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NewsRian M. H. Deurenberg-Wilkinson2020-08-19T16:27:50-04:00

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These beautiful early Newport side chairs came to

These beautiful early Newport side chairs came to the studio to be reupholstered to match the armchair that still had its original grass and leather upholstery and possibly belonged to the same set. After removal of the new leather upholstery, a decorative nailing pattern was found that was very similar to that of the armchair. For a very authentic look and feel of the new upholstery, salt hay (no seeds!) was used for the stuffing. The owner secured a very thick black leather to mimic the thick leather on the armchair. The well was scaled down to the size of the side chairs and stitched in the same manner with a running stitch. The resulting upholstery was very sympathetic to the age of the chairs and the group as a whole.
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#upholstery #newportri #leather #grassstuffing #happyclient #furnitureconservation #ilovemyjob

1855 Globe from pieces and parts to its glorious o

1855 Globe from pieces and parts to its glorious old self again.
Lorino’s Terrestrial Globe, manufactured by Gilman Justin, Boston, 1855.
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#globe #objectconservation #furnitureconservation #funprojects

Work completed! The Laura Ingalls Wilder daybed is

Work completed! The Laura Ingalls Wilder daybed is ready to go home! The custom made trim makes the reproduction velvet pop very nicely and the coatings look much more continuous. The transformation is quite jarring. The before treatment pictures make the coating look more washed out then it was. Losses in the coatings were consolidated and touched up but the frame was not recoated.
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#reproductiontrim #reproductionfabric #blueandgold #faintingcouch #lauraingallswilder #lauraingallswildermuseum #furnitureconservation #upholsteryconservation #coatings

The trim for the Laura Ingalls Wilder daybed is in

The trim for the Laura Ingalls Wilder daybed is in! Here is a teaser image to see how well the colors match. Can’t wait to install it and share final images.
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#reproductiontrim #woolandsilk #blueandgold #faintingcouch #lauraingallswilder #lauraingallswildermuseum #furnitureconservation #upholsteryconservation #finalstretch

The many incarnations of the trim for the Laura In

The many incarnations of the trim for the Laura Ingalls Wilder Daybed. Different sizes of yarn, different shades of blue/green wool, golden silk, and of course the actual weaving pattern were evaluated. The original trim was almost completely deteriorated with only a very small section that showed the original colors and weaving pattern on the reverse where it had been folded under.
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We have decided on the third example from the left, which has the thinner silk floats and thinner blue/green yarn for the warp. It is currently being hand woven in Tucson, AZ and we can’t wait to see the final results once installed on the daybed.
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#reproductiontrim #woolandsilk #blueandgold #faintingcouch #lauraingallswilder #lauraingallswildermuseum #furnitureconservation #upholsteryconservation #gettingitjustright

Turn up the volume and just listen to that satisfy

Turn up the volume and just listen to that satisfying *CLICK*! Thank you, @francishanrahan, for making the new brass latch just right!
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And yes, we are still working on the last few details for this fainting couch for the Laura Ingalls Wilder Historic Home & Museum! Stay tuned for an update on the custom made trim soon.
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#ittakesavillage
#faintingcouch #lauraingallswilder #lauraingallswildermuseum #furnitureconservation #reproductionlatch #gettingitjustright

And that is why tulip poplars are called tulip pop

And that is why tulip poplars are called tulip poplars! This beauty is blooming in our area right now.
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Tulip poplar is a sought after wood for its easy workability and straight grain. It can attain considerable sizes and has been used for many centuries in cabinetmaking, generally as a secondary wood.
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A fun reminder for the cabinetmakers among us that may work with tulip poplar quite frequently.
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#furnitureconservation #cabinetmakers #tulippoplar #woodcomesfromtrees #beautyofnature

Shaving the rear seat rail of a reproduction side

Shaving the rear seat rail of a reproduction side chair with an English round molding plane made by Mutter 1766-1799. One can’t get a lot more authentic than that!
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#reproductionfurniture #authenticity #furnitureconservation #antiquetools

Surprise new tools from a dear upholstery friend,

Surprise new tools from a dear upholstery friend, so I can work in style AND protect my fingers due to the extended handle on the Osborne tack remover.
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#michael_mascelli_upholsterer #customtools #workinstyle #saveyourfingers #lovethatwood #upholsteryconservation #thankyou

Making some new leather ‘buttons’ for the Laur

Making some new leather ‘buttons’ for the Laura Ingalls Wilder daybed. These were installed on the plaid on the inside of the bed and were only seen once it was opened. Several of them are broken and/ or degraded too much to reuse. With a cardboard pattern from a well-preserved one and some carving gouges, the new ones look very close to the original.
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Stay tuned for another post with a picture of the final yardage of velvet for the outside!
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#lauraingallswilder #lauraingallswildermuseum #leatherbuttons #daybed #upholsteryconservation #stepbystep

