A New(ish) Book for Reverse Glass

 

I had seen information about Frances Federer's efforts to publish a book about gilding on (under) glass.  Even though it was available directly via Frances last year, it is now available on Amazon which is a boon to those of us who seem to live on the computer,

Frances is certainly expert in her field, and her book, Gold Leaf, Paint & Glass contains much information on the history of the craft, as well as some interesting tips/techniques I was not aware of  - so it will be fun to try them on my traditional work. In addition, seeing some of the more creative projects might inspire me to move out of the antique world for a change.

This is probably not the best book for the novice - particularly if you require a great deal of assurance or hand-holding, but careful reading should keep you on track. She does offer the pattern for a project, but rank beginners should probably start with some small sample pieces until they get the hang of the technique.

Making Progress

 

This restoration project gets put aside due to its size - it takes up the work table, and I can't get anything else done while it is out. Still, now the repairs are done, gessoed, and we can start with the gilding/inpainting. And as my luck usually runs, the client found a piece long after I made a casting and embedded it in the frame.

 

See progress on this here.

Historic House Holidays

We often travel in December, and it is a treat to see the house museums decked out in their holiday attire. Many are finding this a good way to increase visitor numbers and engage with the community. Some do this on their own, and others involve local garden clubs and other organizations.
Our 2012 trip really began with the houses in Fairmount Park, Philadelphia. This was a "Villa District", where prominent citizens built summer homes away from the seasonal discomfort of the city. Some houses in the park are open to visitors, and some are preserved/maintained through use by local organizations. It can be a feat to find a time when a number of them are open, as their schedules vary, and at least some are closed for maintenance. We had a good run this holiday season, visiting Lemon Hill, Mount Pleasant, Woodford and Laurel Hill.
For more about these houses visit: http://parkcharms.com/

 

 

Mount Pleasant looks deceptively small in this photo. A property of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, it contains some wonderful Philadelphia furnishings.

 

The twin dependencies at Mount Pleasant express its symmetry, and make the house even more distinguished.

 

 

Lemon Hill is very visible from the Art Museum area; the bowed facade is due to oval shape drawing rooms.

 

Laurel Hill is much enlarged from its original form, and is often used for musical events.

Ormiston is used by a medical society, and is not open as a museum.

Rockland is used by a historical society, and was not open for tours.

 

From an Old Newspaper

We often find old newspapers used as backings for framed items. Usually interesting to read pieces of the past, and wonder how some of the stories of people back then turned out. Here is one I found in a piece I was restoring, from the San Francisco Examiner, 1909.

Waiting for the Turkey

They always seem to know when something's up and company is coming. Mandy was hoping to be seated at the adults' table this Thanksgiving.

Convex Mirrors for Restoration

Convex mirrors are always a challenge; over the years wood shrinkage causes splits and gaps, and the gess starts popping off the spherules.

I picked up this small pair of mirrors (approximately 15" diameter), and will add them to the pile of winter projects.

A Big Frame to Fix

While not the largest frame, it is about 36" by 42" overall, and when they need to be worked on, they take up a lot of worktable space and can't be shifted around (especially since I have almost no free space left).

This frame was in reasonably good original condition, until it fell from the wall. It arrived with a bag of fragments, and if all are present, it should be a straight-forward repair. On frames like these, where the composition ornament has become dry and brittle (and especially when it projects out over the edge of the frame), it is very easy to cause a great deal of damage due to the shock of being dropped.

All four corners on this one suffered.