JAIC 1993, Volume 32, Number 2, Article 3 (pp. 119 to 128)

TREATMENT OF AN AMERICAN 19TH-CENTURY UPHOLSTERED CHAIR

CECELIA CHEWNING, & HAROLD F. MAILAND

ABSTRACT—A six-piece parlor suite made by Mitchell and Rammelsberg in the 19th century and bought by the Cincinnati Art Museum offered an opportunity to study original upholstery fabrics and see the combined examples of manufacturing technology and aesthetics of the United States in the mid-1870s. This paper reviews the history and condition of one chair from the suite and describes the cleaning and structural and visual compensation techniques used to treat it. Alternative cleaning and compensation techniques were used in order to preserve the original show cover and provide aesthetic integration.

Article Sections:

1. HISTORY OF MITCHELL AND RAMMELSBERG
2. MITCHELL AND RAMMELSBERG AND THE AESTHETIC MOVEMENT
3. THE CINCINNATI ART MUSEUM'S SUITE
4. TREATMENT AND EXHIBITION CONCERNS
5. TREATMENT OF THE CHAIR
6. CONCLUSIONS
a: Notes , Materials , References , Author Information

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