For Sale now at Sotheby’s New York and examined

For Sale now at Sotheby’s New York and examined by our own conservator Rian Deurenberg-Wilkinson for authenticity using cross-sectional stratification analysis and a thorough examination of joinery and tool marks.
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An analysis of the painted decoration of these two chairs was conducted by Rian Deurenberg-Wilkinson of Fallon & Wilkinson, LLC (see Deurenberg-Wilkinson report). She determined that the chairs survive in remarkable condition and retain original major painted decorative elements such as the gilt scrolls and mythical figures of the tablet, the winged thunderbolts, and fasces of the front rail. They also retain on their inside seat rails remnants of the yellow paint which covered their original caned seats. The painted decoration on the front seat rail, side seat rails, and front legs are applied by a steady hand with no visible layout lines. The tablet decoration in gilt scrolls on a green background with mythical figures flanking a central architectural ornament is executed with extraordinary skill and detail.
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Read more on Sotheby’s website at:
https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auction/2022/important-americana/the-important-abell-family-classical-fancy-yellow
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#klismoschair #sothebys #crosssection #stratigraphy #fancychair #finlay #authentication #socool

Happy New Year to all our clients, friends, and co

Happy New Year to all our clients, friends, and conservation colleagues out there!
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Stay happy, healthy, and take care of your loved ones (and your furniture!) in this new year!
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#happynewyear #furnitureconservation #takecareofyourlovedones #takecareofyourfurniture

This eagle is ready to soar again. No more clipped

This eagle is ready to soar again. No more clipped wings and decapitation. Just a little excess glue removal and touch up left.
A nice patriotic project for between Veterans Day and Thanksgiving!
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#readytofly #furnitureconservation #furniturerestoration #oneagleswings #happythanksgiving #thankyouforyourservice #federalsofa

Getting so close to nailing down the final colors

Getting so close to nailing down the final colors for the reproduction velvet for the Laura Ingalls Wilder daybed! I can’t thank Lauren Fisher of #laurenfishercat enough for all her work and patience in getting the design and colors *just right*. The original fabric with its strip of original colors is underneath the repro velvet in this image.
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#reproductionfabrics #velvetfabric #faintingcouch #lauraingallswilder #lauraingallswildermuseum #furnitureconservation #upholsteryconservation #gettingitjustright

Thomas Edison National Historical Park preserves T

Thomas Edison National Historical Park preserves Thomas Edison's laboratory and residence, Glenmont, in West Orange, New Jersey, United States. These were designed, in 1887, by architect Henry Hudson Holly. The Edison laboratories operated for more than 40 years. [Wikipedia]
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#thomasedison #thomasedisonnhp
#betsythestudiovan #conservationtravels #furnitureconservation #furniturerestoration #followthatvan

The reproduction cotton plaid fabric for the Laura

The reproduction cotton plaid fabric for the Laura Ingalls Wilder daybed is here! This is the culmination of a collaboration of 6 months of detailed measurements under the stereo microscope, 3 woven samples, and many emails and phone calls. 😀 Kate Smith @eatonhilltextiles did a wonderful job matching the pattern and original colors. The dimensions of the plaid squares are exactly the same with a very similar weight yarn for warp and weft and the same 2/1 twill weaving pattern.
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#reproductionfabrics #plaidfabric #eatonhilltextiles #faintingcouch #lauraingallswilder #lauraingallswildermuseum #furnitureconservation #fruitofourlabor #wetreatmorethanwood

Pick up and delivery at your private residence is

Pick up and delivery at your private residence is always an option. Please contact us for a quote and available dates and times.
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#privateclient #homedelivery
#betsythestudiovan #conservationtravels #furnitureconservation #furniturerestoration #followthatvan

Montgomery Place Historic Estate, now Bard College

Montgomery Place Historic Estate, now Bard College: The Montgomery Place Campus, near Barrytown, New York, United States, is an early 19th-century estate that has been designated a National Historic Landmark. It is also a contributing property to the Hudson River Historic District, itself a National Historic Landmark. [Wikipedia]
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#montgomeryplace #bardcollege
#betsythestudiovan #conservationtravels #furnitureconservation #furniturerestoration #followthatvan

Introducing our recently upgraded microscope for f

Introducing our recently upgraded microscope for fluorescence and visible light reflected microscopy as well as transmitted light: the Nikon 80i! What a pleasure to have such a crisp and clear image plus a great camera (Excelis MPX 20MP CMOS with Captavision software) to boot! Can’t wait to start taking more samples for cross-sectional stratification analysis and wood identification!
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#artconservation #stratificationanalysis #crosssection #woodidentification #nikonmicroscope #cooledcolorcamera #nikon80i #excelis #fluorescencemicroscopy

Tad was at the Roberson Museum and Science Center

Tad was at the Roberson Museum and Science Center in Binghamton, NY last week with Betsy the studio van, providing a little TLC to their Pottier and Stymus furniture collection.
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#betsythestudiovan #robersonmuseum #pottierandstymus #furnitureconservation #furnituretlc #followthatvan

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