The Back to Basics: Upholstery Conservation workshop is designed for conservators wishing to understand more about the conservation of upholstery. This two-day workshop will enable students to gain a better understanding of historic and modern upholstery techniques, and an introduction to conservation methods.

Course Objectives

To gain a greater knowledge of the history of upholstered furniture, and discuss the materials and techniques used to create them. Methods available to examine upholstery and understand physical evidence of the frame will be dicussed and interpreted. Non-traditional treatment solutions will be presented to demonstate a range of problems frequently encoutered in the display of original materials and also the recreation of missing historically accurate upholstery.

Practical sessions will introduce participants to simple upholstery skills necessary to remove textiles from the frame, and give ideas for discussions with other professionals about how best to reattach them after treatment.

Heather Porter

Heather Porter is a freelance upholstery conservator, consultant and upholsterer based in London. After graduating in 2001 with an MA in Upholstery Conservation from the Royal College of Art/Victoria & Albert Museum she spent 11 years as an upholstery conservator working for institutions in America and the UK. Her positions have included a postgraduate internship at The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, Virginia; a Fellowship at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; and contracts at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston and the Victoria & Albert Museum, London. More recently she returned for three years to the upholstery trade working for two companies that specialise in traditional and modern upholstery.

For additional information, or enquiries, contact: katy.smith@thebowesmuseum.org.uk