Art Conservation and Restoration of Mormon Art

Idaho Falls Temple Murals Evaluation

Posted on March 25, 2012 by Scott Haskins

Dedicated in 1937

As I write this, I am in Idaho Falls at the request of the History Department of the LDS Church. Tomorrow morning, while the temple is closed, we will look over the murals in the 4 endowment rooms to evaluate their condition. Something unique to this temple are the murals in the Celestial Room showing people in white clothing moving about their activities. Some type of renovation (I don’t know how extensive) is planned and they want to address the needs of the murals. The building was dedicated in 1937 and was the only temple dedicated by George Albert Smith. It was also the first temple designed with a spire in the middle of the architecture, a stylistic effort to make it look like a Nephite construction according to the design firm. This will be the first renovation since the temple was dedicated.

As a general sort of statement, I have heard before that the Church does NOT intend to diminish the historical nature of the older temples… so those of you still having convulsions from the Logan Temple redecoration with a bulldozer, rest easy.

World Room in the Idaho Falls LDS Temple

The World Room Murals

I suppose that after my inspection tomorrow, that I will submit a report and proposal that will then go through the process. I don’t know if the murals will, for sure, be included in the renovation/maintenance work and I don’t know the schedule for the work. But you have the inside scoop before anyone else.

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Posted in Murals | Tagged Murals in the Idaho Falls Temple | 3 Comments

“Purpose of Life” by Robert Oliver Skemp (Hyde Park Mural) Update

Posted on February 12, 2012 by Scott Haskins

I was asked for a quick update on the progress of the mural by Robert Oliver Skemp we removed from the Hyde Park Chapel in London, England: We are cleaning the reverse side of the glue etc that stayed on the back of the canvas of the mural when we pulled it off the wall.

Removing vinyl paste adhesive from the back of mural.

Here it is laid out, face down, as we go through the difficult task of getting the adhesive off the back without damaging the mural. This is something that must always be done when removing a mural from a wall.

This Thursday, the admin from BYU Idaho will come to Fine Art Conservation Laboratories (FACL, Inc.) in Santa Barbara to see the mural for the first time (its been donated to BYUI) and to discuss the treatments and the options for mounting it on a wall at the university. Should be a nice viist. We are all looking forward to it.

Here’s the video about the removal process in London:

Here’s the initial announcement of going to England to remove the mural: http://www.fineartconservationlab.com/murals/mural-removal-hyde-park-mural-project-in-london-england/

Posted in Murals | Tagged BYU Idaho, Purpose of Life, Robert Oliver Skemp | 2 Comments

Art Conservation Work This Week – Intense!

Posted on January 30, 2012 by Scott Haskins

Brigham Young in Nauvoo, IL about 1843. From the collection of DUP

We have the engine at FACL running on all cylinders this week: Mural work at the Salt Lake temple for the LDS Church, large paintings to be cleaned on site at the Daughters of Utah Pioneers (DUP) Museum in SLC, a Post War Expressionist Abstract painting by Jay De Feo examination and reports at Utah State University for the Whitney Museum of American Art in NY, inspecting a “pile” of newly discovered historic paintings, meeting with private clients in SLC and Las Vegas PLUS picking up and delivering gorgeous paintings in Los Angeles (Beverly Hills) and Carmel… and all our other stops! Give us a call.

Whew! We love it!

Sign up for updates to this blog now! Its at the top of the side bar. There is a lot going on. I promise to keep it entertaining and interesting!

