SERVICES

Kimpton Conservation & Restoration specializes in :

  • cleaning of (photographs, prints, albums, books)
  • repairing tears of (photographs, prints, albums, books)
  • a second lining to fragile (photographs, prints, albums, books)
  • removal of adhesives (photographs, prints, albums, books)
  • reduction of stains in (photographs, prints, albums, books)
  • flattening of folds and wrinkles of (photographs, prints)
  • removal of secondary supports of (photographs, prints)
  • in-fills for missing pieces of (photographs, prints, albums, books)
  • retouching of (photographs, prints, albums, books)
  • repairing guards and fore edges, spine and sewing of (books, albums)
  • replacing or repairing guard pages of (books)
  • consolidation of leather for (books, albums)
  • archival matting, framing, storage containers of (photographs, prints, albums)

Examples of work from the conservators' past experiences:

  • The following photos and prints are examples of the types of work Kimpton Conservation & Restoration do:
(photograph from the National Archives of Canada, Gatineau Preservation Center, Gatineau, Quebec)

The print on the left is a damaged albumen print that was warped, unmounted, torn in several places, and had missing pieces.

The image on the right, is the print after restoration and is now ready to be framed and displayed.
Top
  • The following is a late nineteenth century restored photograph. Old age and chemicals contributed to the damage of this picture.
The first layer of a secondary support was removed from the back of the photograph. The first layer was removed to stop further deterioration of the photograph.

After the support layer was removed from the photograph, the photos edges curled.

The photo was then remounted on to a new archival support.

The restored photograph is now ready to be framed and displayed.
(photograph from the Musée de la Mode et du Costume-Galliera, Paris, France)
Top
  • The photographs in this example are typical of old albums : These photographs are dirty, scratched, torn, lost and slipped from their original windows.

( photograph albums courtesy of The Greenwood Center for Living History, Hudson, Quebec)

The photos on the left after restoration were cleaned, restored, flattened, reorganized and repositioned in their windows.

The binding of the album on the right was in poor condition, with many pages loosely sitting in the album covers. The pages were cleaned, repaired, the pages were interleaved with tissue and stored in a special storage box. The box was made using PAT tested materials. (The PAT is a test which analyses materials to determine their suitability for the conservation and restoration of photographs. All the materials used by K C & R for treatments are approved by the PAT).

Top
(Photographs from the National Museum of Denmark)
K C & R treated these negatives for the deterioration in the perimeter of the photograph on the left. The print on the right was made from the restored negative.

Consulting and scientific analysis/sampling

  • Kimpton Conservation & Restoration offers the service of re-organizing historical data, and as to the best way to store items to conserve them for the future.
  • Kimpton Conservation & Restoration will re-organize your family documents chronologically and advise as to the proper storage to ensure their longevity.
  • Kimpton Conservation & Restoration will organize your family photos, mount and frame them. With this information we research your genealogy and make your personal family tree.
  • For large collections of photographs and prints etc., Kimpton Conservation & Restoration will conduct a survey to determine the condition of the collection. A report will ensue as to the necessary changes to keep the collection from further unnecessary deterioration.
  • Kimpton Conservation & Restoration offers a prevention service in case of disaster: We will make you a safety plan to store your goods and a salvage plan in case of disaster.
  • Kimpton Conservation & Restoration chemically treat negatives to remove stains, silver mirroring, yellowing, discoloration or fading. With improved negatives we will making new clearer prints.
Top