Featured Class

Wood Identification Workshop

What wood is it and why? Seeing and understanding wood in a whole new way.
Three days over the weekend, September 13-15, 2024 (Friday, Saturday 9.00am-4.00pm, Sunday 11:00 – 4:00)

MYSTIC, CONN – Did you ever look at a piece of wood and wonder what wood it is? And why it looks the way it does? Were you ever confused about which wood it is: mahogany, walnut, cherry, or poplar?

This three-day hands-on workshop at the dynamic Mystic Seaport Museum is taught by Randy S. Wilkinson and will answer all these questions and more. It is designed specifically for curators, collectors, antique dealers, appraisers, and conservators.  The goal of this workshop is to familiarize the student with the physical properties of wood in order to recognize species specific cell structures. No experience is necessary.

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Present and Past Classes

Wood Identification Workshop 2024

September 13, 2024 @ 9:00 am - September 15, 2024 @ 4:00 pm

What wood is it and why? Seeing and understanding wood in a whole new way. Three days over the weekend, September 13-15, 2024 (Friday, Saturday 9.00am-4.00pm, Sunday 11:00 – 4:00) MYSTIC, CONN – Did you ever look at a piece of wood and wonder what wood it is? And why it looks the way it does? [...]

Wood Identification Workshop 2023

September 15, 2023 - September 17, 2023

What wood is it and why? Seeing and understanding wood in a whole new way. Three days over the weekend, September 15-17, 2023 (Friday, Saturday 9.00am-4.00pm, Sunday 11:00 – 4:00) MYSTIC, CONN – Did you ever look at a piece of wood and wonder what wood it is? And why it looks the way it does? [...]

Wood Identification Workshop 2022

September 16, 2022 - September 18, 2022

What wood is it and why? Seeing and understanding wood in a whole new way. Three days over the weekend, September 16-18, 2022 (Friday, Saturday 9.00am-4.00pm, Sunday 11:00 – 4:00) MYSTIC, CONN – Did you ever look at a piece of wood and wonder what wood it is? And why it looks the way it does? [...]

Zoom Presentation: Caring for your Treasures

July 30, 2020 @ 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm

Old Lyme Historical Society Thursday July 30, 2020 @ 7:00 pm Live Zoom meeting presentation Caring for your Treasures: The Art and Science of Furniture Conservation In cooperation with the Old Lyme Historical Society, nationally recognized wood conservator and lecturer Tad D. Fallon will make a Zoom presentation on the care and preservation of historic [...]

Gilding Restoration Workshop

April 25, 2020 - April 26, 2020

Baltic, CT. – Designed for collectors, restorers, homeowners, and dealers alike, this weekend-long workshop will focus on the restoration and conservation of gilded surfaces including frames, furniture, and architectural elements. We will review the basics of traditional water gilding and oil gilding techniques. Emphasis will be placed on identifying different types of gilding, including toned [...]

Thank you so much for the wonderful antique restoration class that you held this weekend. I enjoyed learning about shellac and all the best practices that you have both amassed over your years of working with antiques. It was a lot of fun for me. I made it home ok with my couch and look forward to starting to work on it early next year.

Annemarie Gucwa