Ms. Kawasumi Lewis presented research conducted at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston during her third year internship. This project was joint with the National Gallery of Art’s Platinum/Palladium initiative. She was happy to close the conference with this talk, as it could serve as a teaser for the upcoming Platinum/Palladium Symposium.
Ms. Kawasumi Lewis had the unique opportunity to compare platinum prints in the MFAH collection to a platinum print sample set produced by Kodak c.1902-1910, owned by a private collector. The Kodak sample set is a great resource for this study because it was commercially produced and each product has been identified on the object. She hoped that characterizing these known samples would help identify unknowns, particularly artwork in the museum’s collection. To test this, she compared the Kodak sample set to a small group of prints in the MFAH collection. She used a variety of analytical techniques to narrow down the possibilities, finally resulting in a close match with one print in the collection: Lucille Tomajon, by Gertrude Käsebier.
Ms. Kawasumi Lewis presented this research in a systematic approach, showing us how each analytical method helped narrow down the field of possible matches. Each step ruled out some of the sample set and the MFAH group.
To begin, she led us through a bit of the chemistry of platinum printing, which is a semi-printing out process. Significant to the research, she detailed that an artist could add mercury in either of two distinct steps – sensitizer or developer. For greater effect, mercury could be added in both steps. Starting in the 1880s, mercury was added to commercially available papers. Palladium paper and platinum/palladium mixtures were also available.
Ms. Kawasumi Lewis described the analytical steps that helped her find affinities between the sample set and photographs in the collection. Comparison included: date, thickness, sheen, texture, color, and elemental composition. Ten platinum prints by Clarence White, Gertrude Käsebier, Fredrick Evans and others were chosen from the MFAH’s collection of pictorialist photographs as a comparison group.
First, X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (XRF) was used to determine the elemental composition of the prints. Readings were collected from Dmax and Dmin areas using a Bruker handheld Tracer, and an Artex XRF unit. XRF data was analyzed using the counts from the instrument, which were normalized according to the Rh Kα line. In addition to platinum, mercury, palladium and lead were found in the prints. Some trends were identified: Mercury was abundant, though variable, so this required more investigation; palladium was present in several of the Kodak samples, but only one of the MFAH prints. This narrowed down the field a bit, ruling out the Kodak samples with palladium.
In order to determine if mercury variability was due to differences in the time of addition (sensitizer or developer), Ms. Kawasumi Lewis created mockups using a variety of methods described in the literature. She found that her mercury sensitized sample was most similar to the Kodak sample prints and most of the MFAH platinum prints. Not surprisingly mercury levels were highest in prints that had been sensitized and developed with mercury. This narrowed down the group a bit more by ruling out MFAH prints with high levels of mercury.
Next, surface texture was analyzed using Paul Messier’s texture scope and experimental design. This step helped to narrow down the list further by comparing the descriptions of surface (i.e. smooth, rough), to the MFAH prints. This further reduced the possibilities, so the field of possible matches was limited to only a few prints.
As the final step, Ms. Lewis used color to narrow down her final group of prints using a spectrophotometer to quantify red and yellow saturation. (As a note of caution, she mentioned that the color of platinum can be effected by more than just choice of paper. Temperature during processing, ageing and other factors can change the color of prints.) This narrowed her group down to just the Käsebier and the sample for Kodak Etching Sepia Smooth paper. This is strong evidence that Käsebier used this paper to create the print because the prints are alike in elemental composition, texture and color.
More research could help definitively characterize the paper Käsebier used for this print, but Ms. Kawasumi Lewis’ work gives us a good indication of the materials used by the artist.
Month: June 2014
Senior Paintings Conservator, The Conservation Center in Chicago
The Conservation Center in Chicago is soliciting applicants to join the company’s Paintings Department as a Senior Paintings Conservator. The ideal candidate must have the following: demonstrated working knowledge of materials, techniques, and ethics of painting conservation; extremely fine manual skills; the ability to carry out treatments of minor to major complexity; using sound judgment; the ability to meet scheduled deadlines; and the ability to work effectively with colleagues and clients as a positive and productive team member.
