| (from conservation)
 Raking light helped the conservators to trace the full outline of the ship on a mylar overlay.
According to WACC Furniture Conservator Alexander Carlisle, the raised lines of the Blatchly brig are the direct product of weathering. "Early writings on tavern signs," he commented, " had suggested that the shallow relief images observed on many signs were carved with edge tools. However, extensive examination under raking light revealed few traces of carving techniques, such as surface chipping or gouge marks." Instead, the remarkable relief surfaces found on many signs result from a process that Carlisle calls "preferential weathering," whereby long years of climatic abuse and irregular histories of repainting had actually formed — not obscured — the raised images visible today.
On the other side of Blatchly’s Inn sign, conservators again used mylar overlay drawings to sort out two distinct layers of imagery, one showing a sailor with the legend "Hope on the Anchor" and the other displaying an American flag with the words "The Cantine". The order of these two layers continues to be debated by curators and conservators.
 Detail of the Sign for Ely’s Inn, 1807 and 1824 (East Windsor, Connecticut) during conservation. William Rice’s signature was revealed at the bottom of the sign.
Another case that prompted removal of 20th century overpaint was the early 19th-century sign for Ely’s Inn. An earlier restoration attempt had partially removed the top layer of gold lettering on a dark background, probably painted in the 1830s. Portions of an eagle were visible underneath. The remaining overpaint was removed (from one side only) by WACC in 1999, revealing a dazzling federal eagle grasping an olive branch in one claw, and 10 arrows in the other. Lab examination also revealed an earlier innkeeper’s name, "Tarbox," and date, "1807."
What was most exciting about this sign was the discovery of a previously undetected signature of William Rice, the most prolific sign painter known to have operated in the Northeast. The sign, in fact, is the earliest William Rice sign painting known to be in existence. Rice probably painted this sign about 1807 on an itinerant visit to the Hartford area, before he established his home and business in the city. This sign predates by a decade Rice’s previously authenticated work. The discovery of Rice’s signature on a shield-shaped sign also adds a new dimension to his oeuvre, since all previously identified signs appear on horizontal, rectangular boards, a slightly later sign style.
 Sample from "T" in Stiles’s Inn and Thompson Hotel viewed in normal light whows at least twelve layers of paint, coatings, and grime.
Other stories of conservation and treatment are not as glamorous, but equally important to understanding the history of each sign painting. The sign for Stiles Inn and Thompson Hotel, for example, was suffering from severe paint cracking and curling. "The paint was flaking from the wood even with the slightest touch or movement," said Webber. A paint sample was taken from the "T" on one side of the sign and viewed under normal light, then ultraviolet light. The sample exhibits at least twelve layers of paint, coatings, and grime, and shows severe fracturing, displacement, and embedded dirt, possibly due to the sign having been in or near a major fire. The sign also emitted an acrid odor, further making the case that it was involved in a fire. Webber spent hours stabilizing the paint surface, using a mild solution to relax the flaking paint, then coaxing individual pieces back into position with a teflon tool.
For curators and conservators, the discovery of hidden images and names flooded the project with wonderful momentum. For Kate Steinway, Director of Exhibitions for The Connecticut Historical Society, "conservation of the sign paintings, and what was found, provides great opportunities for exhibition visitors to access new images and background information." |