See Daughters of Utah Pioneer website: http://www.dupinternational.org/

More info on our work with clients in Utah: http://www.fineartconservationlab.com/salt-lake-city-painting-restoration-art-restoration-art-conservation-painting-conservation-repair-art-slc-utah/

More info on our work with clients in Las Vegas: http://www.fineartconservationlab.com/art-painting-conservationrestoration-las-vegas/

For the Whitney Museum of American Art: http://whitney.org/

Art restoration/conservation questions? Call Scott Haskins at 805 570 4140

Art appraisal questions? Call Richard Holgate at 805 895 5121

Posted in Murals, Paintings (easel) | Tagged Daughters of Utah Pioneers, Las Vegas, Post War Expressionist, Salt Lake Temple murals | Leave a comment

Art Conservation Work On Murals in Salt Lake City Mormon Temple

Posted on January 24, 2012 by Scott Haskins

We just walked in the door of our hotel having concluded our second day of cleaning and conserving the murals in the Mormon temple in Salt Lake City. We’re really enjoying working in the holy environment of the temple all decorated in Victorian Era splendor. We finished the grime removal and tomorrow I start the varnishing. Just as we were about to leave, we met Dan, the facilities overseer of painting and decoration maintenance for more than 30 years. What a fun chat we had talking shop about all the details about what has been done to the murals over the decades.

I had a surprise… I walked into one of the rooms and there on the wall, unexpectedly, was the painting of the Second Coming by world famous 7th Day Adventist artist, Harry Anderson who did the painting on commission for the LDS Church. It was very cool to see it up close and touch it (I do that to paintings!).

Harry Anderson's painting of the Second Coming

The Second Coming by Harry Anderson

You may be surprised that the original painting is about 12 ft high and about 6 ft wide.

Art conservation questions? Call Scott Haskins at 805 564 3438

Art appraisal questions? Call Richard Holgate at 805 895 5121

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Posted in Murals | Tagged Second Coming by Harry Anderson, SLC Temple murals | 2 Comments

Salt Lake Temple Murals To Be Cleaned and Varnished

Posted on January 11, 2012 by Scott Haskins

LDS Salt Lake Temple Murals date from the 1920's

The Salt Lake Mormon Temple will be closed for a couple of weeks in January and a couple of weeks in June for building systems upgrades. While closed in January 2012, I, Scott Haskins from FACL, Inc. (Fine Art Conservation Laboratories) will be leading a team of 5 people doing kind of a maintenance and prevention treatment on the murals in the Creation Room and the Garden Room. Two of us will be there from our office and I am using some “slave labor,” enthusiastic interns from the Church History Library Conservation Lab. The Head Conservator of the Library, Chris McAfee is excited about the work and wants to volunteer too! Its a special kind of project to be doing.

A surface cleaning of the murals will remove about 100 years of grime (how much can there be in the Temple?!) and then to protect the murals in case of fire/smoke or whatever, they murals will be varnished with a light-stable-non-yellowing, easy-to-remove-in-the-future synthetic resin. It’ll be just a light coat and will impart a slight sheen that will also “vivify” (a word I picked up from an artist) or saturate the colors. The murals will appear somewhat brighter in color.

I’m also going to “dial in” some retouching on the ceiling of the Garden Room from a past restoration that doesn’t blend well. Enough said.

I’ll also do some solubility or cleaning tests on a drippy discolored varnish used on the walls in the World – Terrestrial Room (see photo above) so we can formulate an art conservation treatment plan and budget. The work in this room will be done in June 2012.

I expect that our art conservation work on the murals will go super smooth. Big D Construction is the General Contractor on the project. The Temple Department of the Church is also working with GSBS Architects. Both are great to work with and real pro’s at what they do. I’m sure there’s a special pressure on making sure the SL Temple job is flawless.

The week after we do this work, I’ll stay in Salt lake City to work on a mural for the International Pioneer Museum or the Daughters of the Utah Pioneers. But, I’ll save that report for a separate blog post.

Art conservation questions? Call Scott M. Haskins 805 570 4140 mobile

Art appraisal questions? Call Richard Holgste 805 895 5121

See our company website at http://www.fineartconservationlab.com

Posted in Murals | Tagged Church History Library Conservation Lab, mural conservation/restoration, Salt Lake Mormon Temple | 4 Comments

LDS Museum of Church History and Art Gets Big Delivery Today – October 27th

Posted on January 11, 2012 by Scott Haskins

I’m on my way to Utah today for a very interesting visit with clients in Las Vegas and Salt Lake City. Part of this trip is all about delivering some big paintings to the LDS Museum of Church History.