QUALIFICATIONS:
An advanced degree in art conservation with a specialization in painting conservation preferred, or an advanced degree with comparable training and a minimum of three years post graduate experience.
Examination and treatment related to the comprehensive range of paintings that The Conservation Center treat on a regular basis, ranging from early European to Contemporary.
Thorough understanding of conservation theory and practice.
Ability to provide written condition reports, treatment recommendations, and post-treatment reports a plus.
Demonstrated ability to work independently as well as collaboratively with colleagues
Strong communication skills.
Ability to adhere to deadlines.
Ability to multitask.
Ability to collaborate with and manage fellow department staff members to execute successful treatments.
Ability to perform the physical labor as required for specific treatments.
Ability to work in triage based situations.
Responsible for seeing projects through from start to completion.
Previous experience in private practice strongly preferred.
The position involves occasional travel.
Art handling, packing, and installation experience a plus.
This is a full-time salaried position. Compensation will be commensurate with qualifications and experience – benefits include medical insurance, vacation pay and a 401(k) retirement program. The Conservation Center is an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer. All qualified candidates are encouraged to contact heather.b@theconservationcenter.com. Please submit a cover letter, resume, salary history, and three professional references which illustrate qualifications.
www.theconservationcenter.com
42nd Annual Meeting – Architecture + Objects Joint Session, 29 May, 2014, “Preservation Planning and Mid-Century Modern Materials: Tools to Promote Strategic and Sustainable Building Conservation” by Lacey Bubnash and Katie Horak
In this presentation, I was looking forward to learning about the approaches that are taken in the preservation and conservation of modern built heritage.
Lacey Bubnash (Architectural Conservator at Architectural Resources Group) and Katie Horak (Senior Associate at Architectural Resources Group and Adjunct Lecturer at the School of Architecture, University of Southern California) shared their experience of preservation planning for The Village Green, also known as the Baldwin Hills Village, in Los Angeles.
Built in 1941-1942, the Village Green is a modern housing complex that includes residential buildings (today occupied as condos) with garages, community structures, such as a clubhouse and maintenance building, and large open spaces. The complex was designed with the idea of providing affordable housing for the pre-World War II community. On this account, inexpensive and mass-produced materials were used to construct the complex.
In their presentation, Lacey spoke about the site documentation that she and Katie prepared and reviewed during this phase, including the Historic Structure Report and Cultural Landscape Report respectively. These reports identify challenges for the site’s preservation and conservation, such as the presence of mid-century modern materials, and include recommendations for preservation and conservation treatments.
Lacey also presented about the application that she and Katie submitted for the Village Green’s inclusion in the Mills Act Property Tax Abatement Program. This Program is a financial incentive for historic preservation in California. It binds the participating city and the property owner in a contract that sees the reduction in property taxes in return for the property owner’s restoration and maintenance of the property. Their application was successful in obtaining a Mills Act designation for the Village Green.
I found this presentation to be a very interesting glimpse into the planning and preparations for the preservation and conservation of built heritage. I enjoyed learning about the process involved in such a large and multifaceted project – encompassing both built structures and designed landscapes – that bears the additional challenges of dealing with modern design concepts and materials.
It makes one wish she was going to London this summer
“50 Shades of Almost Everything”, by Mary M. Lane (The Wall Street Journal, June 14- 15, 2014), provides a tantalizing preview of the National Gallery (London) exhibit, “Making Colour” which will open on Wednesday, June 18th. What the many visitors who are sure to come to the museum will find are beautiful paintings and in depth information about the development, manufacture and use of pigments in the years 1300-1900. It makes one wish she was going to London this summer.
