Bill Lear is a staple at The Conservation Center.  Not only have we collaborated on maintaining his extensive collection, his is an active member of our Advisory Board.  Over the years we have come to know that there is always an incredible story with Bill's projects. Past projects have ranged from conserving Army discharge papers from the 1800's to fabricating a display for his commemorative Tibetan yak bell acquired during his summit of Mount Everest.  So when he arrived at The Center with two signed Shepard Fairey pieces to be framed, we knew we had to ask. 

Watch the video here. 

Recently, while on a visit to her mother’s house, a client of The Conservation Center rediscovered a photograph that she remembered as a constant fixture in her childhood home. She found the photographic portrait, which had hung in her family dining room, in a box alongside an old marriage certificate. Treasuring her memories of the photograph, and wanting the pieces to last for generations to come, our client entrusted The Center with the conservation of the two pieces, and decided to learn more about the items.

November was an exciting month for the city of Chicago, as Cubs fans celebrated the team’s first World Series victory since 1908. Dedicated fans have waited decades, and families loyal to the team have waited generations to see the Cubs crowned World Series champions. Through all of the ups and downs, fans have stuck by the team, collecting memorabilia every step of the way. It comes as no surprise, then, that over the years The Conservation Center has seen a number of Cubs-related works come through the doors for treatment.

A long time client of The Center, Greg knew just where to bring this 1896 lithograph when he received it from his uncle. And as with most every piece that Greg brings in for conservation, this print has an interesting story to tell about both his family’s history, and the history of the Midwest. A relic from the Civil War, The Easel Monument lithograph tells the story of brothers in arms, an effort to immortalize their bond, and of course, some necessary conservation to preserve it for the future.

Objectivity is necessary for conservation; it is a scientific, technical, and calculated field.  However, the necessity for objectivity is two-fold as sometimes a conservator must take refuge in objectivity to circumvent becoming immersed in the subject of a work.  This was very much the case during the nearly year-long treatment for Mauricio Lasansky's, The Nazi Drawings.