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.

The field of conservation continuously evolves as new technologies are introduced and assimilated into to a conservator's toolkit.  From incorporating lasers to clean stone, metal, or wood to modeling painting cleaning after gecko feet; the field of conservation benefits greatly from innovation and technique development.  On the contrary, conservation is also a very old field and many techniques and tools that were used hundreds of years ago are still in rotation today.  The Gilding Department is one such department where modern innovations are incorporated, however little has changed in regard to materials and techniques over hundreds of years.   

Earlier this year, we had the privilege of framing an Edward Curtis photogravure, Two Strike. Little did we know, the piece would end up being featured in the Muskegon Museum of Art’s exhibition Edward S. Curtis: The North American Indian. Described as “an event of national significance celebrating the artistic genius and lasting cultural legacy of Edward Curtis,” the exhibition covers the work of a man “who sacrificed everything for is art, died in obscurity, but left behind one of the greatest artistic collaborations and photographed achievements in history.”

Click here to watch the interview with our Senior Furniture Conservator. 

For over twenty five years, The Center has been at the forefront of the disaster response field and in that time we've seen disasters from house fires and floods to hurricanes and tornadoes. It is a difficult field, as situations often prove to be mentally, emotionally, and physically trying. We rely on a team of veteran responders to train new staff members on procedures, prevention, and protection. In this article we will follow the journey of Client Services Associate, Sarah Phalen, and her intoroduction to disaster response. 

The Center has been involved in hundreds of disaster response scenarios over the last 33 years, and we wanted to share a few recent stories that impart how incredibly rewarding and humbling this type of preservation work can be for all who are affected and involved.

The staff at The Center could not have been more thrilled when a former employee, Megan, brought in a James Jeffrey Grant painting for conservation. It was a lovely, serene landscape painting of cows grazing in a luscious green field. Before finding its current home, the painting hung above a fireplace in Megan’s relative’s home for over 30 years where it was exposed to extreme fluctuations in temperature. Due to this environment, the paint layer was severely compromised and exhibited significant areas of flaking paint overall. This lead to numerous areas of exposed canvas and hundreds of tiny puzzle-like paint pieces that were no longer adhered to the painting’s surface.

At The Conservation Center we are very fortunate to be surrounded by amazing art everyday. It is an extraordinary opportunity to work so intimately with many great pieces created by artists you have studied your whole life.   However during the day-to-day we often find ourselves focusing more on the physicality of the pieces as opposed to having discussions about the many artists that sparked our interest in this field in the first place.  Read on to the end of this article to find out which artists are some of our team's favorites!  Recently, we had the opportunity to conserve and frame one of our regular favorites, Alphonse Mucha.

The Conservation Center recently had the privilege of conserving two lithographs that were damaged by Hurricane Katrina. Our client inherited A Midnight Race on the Mississippi by Currier & Ives and J.J. Audubon’s Purple Martin (Calabash) from their parents in New Orleans. The pieces had been living in a second-floor storage unit when Hurricane Katrina blew through and ripped the roof off the facility, causing water to seep into the unit.

There are certain iconic scenes in art that everyone from the casual museum-goer to the serious art collector can recognize instantly.  Scenes including the Last Supper, the rising of Apollo’s chariot, and the triumph of David over Goliath have been depicted by artists across the span of art history, and though the style and medium of these artworks may vary, the scenes remain easily identifiable. Another of these iconic scenes is that of the Last Judgement.  Artworks imagining the moment when the fate of souls is determined for eternity can be seen everywhere from the Sistine Chapel to local church walls. So when a large-scale painting of the signature scene came to The Conservation Center in need of treatment, we were honored to play a role in its conservation and preservation.

Not so long ago in the present galaxy, not so far away,  The Conservation Center conserved a pair of Aliens created by Yinka Shonibare MBE.  

Shonibare was born in London and moved to Lagos, Nigeria when he was three. He later returned to his British origins to pursue a career in Fine Arts. As a painter, sculptor, photographer, and filmmaker Shonibare’s trademark medium is batik fabric, as seen in these Alien sculptures.

January is the time of year that many of us consider new beginnings and fresh starts. Many of us resolve to be more conscientious about our diets, exercise more frequently, and to be more mindful and compassionate in our interactions with others. It is in this spirit of renewal that we feature the recent rebirth through conservation of two Buddhist statues. Purchased by our clients at auction in 2001 the statues, not unlike all sentient beings, had suffered with the passage of time. 

Bill Lear is a staple at The Conservation Center.  Not only have we collaborated on maintaining his extensive collection, his is an active member of our Advisory Board.  Over the years we have come to know that there is always an incredible story with Bill's projects. Past projects have ranged from conserving Army discharge papers from the 1800's to fabricating a display for his commemorative Tibetan yak bell acquired during his summit of Mount Everest.  So when he arrived at The Center with two signed Shepard Fairey pieces to be framed, we knew we had to ask. 

Watch the video here. 

A long time client of The Center, Greg knew just where to bring this 1896 lithograph when he received it from his uncle. And as with most every piece that Greg brings in for conservation, this print has an interesting story to tell about both his family’s history, and the history of the Midwest. A relic from the Civil War, The Easel Monument lithograph tells the story of brothers in arms, an effort to immortalize their bond, and of course, some necessary conservation to preserve it for the future.

Objectivity is necessary for conservation; it is a scientific, technical, and calculated field.  However, the necessity for objectivity is two-fold as sometimes a conservator must take refuge in objectivity to circumvent becoming immersed in the subject of a work.  This was very much the case during the nearly year-long treatment for Mauricio Lasansky's, The Nazi Drawings.