Antiques: Treasured possessions in need of repair? Don't do more harm than good
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Over the years as a photographer, an artist, a collector and antique dealer I have seen some pretty egregious things happen to, well, things.
OK, I know I am going to have to explain that one.
I operate under the basic philosophy that an item is only original once. Once you alter it a small amount, a large amount or restore it completely, you have changed the essence of that item, and in some cases you may have completely destroyed its value.
I realize there are exceptions to every rule. Museums frequently restore treasured paintings, and they obviously retain their value, but those and similar restorations are done to preserve. Dust and light damage fine artworks, and many restorations are done to simply clean the artwork and preserve it. Now the trend is to only perform restorations that can be removed in the future.
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Cars are another genre that have wild debates as just what constitutes value and restoration. Barn finds have been all the rage the past several years. So much so that some collectors even eschew washing 30 years of barn dust off the car. I have seen cars go into museums exactly the way they were found, and they seem to hold their value. Weird.
Obviously changing the brake shoes on a 1957 Chevy isn’t going to ruin it’s value, but changing out the engine might. To each their own. Sometimes the original paint, even with a few blemishes, will outvalue a perfectly restored specimen.
When it comes to antiques, and other items, here are some things you shouldn't do, even in an attempt to repair or preserve them:
Documents and photos
Ugh. I hate tape. Especially cellophane tape. Once you put it on, it’s nearly impossible to get off. Sometimes it sticks so much, you run the risk of damaging the surface you have put it on. If it’s paper or cardboard, forget it, it’s done.
The second problem with tape if the residue. If you are indeed fortunate enough to get the tape off your item, you have to find a way to get rid of the residue.
Most types of tape contain PH or acid. Acid in products will eventually cause damage to that item, unless you use an acid free tape. When you remove the tape and the area is a different color, that’s the acid damage. Acid-free linen tape can be used to tape a torn page without causing further damage.
In many instances, I recommend scanning or photographing documents, then making a reproduction to handle and storing the original in a secure place.
Also when storing papers, or artworks, make sure the document sleeves and/or photo storage boxes are acid-free. There are companies that specialize in these products. Newspapers are difficult to store long term because of the poor quality of the paper. They will naturally disintegrate given enough time due to the acid in the newsprint.
This brings us to photos. I am sure everyone remembers the old “Magnetic” photo albums. You lifted the clear cover sheet on each page and set you photo under it and then let the clear sheet back down. Magnetic? No, glue. After a few days or maybe years, you couldn’t get the photos out without ripping them.
As a retired photographer I will let you in on a little secret. Photos fade away. Every photo you own, will eventually fade away into nothing. The silver in old photos slowly disappears, and as time goes by the image will disappear.
This is why I encourage getting your photos scanned. Once I scan your photo, you can often use that digital image to fix damage without altering the original. Then the original can be stored safely.
This process also aids in sharing valuable photos with family members so you don’t have to exchange possession of great grandpa’s photo each Christmas.
As far as modern photos such as inkjet prints, they claim the inks are archival, and the papers are acid free, but no one has owned a digital print for 75 or 100 years yet, so the jury is still out on that one.
If you have to tape a photo to repair it, use archival tape, and only from the back. Never use “scotch” tape on the front. Also, no writing on anything. A light pencil price on the flyleaf of a first edition can usually be erased clean off, but pens and markers are permanent, and in many cases even pencil will leave an impression on the paper.
Antique furniture
Once you drill a hole in the back of that antique bookcase to put your stereo cords thorough, you may have ruined the value. You can’t just put the wood back into the hole when you get a new stereo stand.
However if you do need to fix a wooden item for sentimental reasons or to just keep using it, there are options.
As far as wood finishes go, there are filler sticks, stains and all sorts of restoration tips and tricks out there to fill scratches, remove water marks and dings. Some work with minimal overall harm, and some will make you decide you need to strip the item and paint it or it becomes yard sale fodder.
When using chemicals, do your homework. Know what kind of wood you are dealing with and what type of finish is on the furniture. If you try to stain over varnish or shellac, you may make things worse.
Always work in a small area and test first. Work in steps and layers. You can strip and refinish the entire piece, but then you are into a project that will take many hours, and you may not have the space or tools to tackle such a job. Again, depending on the scarcity and value of the item, you may do more harm than good to its overall value.
Sometimes all an item needs is a good cleaning.
When it comes to repairing with glue, do some homework first. Super glue is sometimes not very super. Wood glue works on cardboard and paper. Epoxy, Gorilla Glue and contact cement all have their place, but few are considered restoration tools. Small amounts are best, and clean any excess off.
Wood glue will stain if you get it in the wrong place. It also can prevent finished from penetrating areas. Make sure you follow the manufacturer’s instructions. If you accidentally super glue body parts together you may have a medical emergency or a great party story.
Sometimes though the repair, even though not esthetically pleasing, is undertaken and accepted because the item being repaired is of such sentimental value, that simply having the item whole is more important than how it looks.
In that case, whatever works, works. Just start slowly and take your time.
Remember it’s only original once.
Ed Kindle is the owner of Five Katz Antiques in Titusville. He is a retired photographer with more than 30 years of experience with antiques and collecting.
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This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Tape, glue and other 'fixes' can cause more damage to precious objects
