It is my great pleasure to show you this unique project. A client arrived in the shop after a referral by a very reputable historical institution. He had with him a previously framed item which has belonged to his family for generations: a handwritten condolence letter by George Washington to one of his ancestors after another of his ancestors had passed away. It was written in Philadelphia, during Washington's Presidency.
Above is the project as it entered the shop. Framed side by side with an antique engraving of the Founder. I did not ask the client, but from the looks of it, this framing was done in late 1960s, well before the advent of archival materials. The mat was clearly discolored is spots from acids in the paper.
Here is the back of it on my operating table (yes, it is dual-sided with a mat opening to reveal the addressee), with more apparent discoloration.
and here it is with the back mat removed. The mounting technique is very sound, done in linen tape, and caused no damage to the document. However, the original mat shows ALOT of foxing in here.
The document and engraving on their first acid-free surface! The operation a success! (Note cotton gloves to protect paper from oils that exist on human hands.)
The original glass with the ghost image of the President and his letter permanently etched in its surface.
This is the back of the new mat which is acid free (we sell nothing less) cotton rag museum board, with gold imperial fillets on the insides of the openings, and then a layer of 2 ply cotton museum mat to buffer the surface of the fillets against the art.
The completed project. Front and back views.
Your most obedient servant. Photo by the pleased client.
PS. The image of the raw letter at the top of this post is a large format upload. Clicking on it will greatly increase its size and the text can be read. Enjoy!
