Tag Archives: MPF Conservation

Throwback Thursday: Backgammon

A military couple had traveled all around the world with this backgammon set. When they retired they finally wanted the worn board restored. Simple in some ways, it had to be accurate and smooth. We excavated the old, conserved the … Continue reading

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Throwback Thursday: Child’s Rocker

This week may be children’s week, as I am posting a throwback to a child’s rocker as well. The mother grew up with this rocker, but had made a new needlepoint for the seat. She wanted the old needlepoint cleaned. … Continue reading

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Heirloom Child’s Chair

The chair came to us through the heiress (hereafter called LB) to the Frank Crowe Mason Monterey Collection. The sweet chair was made by her grandfather… Someone had recovered it, but thankfully the original stuffings were intact! She wanted it … Continue reading

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Planter’s Chair: 8 Showcover

We are properly conserving a French-made Planter’s Chair, circa 1860. (You can begin here, if you like.) We’ll follow the chair through excavation to the new show-cover. We left off in the last posting with upholstery buildup of the inside … Continue reading

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Planter’s Chair: 7, Buildup, Tufted Back and Seat

We are properly conserving a French-made Planter’s Chair, circa 1860. (You can begin here, if you like.) We’ll follow the chair through excavation to the new show-cover. We left off in the last posting with inside back excavation. The inside … Continue reading

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Planter’s Chair: 6, Excavation, Back

We are properly conserving a French-made Planter’s Chair, circa 1860. (You can begin here, if you like.) We’ll follow the chair through excavation to the new show-cover. We left off in the last posting with the Buildup of the Seat. … Continue reading

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Planter’s Chair: 5, Buildup, Seat

We are properly conserving a French-made Planter’s Chair, circa 1860. (You can begin here, if you like.) We’ll follow the chair through excavation to the new show-cover. We left off in the last posting with frame and finish conservation. Mitchell … Continue reading

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Planter’s Chair: 4, Reparation and Finish Work

We are properly conserving a French-made Planter’s Chair, circa 1860. (You can begin here, if you like.) We’ll follow the chair through excavation to the new show-cover. We left off in the last posting with the excavation of the seat. … Continue reading

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Labor Day in the Finish Studio

A post from dkatiepowellart… also Kate from MPF Conservation! Labor Day weekend and we are laborers so we are working… We have new A/C and I have a new lease on life in my newly cleaned and reorganized studio! I … Continue reading

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Planter’s Chair: 3, Excavation, Back (Partial)

We are properly conserving a French-made Planter’s Chair, circa 1860. (You can begin here, if you like.) We’ll follow the chair through excavation to the new show-cover. We left off in the last posting with the Excavation of the seat. … Continue reading

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How to Talk to an Artisan or Contractor

*this teaching moment applies to many types of situations… nothing here intended to be derogatory — just silly sweeping generalizations and fiction!* You have a lovely valuable antique (above) worth $5000 that needs work. Here are several scenarios and what … Continue reading

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Planter’s Chair: 2, Excavation, Seat, Continued

We are properly conserving a French-made Planter’s Chair, circa 1860. (You can begin here, if you like.) We’ll follow the chair through excavation to the new show-cover. We left off in the last posting with the seat partially excavated. Removing … Continue reading

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Planter’s Chair: 1, Excavation, Seat

We are properly conserving a French-made Planter’s Chair, circa 1860. We’ll follow the chair through excavation to the new show-cover. An overview of the process, from one vantage point, below. We begin with excavation. Excavation is the discovery process, and … Continue reading

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French Planter’s Chair

We are properly conserving a French-made Planter’s Chair, circa 1860, belonging to a Portland preservationist. Hand carved persimmon wood, European Beechwood frame, original innards, unmolested finish. We’ll follow the chair in detail through excavation to the new show-cover. We will … Continue reading

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Texaco Fire Chief Gasoline Banner

Growing up in Southern California, the home of the automobile, I remember fondly this emblem as a kid! The Texaco Fire Chief Banner was in excellent condition, but dirty and creased. The back appeared to have been dropped into dirt, … Continue reading

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Endangered Places 2016, The First Set

