Upholstery conservation: principles and practice

Description/Abstract

This publication provides an amply illustrated and well-referenced discussion of the issues related to the care, interpretation and treatment of upholstered furniture. The aim is to raise awareness of the importance of upholstery conservation it the museum, historic house and private sectors.

The principles and practice of this specialist area of conservation are demonstrated through a series of case histories, contributed by leading international specialists in the field, and concern objects and collections in the care of English Heritage, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Victoria and Albert Museum and other internationally renowned institutions. The case histories range from the documentation of eighteenth century removable chair covers and the treatment of a nineteenth century carriage to a twentieth century foam-filled chair.

The case histories focus on object treatment and documentation, and encompass the preservation of evidence and function, as well as the conservation of the artefacts themselves. They demonstrate the inter-disciplinary collaboration fundamental to upholstery conservation and the complex decision making process involved in the care, interpretation and treatment of upholstered furniture