[Bcma-l] Restoration of School Desks?

[bcma-l@museumsassn.bc.ca]

First off technically it is entirely possible and in fact in capable hands
quite straight forward to restore the desks. The tops can be removed,
carefully sanded and revarnished(not urethaned). The metal portions which
are likely black japanned cast iron can be repainted with the appropriate
sheen of black paint designed for metal. Then the whole shebang can be
reassembled. Often as not they were attached to long strips of wood so the
various sizes could be kept in place and the classroom in some semblance of
orderly rows of desks

The real question is WHY?
-I haven't seen your desks BUT...it strikes me that if the graffitti is not
offensive then it adds to their provenance and even in capable hands lets
you talk about its presence in terms of the history of schooling
-the desks I used from grade 1-4 had initials carved in them dating from
the 1920s (I used them in the mid 1960s)
-the presence of inks stains on the wooden desk tops offers more
opportunities for education
-if the desks have significant provenance SHOULD you refinish them?
-what do your institutional policies say about the treatment  of artifacts
-on a related issue, what do your policies say about the use of
artifacts....speaking from experience from a site that had a restored
school house, the constant stream of bums in seats can wreak havoc with
wood and cast iron
-do you need to refinish all of them or should a number be left "as-is"?
-finally if your plans for the desks require them to be refinished, yet
your institutional policies suggest otherwise, is there another way to
accomplish your goals without altering the desks.....see if others lacking
provenance (if your have it) can be acquired

-once they've been scrubbed clean there is no way to reapply the history
that may have been removed

Franz



Franz Klingender
Curator,  Agriculture/Conservateur, agriculture
Canada Agriculture Museum/Musee de l'agriculture du Canada
Building 94, Central Experimental Farm/Edifice 94 La Ferme experimentale
centrale
P.O. Box 9724 Station T
Ottawa, Ontario, K1G 5A3.

Tel: (613) 996-7822
Fax: (613) 947-2374
E-mail- fklingender@technomuses.ca
Web-site- http://www.agriculture.technomuses.ca