Thanks to Drew Nasto, Craig Powell, and for the various locations for allowing me to use historic images to place into sketch format to commemorate the projects! Kate is sketching many of Oregon’s Most Endangered Places for 2016 in a … Continue reading

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Restoration Award Celebration Dinner, The Event

Thanks to Drew Nasto for letting me use his images to place into sketch format to commemorate the night! When an artist draws, we remember. When we draw details, we get to know our subjects intimately. The simple act of … Continue reading

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Restoration Award Celebration Dinner, Kate’s Process

Mitchell and Kate attended the Restoration Celebration to raise money for the the 2016 Most Endangered Places, and to hear the winners of the 2015 Demuro Awards, as the guest of one of our clients, Karla Pearlstein of Restoring History. … Continue reading

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The Sketchpack Project: MPF Conservation Tools

ABOUT SKETCHPACK: The project began in 2011. The original idea was to get folks to draw daily. The Sketchpack is a small zigzag journal with two usable sides, allowing one to sketch on both sides of 15 ‘pages’ to complete … Continue reading

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Process: Gustav Stickley Ladderback Chair Upholstery, 2 Show Cover

Continuing from the Gustav Stickley Ladderback Chair Upholstery, 1 Buildup post, (Or to begin at the beginning go here.) Buildup is complete, and we are ready to prepare the Show Cover of 4-5 oz. vegetable tanned strapping leather. Above, the … Continue reading

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Process: Gustav Stickley Ladderback Chair Upholstery, 1 Buildup

Continuing from the Gustav Stickley Ladderback Chair Finish post, (Or to begin at the beginning go here.) The frame is repaired and the finish conserved; Buildup begins! Stickley chairs do not have dustcovers, and so the underside of the canvas … Continue reading

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Process: Gustav Stickley Ladderback Chair Finish

Continuing from the Reparation of the Gustav Stickley Ladderback Armchair (Or to begin at the beginning go here.) We began our finish with a quick review of the chair with the repairs completed, above. The chairs were covered with radial … Continue reading

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Process: Gustav Stickley Ladderback Chair Frame Repair

Continuing from the Excavation of the Gustav Stickley Ladderback Armchair (Or to begin at the beginning go here.) Reparation of the frame begins with more disassembly, on an as-needed basis for each chair.  Corner blocks are removed, labeled, and screws … Continue reading

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Process: Gustav Stickley Ladderback Chair Excavation

We are continuing on in our process on the Gustav Stickley Ladderback Armchair. Chair before disassembly. To disassemble or excavate the upholstery we begin with the historic decorative nails.  Mitchell created a handy hand-tool for getting under the historic nails … Continue reading

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Process: Gustav Stickley Ladderback Chair Assessment

We’ve not chronicled a project for a long time and these original Gustav Stickley circa 1900-1910 Ladderbacks are so lovely (and often poorly conserved and restored) that it is a good way to begin again! We will chronicle our process … Continue reading

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East Lake Sofa-Bed Upholstery #4B: Seat Spring Buildup

by DKP We had the opportunity to conserve the wonderful Eastlake style sofa-bed by A. Hansen Co., Chicago, Ill., below.  Our client restored a Victorian in NE Portland, and this sofa-bed will grace her office. This is the sixth post … Continue reading

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Buying Antique Furniture: The Ins and Outs of the Game!

by DKP What is an antique?  Most define it as an object over a century old.  Mid-century modern is beginning to come into its own both as a style or genre and also being very collectible.  Vintage as defined by … Continue reading

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East Lake Sofa-Bed Upholstery #2A: Repair

by DKP We had the opportunity to conserve a wonderful Eastlake style sofa-bed by A. Hansen Co., Chicago, Ill.  Our clients have restored a wonderful Victorian in NE Portland, and this sofa-bed will grace her office. This is the second … Continue reading

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Conservation as Art: Infill, by DKP

The trend in American conservation is to think of conservation as science.  A more balanced truth is conservation is an art that uses science.  Infill is one area that proves that theory.  Simplistically, one reason infill is performed in a … Continue reading

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Memories in Shellac by DKP

How does one place value on memories?  What do we say when families ask us if a piece is worth repairing?  Usually they are trying to justify their expenditure by putting a value on something that will never be sold. … Continue reading

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