This beautifully embellished chest of drawers was made between 1800 and 1810 in New England, probably New Hampshire. The decorative quarter fan motif, the nicely figured mahogany and birdseye maple veneer make this an elegant example of the Federal style.
On August 11, 2014, six-plus inches of rain fell in Dearborn over several hours, causing a backup of the drainage pumps on Henry Ford Museum’s rooftop. Water infiltrated the museum’s furniture storage area damaging many artifacts. With generous financial assistance from the Americana Foundation we have been able to direct resources to the conservation of this and other treasures that were damaged during the flood.
The conservation of this chest of drawers started with a detailed examination to identify every area of damage to both the finish and the structure of the artifact. Each area of damaged veneer was labeled using a small piece of removable tape and the item was photographed.
Forty-one areas of lifting veneer were identified. This damage was caused by the deterioration of the animal glue or hide glue (water soluble adhesive made from animal hides) that was used to adhere the veneer. Despite the fact that hide (or animal glue) glues are very strong, they absorb moisture and lose strength when humidity levels fluctuate. To reattach the veneer a syringe filled with warm water was used to soften the old adhesive so that it could be scraped out with a small spatula or scalpel.
The lifting veneer was then reattached by inserting new hot hide glue using a syringe and small spatula. Hide glue has a short working time, so the repairs had to be completed quickly by working in small sections at a time. A piece of silicone coated Mylar was placed on each area followed by a piece of Plexiglas, and finally a clamp to press the veneer back into a flat position. Some areas were much easier to clamp then others.
The loose backboard was shimmed to hold the backboard securely. Additionally, a detached drawer stop was reattached and missing ones were fabricated and re-adhered using hide glue.
The dresser was also cleaned with a mild soap and water. Residual soap was removed with distilled water. Finally this beautiful chest of drawers received a shiny wax coating before heading back to storage.
Tamsen Brown is Furniture Conservator at The Henry Ford.
#Behind The Scenes @ The Henry Ford, collections care, conservation, by Tamsen Brown, furnishings
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