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Fogg Art Museum Scrapbooks, May 1947-February 1950

ARCH.2003.30, Rendition: 802797

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The image is a clipping from a newspaper article dated April 17, 1948, from the Buffalo, N.Y. Courier-Express. The article is titled "British Call American To Save Old Art." It discusses the efforts of Richard Buck, a conservator from the Fogg Art Museum at Harvard University, who was called to London to restore valuable old paintings at the National Gallery.

Key points from the article include:

  • Richard Buck specializes in restoring old wood, particularly paintings created before 1500.
  • Many of the paintings at the National Gallery are in poor condition due to warping, cracking, and insect damage.
  • Philip Hendy, the director of the National Gallery, acknowledged the need to correct past restoration mistakes.
  • Buck's primary task is to address the damage caused by previous restorers and to treat the wood and seal every hole made by insects.
  • Hundreds of paintings are slated for restoration under Buck's supervision.
  • Buck is also training two young artists to continue his work after he completes his assignment.

The clipping is from Burrelle's Press Clipping Bureau, established in 1888, located at 165 Church Street, New York, with a Barclay number 7-5371.

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The image shows a press clipping from the "Buffalo, N.Y. Courier-Express" dated April 17, 1948. The headline of the article reads "British Call American To Save Old Art." The article reports that Richard Buck, a conservator from the Fogg Art Museum at Harvard University, has been called to London to restore valuable paintings at the National Gallery that are deteriorating due to warping, cracking of the wood, and insect damage. Philip Hendy, the director of the National Gallery, mentioned that no one in Britain was able to save these paintings. Buck, a specialist in restoring old wood, stated that his work involves undoing the damage caused by previous restorers and sealing holes made by insects. The article also notes that Buck is training two young British artists to continue the restoration work after he leaves.

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The image is a press clipping from the Buffalo Courier-Express newspaper, dated April 17, 1945. It is sourced from Buffelles Press Clipping Bureau, established in 1888, and located at 165 Church Street, New York.

The headline of the article is "British Call American To Save Old Art." The article reports that Richard Buck, a conservator from the Harvard University Art Museum in Cambridge, Massachusetts, has come to London to restore masterpieces that are deteriorating at the National Gallery. Buck specializes in restoring old wood on which many paintings from before the year 1500 were painted.

The article highlights that some of these paintings are endangered due to warping and cracking of the wood, as well as insect damage, and no one in Britain could save them initially. Philip Hendry, the National Gallery director, mentions that Buck's work involves reversing the effects of past restorers' actions. Buck's task includes burrowing into the wood to seal every hole made by insects.

Buck is training two young artists to continue his work after his departure at the end of the year, with hundreds of paintings scheduled for treatment by the American conservator.

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The image is a press clipping from the Buffalo, N.Y., Courier-Express dated April 17, 1945. It was sourced from Buffelle's Press Clipping Bureau, established in 1888, located at 165 Church Street, New York.

The headline of the article reads, "British Call American To Save Old Art." The article reports that Richard Buck, a conservator from the Fogg Art Museum at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, was invited to London to restore valuable art pieces that are decaying at the National Gallery.

Buck is described as an expert in restoring old wood, which was commonly used for painting before 1500. The paintings are suffering from warping, cracking, and insect damage, but British experts were unable to address these issues. Philip Hendy, the National Gallery director, noted that Buck's role involves reversing the damage caused by past restorations. Buck's method involves sealing the wood to prevent further insect damage.

The article mentions that Buck is working on hundreds of pictures, and he is also training two young artists to continue his work once he completes his year-long assignment.

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The image shows a press clipping from the Buffalo, N.Y. Courier-Express dated April 17, 1945. The clipping is from Buffelle's Press Clipping Bureau, which was established in 1888, with contact details provided at the top: "BArclay 7-5371" and an address of 165 Church Street, New York.

The headline of the clipping reads "British Call American To Save Old Art." The article, written by Reuters and dated April 16, 1945, reports that Richard Buck, a conservator from the Fogg Art Museum at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, has been called to London to restore valuable art pieces that are deteriorating at the National Gallery.

Richard Buck is described as a specialist in restoring old wood, which was commonly used for painting supports before the year 1500. The article states that some of the pictures are at risk due to warping and insect damage. Philip Hendy, the National Gallery director, explains that no one in Britain had the expertise to save these pieces. Buck's role involves undoing the damage caused by previous restorations and sealing holes made by insects.

The article mentions that hundreds of pictures are being treated by Buck, who is training two young artists to take over his work at the end of the year.

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The image is a press clipping from the "Buffalo, N.Y. Courier-Express," dated April 17, 1945. The article is titled "British Call American To Save Old Art."

