Elle Friedberg
NEIGHBORING PEWS
Plaster, ferrous alloy armature zinc, and lithopone paint
Materials
1884
Year
John Rogers.
Maker
Collection
Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library.
This treatment was started in Fall 2020 by the objects majors of WUPDAC Class of 2022 (Abagail Rodriguez, Alison Kelley, and Nyla Byrd). They began treatment with documentation, solubility testing, and surface cleaning. In Fall 2021 the objects majors of WUDPAC Class of 2023 (Meghan Abercrombie, Olav Bjornerud, Elle Friedberg, Alyssa Rina, and Katie Shulman) completed the next steps. We focused on consolidation and additional surface cleaning.
Before treatment, normal illumination.
Image: Evan Krape
CONDITION BEFORE TREATMENT
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Flaking and friable paint
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Surface grime around areas of flaking paint
Treatment in progress.
TREATMENT STEPS
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Consolidated flaking paint with 15% Paraloid B-72 in acetone delivered to the surface using a fine brush
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Used a tacking iron and Leister® Labor S hot air tool to selectively heat and reactivate the adhesive and relax paint flakes
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Locally surface cleaned with a 1% solution of citric acid prepared in pH 8.5 adjusted water in areas where cleaning could not be undertaken previously due to instability in the paint layers. Cleared area with pH 8.5 adjusted water.
(left) before paint consolidation, (right) after paint consolidation
Images: Katie Shulman.
DETAIL IMAGES OF CONSOLIDATION BEFORE AND AFTER TREATMENT
(left) before paint consolidation, (right) after paint consolidation
Images: Elle Friedberg
