our conservation lab, and we, admittedly, are truly impressed. This rare book belongs to Andrews University in Berrien Springs, Michigan, a Bible-based university supported by Seventh-day Adventist Church.

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Piecing Back Together A Family Heirloom, and Learning About The Past

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Piecing Back Together A Family Heirloom, and Learning About The Past

Here at The Conservation Center, we strive to protect and preserve objects that hold intrinsic value to individuals and families, not just monetary value. During treatment, we often uncover forgotten details about a piece, and it can mean so much more to our clients when this information relates to their own family members and heritage. In this way, we approach each and every object with the highest level of care and attention. Recently, Naomi Steinberg, an Associate Professor of Religious Studies at DePaul University in Chicago, brought us a badly torn ketubah that was believed to belong to her paternal grandparent’s. Our conservators were able to meticulously piece this document back together, and through this process, Naomi also uncovered a slice of family history.

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Gene Tunney, Portrait of a Legendary Boxer

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"Boxing is what you did, not what you are." That's what Nobel Prize-winning author George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950) once said to the legendary heavyweight champion, Gene Tunney (1897-1978). Gene Tunney was recently introduced to The Conservation Center by way of his son, Jay Tunney, when he brought in a beautiful portrait of his father painted by family friend and Irish artist Sir John Lavery (1856-1941) in 1928. While Gene Tunney's heart was in boxing—a fighter Muhammad Ali called "the greatest of the old-timers"—the painting does not depict what you would traditionally expect to see in a portrait of a tough, prominent athlete. 

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EXPO CHICAGO/2014 Highlight: "Girl with a Spray Can" by Roy Lichtenstein, 1963

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EXPO CHICAGO/2014 Highlight: "Girl with a Spray Can" by Roy Lichtenstein, 1963

Girl with a Spray Can was first printed in Wallace Ting’s book 1¢ Life, often viewed as a compact visual manifesto of the sixties. Pop artist Roy Lichtenstein’s color lithographs were printed on pages 118-119. This piece offers a unique juxtaposition. The right panel of the diptych consists of a reference to the simple printing process of using Ben-day dots (which dates back to 1879). The left side of the diptych consists of a small segment of a comic-strip imagery for which Lichtenstein became quite famous. This piece is the first instance of Lichtenstein featuring a blonde girl in his works, iconography which now is considered some of the most desirable in his oeuvre.

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EXPO CHICAGO/2014 Highlight: Charles Cressent Boulle Clock

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EXPO CHICAGO/2014 Highlight: Charles Cressent Boulle Clock

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.

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EXPO CHICAGO/2014 Highlight: A 19th Century Gateleg Table

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EXPO CHICAGO/2014 Highlight: A 19th Century Gateleg Table

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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EXPO CHICAGO/2014 Highlight: "Jazz Singers," Archibald J. Motley Jr., 1934

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EXPO CHICAGO/2014 Highlight: "Jazz Singers," Archibald J. Motley Jr., 1934

Jazz Singers is on view at The Conservation Center's Pop-Up Lab @ EXPO CHICAGO/2014 (Booth 113) from September 18–21.

Archibald J. Motley was an African-American painter who is considered a major contributor to the Harlem Renaissance and New Negro Movements. These movements focused on the cultural shifts that took place after the abolition of slavery, resulting in an overt racial pride that promoted intellect and the production of literature, art and music. These new endorsements of the African American culture were to combat the pervading racism and stereotypes of the time.

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