Posted in Murals, Paintings (easel) | Tagged Gavin Jack, Minerva Teichert, Ogden Temple Mural, Salt Lake Temple murals | Leave a comment

Church History Museum’s New Teichert

Posted on December 19, 2011 by Scott Haskins

Plates of Laban by Minerva Teichert- detail

A portion of the painting.

A new oil painting by Minerva Teichert has found its way into the collection of the Church History Museum. Above is a portion of the painting. To see Zoram and other details, you will need to wait till the Church History Museum releases its official image (use of this image is strictly prohibited).

I looked it over when it was yet to be acquired to help give a professional opinion as to the condition. It has been previously worked on by someone who knew just enough to be dangerous. Fortunately though, it had not been damaged in the process of the previous “restoration.”

We have enjoyed having this painting in our lab very much. It has reminded me of when I worked on the 40 or so preparatory drawings, colored with oil paint that Minerva did in preparing her Book of Mormon illustrations. I worked on these for the Teichert Family back in about 1982. They allowed me to obtain two of them. This is one that I own:

Ammon Defending The Flocks of King Lamoni by Minerva Teichert

The full sized paintings in oil on masonite are owned by BYU and we often on exhibit in the Harold B. Lee Library.

Back to the Law on the Plates of Brass that we just deilvered back to the Church History Museum: Minerva often painted a “tribal” or ethnic frame around the perimiter of her paintings and she did it opn this one too:

The decorative border on the Plates of Brass

Our art conservation treatments included undoing everything that had previously been done, cleaning, lining, new stretcher bars, varnish. The colors popped and new details were even visible. It really was a wonderful transformation.

Art conservation questions? Call Scott M. Haskins 805 564 3438

Art appriasal questions? Call Richard Holgate at 805 895 5121

See the tour of our lab at www.fineartconservationlab.com

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Posted in Paintings (easel) | Tagged art conservation, Church History Museum, Minerva Teichert | 2 Comments

Mural from 1964 World’s Fair of The Purpose of Life – Update

Posted on November 8, 2011 by Scott Haskins

Here’s an update on what is happening with the mural that I went to London to save from demolition. Here’s what was written previously:

Part 1 http://mormonartconservation.org/murals/the-purpose-of-life-mural-from-the-1964-worlds-fair-saved-from-demolition/

Part 2 http://mormonartconservation.org/murals/mural-removal-hyde-park-chapel-london/

YouTube Video of removal http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_MRCf7uKEE

Famous mural from the 1964 World's Fair in NY

I just spoke with Jerry Griffin at BYU Idaho who is choreographing the arrangements among the university administration and the campus departments for the mural’s use and display. There will be a meeting next Monday where the proposal on how to proceed will be presented. I referred Jerry to my video on reattaching detached murals that I made for Texas State University on YouTube ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JofT2RqFi94) to help them see the options.

In a meeting with the Church History Department last week it was hoped that the mural wound be available in the future for displays in SLC by the Church. So, our art conservation treatments will be focused keeping the murals portable, somewhat.

I’m gratified that all with whom I’ve spoken realize the importance and benefits of the mural and want the art conservation work to be the highest quality possible. I’ll be reporting on progress and maybe we’ll make another quick video if there is something interesting to show you. So, sign in for updates in the upper right part of the side bar so that you’ll when I post on this blog. There’s a lot of interesting news coming!

Art conservation questions? Call Scott 805 564 3438

Art appraisal questions? Call Richard at 805 895 5121

What can you do at home to preserve your stuff? Go to http://www.saveyourstuffblog.com

Posted in Murals | Tagged BYU Idaho, Church History Department, Church History Museum, Purpose of Life, Texas State University | Leave a comment

Minerva Teicherts, Salt Lake City Temple Murals, Gavin Jack… and a collection survey

Posted on November 2, 2011 by Scott Haskins

OK! Here you are for the latest, inside scoop on saving, preserving and restoring vintage Mormon/LDS Art. I will NOT disappoint you with this posting!

