Wagonette Break Carriage

(Object ID: 36.520.67)

Project Duration: 45 Hours

Condition:

Overall, the body of the carriage is structurally sound. The carriage is composed of wood and iron, painted black and red. Light chipping of both black and red paint is present on selective locations of the carriage (mostly corners and edges). The undercarriage is made of iron painted red with black pinstriping. The kerosene lanterns, breaks, ladders, footholds, and railings of the driver's and passenger's seats are possibly composed of a galvanized iron or steel which was painted black. Severe paint loss is present, with nearly all of it gone or flaking off. Any pressure or movement will cause the paint to fall.

9 cushions are present, each made of Bedford corduroy that was originally buff in color. Large amounts of compressed dust are embedded in the cushions. Water damage can be found on the driver's cushion. A woven rug lays in the wagonette of the carriage and is heavily embedded with dust. Impressions have been made into the rug. The rear wagonette has black linoleum flooring with a simple geometric design on it.

Treatment:

Surfaces were vacuumed with a HEPA vacuum to remove all dust. All wood surfaces were cleaned with Vulpex (3% in distilled water) then rinsed with distilled water. All lightly chipping paint on wood was consolidated with B-67 in resin. All flaking black paint on the steel or iron was consolidated using B-48 (10% in toluene). This effectively inhibited any further flaking of the paint.

The cushions on the carriage were each vacuumed using a HEPA vacuum with a nozzle and small brush attachment. Vacuuming did noticeably lighten the color of the fabric. The woven rug was vacuumed with a HEPA vacuum using a nozzle attachment with an angled nozzle. The rug was covered with a layer of Tyvek fabric and placed back into the rear of the carriage. The black linoleum was cleaned with Vulpex (3% in distilled water) then rinsed with distilled water.