Samuel H. Kress Conservation Fellowship, Hesburgh Libraries, University of Notre Dame
The Hesburgh Libraries, University of Notre Dame, welcomes applications for a ten-month Advanced Conservation Fellowship, to begin September 2014. The Fellowship is an opportunity for an emerging conservation professional to build and apply the skills, experience, and confidence necessary to address conservation needs in a research library context. Working with the Libraries’ conservator and other library staff, the Fellow will address conservation treatment needs of the Libraries’ rare books and special collections (http://rarebooks.nd.edu). The Fellow will perform treatment, including examination, decision-making and documentation; will gain experience interacting with curators on treatment selection and prioritization; and will engage in other activities suitable to the individual’s skills and learning objectives. The Fellow is encouraged to pursue research and may dedicate up to 20% of work time to research and other contributions to the profession.
The ten-month Fellowship is supported by a stipend of $36,500. Additional benefits include health insurance, paid holiday and vacation leave, and $1,500 support for conference participation and/or research. The Fellowship is generously supported by the Samuel H. Kress Foundation, administered by the Foundation of the American Institute of Conservation.
The Fellowship is limited to graduates of graduate conservation programs in the U.S. and Canada, or to U.S. citizens graduating from graduate-level conservation programs abroad. Qualifications include a strong knowledge of the history, manufacture, and chemistry of books and paper; understanding of conservation ethics and preservation theory; excellent hand skills and attention to detail; demonstrated written and oral communication skills; effective interpersonal and team collaboration skills; and the ability to manage time effectively.
To apply, please include a letter, curriculum vitae, and the names, addresses, phone numbers and email addresses of three references. Please submit all application documents electronically to Michelle Savoie, Senior Personnel Operations Coordinator: michelle.savoie@nd.edu. Review of applications will begin July 1, 2014 and will continue until the position is filled.
The University of Notre Dame (http://www.nd.edu) is a highly selective international Catholic research university located in northern Indiana about 90 miles from Chicago. The University of Notre Dame is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer strongly committed to diversity in its staff, faculty, and student body. As such, we strongly encourage applications from members of minority groups, women, veterans, individuals with disabilities, and others who will enhance our community (http://diversity.nd.edu/). The University supports the needs of dual career couples through a Dual Career Assistance Program (http://hr.nd.edu/employment-opportunities/dualcareer/). For additional information about working at the University of Notre Dame visit http://hr.nd.edu/why-nd.
It may be June, but it is worth checking out these articles published in May
May 2014 was the month for newspaper articles about outdoor monument preservation projects. The New York Times published two articles about monument cleaning projects—“For ‘Cleopatra’s Needle”, a Cleaning Meant to Last”, by Lisa W. Foderaro in the May 8, 2014 issue and “Outlasting Dynasties, Now Emerging From Soot”, by Edward Wong in the May 18th issue. Foderaro, writing at the start of a several month long project to clean the obelisk which is a Central Park landmark, notes that the lasers being used to remove surface deposits will be much more gentle on the stone than the scrapers used when the monument was last cleaned in 1881. Wong, writing at the end of a multi-year project to clean the statues in the Yungang Grottoes and remove the sources of air pollution that were destroying them, notes that this project is seen as a model for future preservation projects in other parts of China. Both projects incorporated extensive visual documentation. A third article published in May 2014—“Scanning a Slice of Queens”, by Nicholas Hirshon (The Wall Street Journal, May 28, 2014)– describes the use of 3-D laser scanners to document the dire condition of the New York State Pavilion, a relic of the 1964 World’s Fair.
42nd Annual Meeting – Book and Paper, May 31, Library Collections Conservation Discussion Group
The theme of this year’s Library Collections Conservation Discussion Group was “Options for Sustainable Practice in Conservation”, which tasked speakers to examine how conservators could lessen the carbon footprint of conservation work. Speakers included Brian Baird, from Bridgeport National Bindery, Danielle Creech of ECS Conservation, Julie Newton from Emory University, and Marieka Kaye of the University of Michigan Libraries. The speaker line-up was notably diverse, in that it included speakers from commercial binderies as well as those from labs within academic libraries.
