By Richard Baker, Conservator
The Tryon Palace Conservation Lab focuses on preserving the artifacts in the collection and also breathing new life into them so that they can fulfill their purpose in our modern world through exhibit in our historic houses, museum galleries, and gardens. Polishing brass and silver not only cleans the surface but brightens their appearance. Cleaning statues helps bring beauty to the gardens and enhances the flowers and shrubs. Cleaning furniture and adding a protective layer of wax preserves the historical context of the wood while giving a nice clean appearance on exhibit.
The techniques used by the conservation lab must be safe for the artifact, keeping in mind the chemistry of materials used and their effect on the overall condition and history of each object. What Conservator Richard Baker does must be reversible or re-treatable by future conservators. Care must also be taken to limit treatment to what is best for each object.
An example of this is an eighteenth-century mirror which is exhibited in the Alcove Bedchamber of the Palace. The mirror retains most of its original gold leaf, though due to age the elaborate carved wooden frame has shrunken from loss of moisture. The result is that the gold leaf has been falling off for years. To preserve the mirror’s history and still display it for the public, Mr. Baker stabilized the old gold leaf and then added a new layer of gold leaf on top. Completely reversible the new leaf can be removed to reveal the original materials if deemed necessary in the future. But for now, this work has brought an old treasure back to life for the public to enjoy. You can see the mirror and other objects that are cared for by the Conservation Lab with a ticketed visit to Tryon Palace.
Tryon Palace • 529 South Front Street • New Bern, NC 28562 • 252-639-3500 • www.tryonpalace.org