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Conserving the Past for the Future
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A Conservation Tour
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Armchair, about 1755: Restoring a 19th-Century Armchair
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| Nicolas Heurtaut (French, 1720-1771) Armchair, about 1755 Carved and gilded wood, 104.7 x 73 x 79.35 cm Bequest of Mrs. Severance A. Millikin 1989.160 |
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The Upholstering of the Chair
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As with the regilding of the wooden sections of the chair, of the upholstery needed to have the proper 18th-century look. Again outside expertise was sought and found. Elizabeth Lahikainen of Salem, Massachusetts, reupholstered the chair, recreating an authentic appearance. Historically, upholstery work involved nailing the fabric to the chair rails. After several upholstery jobs the wood was usually damaged from all the nail holes. Modern upholstery conservation avoids using nails to secure fabric to chairs. Instead inert foams are used to create the thickness or contour of the upholstered areas. The upholstery fabric is glued to a thin sheet of inert plastic, which is used to hold the fabric in the proper location. This non-invasive technique helps to preserve the chair for many more generations.
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Page 3 of 3 | On the next page: How the Armchair Arrived at the Museum