Brian Baird had some good points about why conservators and labs should focus more on reducing waste, rather than just relying on recycling, to lessen their carbon footprint. For instance, recycling some items, such as ink cartridges, doesn’t do much good – the cartridges are shipped to China, where they remove the last few drops of ink, and the plastic cartridges still end up in the landfills. His ultimate take-away lesson was that no recycling program can be as efficient or cost-effective as simply reducing consumption of materials.
Danielle Creech spoke about the various iterations of ECS Conservation’s recycling program. Over the years, they’ve recycled everything from linotype and monotype waste, old equipment, old book covers, shrink-wrap packaging, and paper dust. They built a relationship with their County Solid Waste Management District, who helped partner them with a business-to-business recycling business called Quincy Recycling. With each iteration of their recycling program, ECS had to come up with creative solutions to reduce consumption as well as find ways to recycle various types of materials. Danielle made a very important point that recycling is NOT free, as it requires time and labor to train employees in the proper recycling procedures. She also mentioned that they have noticed some “recycling fatigue”, as employees constantly have to remember which of the 17 recycling barrels should be used for different kinds of waste.
Marieka Kaye outlined how both the library and her lab play a large part in promoting sustainability in the overall University of Michigan community, via the Library Green Team program. This program encompasses more than just recycling bins, by providing avenues for both staff and students to creatively reduce consumption as well as reuse materials within the library. For instance, their library staff intranet has a Craigslist-style office furniture swap listing, and the library sells reusable water bottles which can be used with the recently-installed water-bottle refill stations. In the conservation lab, they replaced the incandescent bulbs in the overhead lights with energy-efficient compact fluorescent bulbs.
Julie Newton started her talk off with the statement that “a box of lab scraps is a hundred tiny art projects waiting to happen”, which will resonate with anyone who loves to collage or make other types of paper-based art. Through her vigorous efforts, Julie was able to extend the life of many materials before they went into the recycling bins. She noted that while conservators are usually very frugal with their materials, such as Japanese tissue, they tend to be less frugal with more plebian materials such as box-making board or paper towels. She encouraged her staff to re-use scraps in creative ways, either within the lab or outside of it. She also acknowledged that you do have to ask yourself on occasion if the effort and time it takes to accumulate and repurpose scrap is worth it, versus just getting new materials. Making scrap useful is again, not a “free” activity, as it requires staff time to sort and organize it in a useful way.
I’ve made a list of the some of my favorite creative uses for scraps and “waste” that were presented by these speakers:
- Several thousand pounds of paper dust were repurposed as horse bedding when it was donated to an Amish farm by ECS.
- Excess rubber bands were donated by ECS to a teacher in Indiana, who is trying to break the record for the largest continuous rubber band ball.
- Some materials can be composted, such as paper towels, old paste, used tea bags.
- Scraps of board and paper can be donated to schools or local art programs and clubs.
All in all, the speakers acknowledged that recycling and reducing consumption requires some effort and staff time, but in the end it can make a big difference by improving the environment and providing a positive impact on our society. In addition, contributing to sustainability efforts helps strengthen our relationship with our surrounding community, by forging partnerships with local businesses and environmental groups.
What creative solutions for repurposing “waste” or reducing material consumption has YOUR lab undertaken? Share them in the comments!
42nd Annual Meeting – Photographic Materials Session, May 31, “Technical Research on The Diane Arbus Archive” by Janka Krizanova
Janka Krizanova’s fascinating talk on her work with the Diane Arbus Archives at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City provided an overview of the first eight months of her two-year-long research scholarship. The Diane Arbus Archives contains 600 vintage prints, 800 work prints, 6,200 rolls of film, 6,500 contact sheets, and the artist’s library and equipment. Krizanova’s goals for the project are to characterize the materials in the archive, assess the stability of materials in the collection, create a long term plan for the preservation of the archives, and create guidelines for the exhibition of materials in the collection.
