dk nkf - Nordisk Konservatorforbund Danmark

Most museum professionals would regard the
combination of old and new as grotesque and
unsuitable for display. It is usually a case of “all or
nothing.” But the photographic evidence supports a
patchwork approach. The conservation profession
discourages treatments that might have potentially
deceptive or misleading results, such as artificially
aged or worn finishes. New finishes are tolerated
because they are obviously not original. Accordingly,
the trick with artificially aged finishes is to make the
process known to the public by means of the didactic
display. That is, one should use photographs to explain
what it being attempted in the physical display.
In the long run, internet photo archives like Flickr’s
The Commons (which hosts the Library of Congress
collection and many others) may go a long way
in correcting people’s perceptions of finishes, and
their expectations may change. The public might
eventually develop an aversion for repainted objects
and demand access to unrestored originals.
A complementary resource to photographs is
historical film footage. It does not offer the same
resolution as a static image, because the film is a
sequence of short exposures, but it can capture the
effect of light on an artifact in motion.
To recap, several important lessons emerge from
studying archival photographs:
• paint does not have to look new
• new-looking paint is relatively rare and very
conspicuous
• a patchwork of new and old paint on an
artifact is completely acceptable
Traces of original paint
An original exterior finish in glossy, showroom
condition, unaffected by time or any agents of
deterioration, is arguably a physical impossibility.
Only traces of the originals remain, and they are in
varying condition.
In general, industrial finishes deteriorate proportionately
with the amount of time they spend outdoors,
but outdoor exposure can vary dramatically, depending
on such factors as the frequency, purpose and duration
of use and the severity of local climate conditions. Poor
storage conditions can also cause deterioration. [12]
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Many of us are familiar with the techniques used
to uncover traces of original paint. During cleaning
and disassembly operations, one may find protected,
unweathered finishes between mating surfaces,
under trim and fittings and under layers of grease
and dirt. Original paint may exist under more recent
coatings, but the surfaces might have been sanded
beforehand and they are extremely difficult to
uncover without causing further damage.
Traces of original and historical paint should be
left intact. They are the last remaining vestiges of
their kind. At the same time, a number of peripheral
resources should be explored.
Original paint in unexpected places
One place to look for original finishes is on indoor
industrial artifacts that probably would not have been
repainted during their operational life. They might
have been manufactured by firms that also made
machines for outdoor use and they might have been
painted using the same materials and equipment.
This would include things like domestic and
industrial machinery, hardware, recreational items
(e.g. camping equipment) and fire extinguishers.
Many companies had quite a diverse line of products.
For example, the White Sewing Machine Company
of Cleveland, Ohio also produced bicycles, roller
skates, lathes, steam automobiles and bird cages.
It would probably have been uneconomical to have
separate paint facilities for every product, so there
may be some crossover in terms of finishes. Creating
a database of these items would be an interesting
and useful project.
Another resource might be children’s toys, such as
tricycles and wagons, die-cast scale model cars (e.g.
Matchbox and Corgi) and construction toys like
Meccano. These objects demanded durable finishes
and although the coatings may be relatively thin,
there could be some parallels with what was used in
the automotive industry at any given time.
Paint brochures
The closest we may ever get to seeing a genuine
original finish may be the samples in paint brochures
that have not been exposed to oxygen and light for
extended periods of time. Many publications contain