HIGHEST QUALITY FURNITURE CONSERVATION IN NEW ENGLAND

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617-364-4054

HIGHEST QUALITY FURNITURE CONSERVATION IN NEW ENGLAND

What we do

Preserve valuable historic furniture, woodwork, finishes, and upholstery for museums, institutions, and private collectors

Preserving Historic Woodwork

Traditional hand tool woodworking skills, knowledge of historic methods and techniques, and our focus on care tailored to the object’s condition issues allows us to repair and preserve functionality and historical integrity.

Historic Finishes, Paints & Gilding

Our expertise with historic varnishes, lacquers, paints, and gilding, as well as the technical expertise to identify and reproduce them, gives you a clear understanding of the issues and the range of treatment options.

Traditional Upholstery Techniques

We provide both comfort and historical authenticity while preserving surviving historic upholstery. We mix traditional hand-tied horsehair stuffing with minimally intrusive techniques to preserve fragile antique frames.

Repairing varnished and gilded architectural ceiling

Horsehair stuffing is shaped traditionally in rows of hand stitching

95 years of dirt are removed from the chancel’s carvings

Cross sectional sample reveals layers of stains, paint and varnish

Brass, silver plate, ormolu and iron are stabilized and coated

Missing banisters are restored using traditional hand tools

An invisible signature is documented using infrared photography

Pigment particles are identified by their optical properties

Damaged parts are carefully rebuilt and filled out

About C Shelton Conservation

Over the last 30 years I have worked with hundreds of museums, private collectors, historic homes, and government collections. I have used our extensive knowledge of modern conservation approaches and traditional craft to preserve American and European furniture and interiors from the 17th to 20th century. From our studio in Boston’s Hyde Park neighborhood, we provide our clients with a broad range of services to preserve their fine woodworking, painted, varnished, or gilded surfaces and traditional historic upholstery foundations and show covers. We also provide in-depth microscopy services to help identify historic paints, varnishes, urushi lacquer and gilded decoration, as well as textile fibers and wood species.

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The conservation profession melds art and science to preserve cultural heritage materials for the future. It protects, and ultimately, saves our past for generations to come.

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Our Clients Include

Lexington Historical Society
Colonial Society of Massachusetts
DAR Museum, Washington DC
Emily Dickinson House
Currier Museum of Art
Harpsichord Clearing House
Carswell Rush Berlin
Catherine Truman Architects
United States Senate

Christopher Shelton

Owner and Principal Conservator

Chris received his graduate degree in art conservation from the University of Delaware/ Winterthur Art Conservation Program. He worked for Colonial Williamsburg and for Bayou Bend Collection of American Art and the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston before joining Robert Mussey Associates. He has published articles on innovative techniques he developed for conserving historic upholstery and gilding. He is a professional associate with the American Institute for Conservation.

Carolyn Finn

Assistant Conservator

Carolyn graduated from Lehigh University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Design Arts and is a graduate of the North Bennet Street School Cabinet and Furniture Making program. She received a professional graduate certificate in Museum Studies from Harvard University. She worked for Robert Mussey Associates and interned for the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston before becoming the Assistant Conservator at Christopher Shelton Conservation. She is an associate with the American Institute for Conservation.