In her research, Krizanova examined:
• technical and historical literature on 20th century photography
• manuals and books of samples of photographic papers issued by the industry (in addition to Paul Messier’s Historic Photographic Papers Collection)
• other characterization studies, such as that on the Thomas Walther Collection at the Museum of Modern Art
Krizanova began her study by conducting a survey of the collection. She found that Arbus’ body of contact prints had the widest variety of photographic processes and the most varied condition states. Arbus worked primarily with silver gelatin prints, but also utilized the stabilization process for contact sheets and temporary proofs, as these prints were much faster to process than silver gelatin prints. However, they were not designed to be long lasting.
Stabilization prints are made by using a special photographic paper with an incorporated developer. Arbus used Kodak Ektamatic Paper (boxes of which are housed in the archives). A negative in an enlarger is used to expose the paper, which is then fed into the processer. It first passes through an alkali bath, which activates the developer in the paper. The paper then moves directly into an acidic stabilization solution, which complexes the unexposed silver. This silver is “stabilized”, but not fixed. The whole process is over in a matter of seconds. In addition to describing this photographic process, Krizanova discussed the intriguing condition issues seen in the collection, including spotting, darkening, lightening caused by applied pressure, and discoloration even when stored in an ambient room environment. Krizanova is working on establishing a set of terms to describe the condition issues presented.
The technical characterization of some of the silver gelatin and stabilization prints will involve:
• Measuring paper thickness
• Documenting printing on the verso
• Microscopic documentation of the surface texture
• XRF in the D-max and D-min areas
• UV examination
• Paper fiber sampling
• Spectrophotometric measurements
• Microfadometer readings
Krisanova has begun the first four categories of characterization. I really look forward to hearing the results of her work and her characterizations of the interesting and complicated condition issues seen in the stabilization prints.
Here are two excellent questions asked (and answered) at the end, loosely paraphrased:
Q: Will you fix and wash the stabilization prints?
A: No, they are to be preserved as is.
Q: Would you consider freezing the stabilization prints in an attempt to preserve them?
A: No one is doing that right now, as far as anyone knows. Currently, it is not an option for us, but we will certainly address this question again later in the study.
42nd Annual Meeting, Objects Session, May 31, Pine Pitch: New Treatment Protocols for a Brittle and Crumbly Conservation Problem by Nancy Odegaard, et al.
In this paper presented at Saturday’s Objects Session, Nancy Odegaard, Marilen Pool and Christina Bisulca described a new treatment protocol they established, along with their colleagues Brunella Santarelli, Madeleine Neiman, and Gina Watkinson, for treating baskets with deteriorated, pine pitch coatings. The treatment protocol was devised after conducting a survey of the basket collection at Arizona State Museum, where the majority of the pitch-coated ethnographic baskets (70 out of about 100) had unstable, blanched, cracked and brittle surfaces. The baskets required treatment so that they could be moved to a new location.
The majority of the baskets were Apache and were made using a twining or coiling technique. The pine pitch, obtained from the piñon pine would have been applied to the surface of the baskets as a waterproofing measure. Two colors of pitch were observed on the exterior of the baskets, each with different condition issues. Some baskets were covered with a red pitch that appeared translucent. The other baskets were covered with a dark brown to black, opaque pitch. Both colors of pitch had suffered degradation due to factors such as UV, temperature and pollutants, however the red pitch appeared more unstable and had a formed a series of fine cracks. The darker pitch had deeper cracks.
Because the baskets had to be moved, a treatment protocol was established to stabilize the surfaces so the baskets could be safely transported to a new storage area. Previous treatments for deteriorated pitch had included consolidation with solvents or the use of heat (using a butane torch!) to reintegrate the cracked, crumbly surface. The ASM team was looking for another treatment option, and one that took into consideration the vast numbers of objects that required treatment. Borrowing from methods used to clean aged varnish in the field of paintings conservation, the conservators decided to reactivate the pitch using a solvent to stabilize the flaking material and reattach the crumbly surfaces.
