Photo by Tia Polidori

Bertrand

Winterthur Museum, Library & Garden

Fireplace

During the summer of 2017 I treated the delft tile fireplace surround in the Bertrand Room at Winterthur. The 26 tiles had all been restored in the past--and the restorations were aging poorly.

Because removal of the tiles was unnecessary and potentially damaging, I conserved them in-situ, in full view of the public as they toured the house.

See below for more details of my treatment process. Click on the link below to access my full treatment report.

Before Treatment

The fireplace was structurally unstable. The top row of tiles was attached to a steel facade with gypsum plaster. The plaster had become detached from the steel and the "panel" swung freely. In addition, tiles were obscured by historic restorations

Images by Jim Schneck

Treatment Process

Photo by Tia Polidori

The plaster panel of tiles was reattached to the steel substrate and clamped in place. Once the tiles were reattached, I removed the historic fills with acetone, filled any imperfections with Flügger, and inpainted them with acrylics and Primal WS-24.

After Treatment

After treatment the fireplace is stable and tiles can be appreciated as H.F. du Pont intended