The last few were busy days in Salt Lake City! I first met with Rita Wright, Curator of the LDS Museum of Church History and Art and we first looked over the painting recently discovered in a dank basement and just acquired (and which we just did the art conservation work and delivered) by an American artist in 1917 in Paris, Gavin Jack. The art conservation treatments were extensive and if you are interested in what we did, I’ve been asked to produce a short, in lab, video soon. So, sign up for updates to this blog! The thing to remember is… no one has ever seen the painting before and, so, you saw it first on mormonartconservation.org!

Can you tell what the subject is? (its laying sideways) Here it is on our worktable, before art conservation treatments

In the comments section, give me your best guess on what the painting is of (the subject matter)! One guess each please. First correct guess wins a copy of my book and instructional CD on using Museum Wax to shake proof your home for earthquakes, hurricanes and roudy kids. How To Save Your Stuff From A Disaster + CD + Museum Wax + personal help from me is a $297.85 package value! See a descritpion of the package and products at http://tipsforfineartcollectors.org/museumwax-package/ Leave your comment and your guess in the comment section. All other guesses (sent via email or Facebook) won’t be in the running.

If you’ve been following these posts, you’ll remember that the Church History Museum gave us one of their murals by Minerva Teichert of pioneers to re-restore. Done poorly years ago, it was time to do it right. Well, we finished our work and delivered it this week. The Church History Museum personnel immediately put it back into its frame and hung it back up on the wall in the museum and WOW, WOW, WOW! It glowed and was soooo gorgeous. What was especially gratifying was that they held it up next to it’s pair which had not been cleaned or worked on yet (by us!) and the difference was amazing. The one that had not been worked on (by us) looked lifeless. So, when our delivery guy gave them the one that was completed, the Church History Museum gave him the one yet to do to bring back to us. It too was worked on like the other one: having been glued to plywood, bubbling up off the board and with yellowed varnish. I’ll take a couple of pictures for you in the next couple of days. Here’s a shot of the Pioneers by Minerva Teichert that we just finished, in the photo below:

Pioneers by Minerva Teichert After Conservation

I also picked up a “new” painting by Minerva Teichert to be worked on, again. It too, has been previously “restored” poorly. I say “new” because it’s just in the process of becoming part of the Museum’s collection… but it was painted in the 1930′s I think. It’s a painting of Nephi, dressed like Laban, with Zoram loading up on his camel the plates of Laban. I’ve got to double check the publication rights so, I’ll get back to you with a picture. Hey, come by the lab and take a look!

Then, Monday afternoon, I met with the Church History Department and an architectural firm to discuss the cleaning and varnishing of the murals in the Salt Lake Temple. I’ll write more about this later. But that’s a cool bit of secret info, don’t you think? Its slated for this next year… shhhhhhhh.

The murals extend around all 4 walls and the ceiling

A heads up for the future… we are planning a walk-through of all storage facilities for art and artifacts of the LDS Church in Salt Lake City, including lost and forgotten out of the way sheds, to inventory and update all the “stuff” that is supposed to be cataloged in the Church History Dept. THAT could be fun??!!! What will we find??! Anybody else fantasizing Raiders of the Lost Arc?! Stay tunned!

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Call me if you have art conservation questions: 805 564 3438

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Posted in Paintings (easel) | Tagged collection survey, Gavin Jack, Minerva Teichert, SLC Temple murals | 8 Comments

In Utah Delivering Completed Art Conservation Projects and Consulting

Posted on October 29, 2011 by Scott Haskins

I’m in Utah meeting with private collectors and The LDS Church History Department. We’ve delivered the Minerva Teichert that I posted about at http://www.fineartconservationlab.com/projects/in-lab/painting-by-minerva-teichert-glued-to-plywood-removed-why/ I’ll post about it in a couple of days.
Monday will be full day! I’m meeting with engineers and architects who are evaluating the “systems” (air flow, plumbing and electrical) in the Mormon SLC Temple. Some future work this next year will impact the historic murals rooms and they are talking to me about what it will take to preserve and restore. I’m really glad they are thinking about this!

Posted in Murals, Paintings (easel) | Tagged mormon art, SLC, Teichert | Leave a comment