Prior to any treatment, the conservators wanted to get a cultural perspective on the treatment since they did not want to add material, alter the pitch or appearance of the basket and wanted to make sure the objected retain their cultural integrity and significance. Nancy consulted with a Navajo weaver who said that pitch baskets should always look shiny and therefore reactivating the pitch, and the subsequent shiny appearance the material would take, was acceptable.
Treatment
Because of the success in the use of ethanol in cleaning aged, pine-based varnish from paintings, that was the solvent chosen for the reactivation of the pine pitch on the ethnographic baskets.
- The first stage of the treatment was to place the baskets (many supported by foam rings or, if they fit, by large glass beakers) in an ethanol solvent chamber for 24 hours. This would condition the surface and prepare it for further treatment.
- The baskets were then removed from the solvent chamber and areas of the surface sprayed with ethanol using a Dahlia sprayer for a more direct application of the solvent.
- Brushes, foam swabs wrapped in PTFE (Teflon) tape and Kim Wipes (lint-free wipes) soaked in ethanol were then used to relocate any loose flakes.
- After one side was treated, the pitch was left to air dry for a few hours, then the basket was turned and the other side sprayed with ethanol and flakes reattached.
- When the entire pitch surface had been treated, the basket was left to air dry for about 24 hours or until the pitch no longer felt tacky.
During treatment the conservators noticed that the transparent red pitch reacted faster to the ethanol. The darker pitch was less soluble and more pressure was needed to re-adhere fragments. They also noticed that for areas with damaged basketry elements, the reactivated pitch served to reinforce those areas of the plant fiber so that no further stabilization of those woven elements were required.
Analytical Investigations
In addition to the treatment, instrumental analysis was conducted to characterize the two types of pitch and determine if there were any changes in the pitch before and after treatment. The analysis was conducted using Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and optical microscopy.
The first investigations looked at the two types of pitch and whether there were any changes observed before and after treatment. Analysis showed that there were no differences before and after treatment and therefore reactivation and exposure to ethanol did not alter the material chemically. There were differences, however, noted between the red and dark pine pitch. The transparent red pitch had a low aromatic component as opposed to the dark brown-black material, which had a high aromatic hydrocarbon content.
A series of experiments were then conducted in order to figure out what accounts for these differences and it turns out it has to due with how clean the pine pitch is and at what temperature it was initially heated to during application. Using optical microscopy, the dark pitch seemed to contain woody materials and had inclusions of bark. Could this be the explanation for the differences in the aromatic content?
Samples of resin from piñon pines in the Navajo area were collected and heated to different temperatures and then examined using microscopy as well as FTIR. It turns out that if the pitch is clean and does not contain any woody components, there are little to no aromatics. However, when bark is present in the pitch, the aromatic content is similar to that seen on the pitch coating the ethnographic baskets. The heating temperature also plays a role not only in the color, and a temperature of 180° C produces pitch similar to that seen on the ASM baskets.
This was a really informative talk describing a new approach to not only the treatment of crumbly pine pitch, but also a protocol for treating large numbers of unstable baskets. The talk was of particular interest to me because some close colleagues and I have often encountered similar types of condition issues with different resinous materials on archaeological objects (for example bitumen coatings on ceramics, bitumen or pitch on baskets, natural resins on Egyptian funerary objects and mummies) and have often discussed the need for approaches to the stabilization of these materials other than consolidation using synthetic resins. The literature is a bit lacking in terms of the treatment of these types of materials and it’s wonderful that Nancy and her team at ASM are adding to this body of information by sharing their treatment methods and findings (and hopefully publishing them in the OSG Postprints or another publication!).
The next stage of the pine pitch/basketry project will be to work on the archaeological basketry collection and I looked forward to hearing about their approaches to the stabilization of pitch on those artifacts.
