Before and After . . . . . Conservation Framing.

[star-phoenix]

So, I finally got around to doing some conservation framing for one of my cels (much needed too).

Here are some before and after pictures of the cel.


This was the original frame the cel was in since 50-60 years. The mat board was dated 1938 (the original mat). This was an old style frame enclosed by GLASS cover, which is a huge hazard for cels.
So, if you ever try to frame a cel, NEVER use glass cover. If it breaks, the glass can/will scratch or tear the celluloid, especially since they are made of a softer plastic.


The new frame. I re-matted the cel and background in 100% acid free mats + used an archival backing board and UV non-glare acrylic covering for additional protection and anti-shatter proof in case it of falls. Then I secured te back with acid free archival tape. I actually kept the original mat boards since it came from the gallery in 1938. I wrapped these up in Mylar D cel bags and secured them to the back of the frame to keep them all together and protected as well. Mat boards back then were not acid free. So, they also had deterioration problems along with the cels.

Anyway, hope you enjoy the before and after pictures and hope everyone has a super awesome Holiday Season and Happy New Year!

[AerynAerie]

Thanks for the reframing tips. I must say that is the sweetest cel of Donald ever!!!! ^____^
Have a great Holiday!!!

[sensei]

Congratulations on giving a lovely piece of art a new lease on life! You give some excellent tips on how to handle vintage materials like these.

The background is interesting in that it is clearly painted to give the illusion that Donald and the penguin chick are casting 3-dimensional shadows on a wall some distance behind them. A nice piece and worthy of a long appreciative look (with a small combo playing popular tunes of the 30s in the next room over, where there is space to dance without jogging the pictures on the wall).

[Sui Kune]

I agree with Sensei loving the shadow backdrop on the background. Even the warping of the celluloid from time seems to almost give a three-dimensional look to it. I can only imagine how beautiful it must look in person. (And man did they know how to ink lines to stay dark back in those days!)

[star-phoenix]

Here is an interesting factoid related to conservation of vintage art. The Corvoiser company are the ones that convinced Disney to salvage some of the cels into "art" and sell them off to the public for something like $5 back then. So, really, if it was not for them, we would not have cels as "artwork" that survived the years. Much of the backgrounds were produced by airbrushing. The cels were trimmed and then applied either to the background or to another cel. This is why the cels have that "3D" appearance.

Trimming cels back then was very common practice, and is probably the big reason why much of Disney's art survived compared to others like Fleischer's, where they did not have any deals with companies like Corvoisier.