Before, during and after treatment.
The goal of this treatment was to restore the duchesse
brisee (chaise lounge in two parts) for exhibition using
non-interventive upholstery conservation techniques for the
interpretation of a room restoration at
The Hyde Collection set at the period
when Mrs. Hyde lived in the house.
Much of the fabric was weakened with areas of loss, mostly
due to light exposure. The cushions were especially
deteriorated with large areas of loss and tears. Prior
repairs had been made, some of which weakened the structure
of the pieces.
Repairs were made to the chair and footrest's frame in
order to stabilize them prior to cleaning. Next, the
painted wood was cleaned. This removed an oily grime layer.
Inpainting was performed as necessary and then painted
surfaces were coated with a protective brown paste wax. The
seats were supported with Plexiglas strips. Decorative
nails were carefully removed and cleaned. The upholstered
layers were all identified and separated with acid-free
tissue in preparation for rehousing. All layers were
vacuumed. A new show cover fabric was cut, placed and
pinned onto the chair and then attached with the decorative
nails into the original nail holes.