42nd Annual Meeting – Paintings Session, May 29, "Eclectic Materials and Techniques of American Painters: 1860-1910" by Lance Mayer and Gay Myers
Gay Myers, with the support of Lance Mayer, presented research on American artists gathered from primary sources including artists’ interviews, notebooks, letters, manuals, and suppliers’ catalogues, periodicals, and advertisements. Their presentation focused on a period when more Americans began traveling to Europe.
The influence of instruction from French academics like Thomas Couture (1815-1879) was particularly strong. The American painter Elizabeth Boott (1846-1888) wrote manuscripts about European techniques that delineated Couture’s studio instruction in Paris, William Morris Hunt’s (1824-1879) classes in Boston, and Frank Duveneck’s (1848-1919) practice in Munich. Couture advocated the method of painting thinly over brown underlayers (these paint layers become more transparent over time, and so, this method has sometimes led to problems). He influenced several nineteenth century American painters including Eastman Johnson (1824-1906), Winslow Homer (1836-1910), and Thomas Eakins (1844-1916). Hunt and his pupil Helen Knowlton (1832-1918) believed that caring too much about one’s technique was stifling. Duveneck employed large amounts of oil media in his paintings to achieve a “buttery” application and sealed his works with extremely glossy varnishes. Duveneck’s varnishes were so thick that the American painter John Singer Sargent (1856-1925), who preferred light varnishes, advised others not to let “D” or any of his boys varnish their paintings.
The Art Amateur (1879–1903), an American magazine edited by Montague Marks (1847-1905), used the artists’ advice columns to document Thomas Dewing’s (1851-1938) use of matte varnishes, the growing popularity of the shellac-based Soehnée’s varnish as both a retouching and final varnish, and the early beginnings of the tempera revival in America. The American author Albert Abendschein (1860-1914) was among those in opposition to the tempura revival and has been quoted stating “the egg is more useful taken internally and kept out of the studio.” Abendschein instead advocated for indirect painting in which glazes are layered onto a monochromatic underpainting. In his 1906 book, The Secret of the Old Masters, Abendschein documented the growing tempura revival, commercially-produced paints containing wax, as well as other art trends.
J.G. Vibert (1840-1902), Edward Dufner (1872-1957), Mary Louise McLoughlin (1847-1939), and other significant members of the art community discussed varnishing practices, pigments, added media, and supplementary topics in a series of interviews conducted by DeWitt McClellan Lockman (1870-1957). The French author Vibert advocated a preference for petroleum solvents, and similarly, the American artist Dufner began using kerosene oil instead of turpentine because it dries without a glossy sheen. Dufner considered glossy surfaces so undesirable that he wrote on the verso of one of his paintings: “This picture being in a light key is meant to be matte surface and should never be varnished.” Vibert was also a staunch believer that lead white was not compatible with vermillion or cadmium and offered zinc white as an alternative. Concern about the toxicity of lead white also lead many artists, including McLoughlin, to start using zinc white. Since that time, technical analysis has confirmed zinc white is more prone to cracking than lead white.
This presentation effectively demonstrated the extent to which American painters experimented during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. If you would like to learn more about the materials and techniques of American painters, Mayer and Myers have authored multiple publications including American Painters on Technique: The Colonial Period to 1860 (2011) and American Painters on Technique: 1860-1945 (2013).
About the Speakers
Lance Mayer and Gay Myers graduated from the Oberlin College conservation program (1977 and 1978) and work as independent conservators to private collectors and public institutions including the Lyman Allyn Art Museum. The authors are fellows of the American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works (AIC) and have each served as chair of the AIC Paintings Specialty Group. They have collaborated on conservation and research projects for over thirty years, were awarded the Winterthur Advanced Research Fellowship (1999), Museum Scholars at the Getty Research Institute (2003), and College Art Association/Heritage Preservation Award for Distinction and Scholarship in Conservation (2013).