Here is a detailed summary of the content:

Headline:
"British Call American To Save Old Art"

Subtitle and Date:
London, April 16 (Reuters)

Content:
Richard Buck, a conservator from the Fogg Art Museum at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, has traveled to London. His mission is to restore precious masterpieces in the National Gallery that are deteriorating.

Buck specializes in restoring old wood panels on which many paintings were created before the year 1500. Several of these artworks are at risk due to issues like warping, cracking of the wood, and insect damage.

Philip Hendy, the director of the National Gallery, noted that no one in Britain had the expertise to save these endangered pieces. Buck explained his role in the restoration process: "My part of the job is to undo the work of bad restorers of the past. I have to burrow down into the wood and seal every hole made by insects."

Hundreds of valuable pictures are awaiting treatment by Buck, who is also training two young artists to continue his work after he leaves at the end of the year.

Source Information:
The clipping is from the Press Clipping Bureau of Burrelles, established in 1888, with a contact number BArcelay 7-5371 located at 165 Church Street, New York.

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The image depicts a vintage newspaper clipping adhered to a blue header from "Burrelle's," which was a press clipping service established in 1888, located at 165 Church Street in New York, as indicated by the text at the top of the header. The clipping is from the "Buffalo, N.Y. Courier-Express" dated April 1, 1945, and it bears the title "British Call American To Save Old Art."

The article reports from London, dated April 16, mentioning Reuters as the source. It talks about a person named Richard Buck, a conservator from the Fogg Art Museum at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, who went to London to restore priceless masterpieces at the National Gallery that were decaying. It mentions that he is an expert in restoring old wood-based artwork, particularly those painted before the year 1500. The article continues to describe the challenges faced by artworks due to warping, cracking, and insect damage and notes that Richard Buck intends to undo the work of past poor restoration efforts. The director of the National Gallery, Philip Hendy, is quoted in the article. Lastly, it is mentioned that Richard Buck is training two young artists to continue the work after him, implying a handover at the end of a year.

The physical condition of the newspaper clipping indicates its age, with some discoloration and signs of wear, which is consistent with a document that has been preserved for a considerable time.

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The image shows an old newspaper clipping attached to a card from Burrelle's Press Clipping Bureau located at 165 Church Street, New York. The card is stamped with "BUFFALO, N.Y. COURIER-EXPRESS" and dated April 17, 1948.

The newspaper clipping's headline reads: "British Call American To Save Old Art." The article reports that Richard Buck, conservator of the Fogg Art Museum at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, has gone to London to restore priceless masterpieces decaying at the National Gallery. Buck specializes in restoring old wood paintings painted before the year 1500, which face damage from warping, cracking, and insects. The National Gallery director Philip Hendy noted that no one in Britain could save the paintings until Buck's arrival. Buck mentioned that his job involves undoing poor restoration work of the past and filling holes made by insects. Hundreds of paintings will be restored by Buck, who is also training two young artists to take over his work after a year.

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The image shows a clipping from a press clipping bureau, dated April 17, 1945. The clipping is from a newspaper and contains an article about Richard Buck, a conservator at the Fogg Art Museum at Harvard University, who has come to London to restore priceless masterpieces that are falling into decay at the National Gallery. The article mentions that most of the pictures were painted before the year 1500, and some of them are endangered through warping or cracking of the wood and insect damage. The article also states that Philip Hendy, the National Gallery director, told newspapermen that his job is to undo the work of bad restorers of the past, and that Buck has to burrow down into the wood and seal every hole made by insects. The clipping also mentions that hundreds of pictures are to undergo treatment by the American, who is training two young artists to take over his work at the end of a year.

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The image shows a vintage newspaper clipping from the Buffalo, N.Y. Courier-Express, dated April 17, 1943. The clipping is titled "British Call American To Save Old Art" and is sourced from Reuters. The article discusses the efforts of Richard Buck, a conservator affiliated with the Fogg Art Museum at Harvard University, who has been invited to London to restore priceless masterpieces at the National Gallery.

Key Details from the Clipping:

  1. Richard Buck's Role:

    • Buck is described as a specialist in restoring old paintings, particularly those created before the year 1500, which were often painted on wood.
    • He has been tasked with restoring artworks that are deteriorating due to warping, cracking, or insect damage.
  2. Challenges Faced:

    • The article highlights that while some of the paintings are endangered due to wood warping or insect infestations, no one in Britain had been able to save them prior to Buck's involvement.
  3. Philip Hendy’s Statement:

    • Philip Hendy, the National Gallery's newspaper director, is quoted as saying, "My part of the job is to undo the work of bad restorers of the past."
    • Buck explains his process: "I have to borrow down into the wood and seal every hole made by insects."
  4. Training Program:

    • The article mentions that Buck is training two young Americans who will take over his work at the end of a year, indicating a mentorship or knowledge-transfer program.

Visual Elements:

  • The clipping is part of a press clipping bureau label from Burtelles, established in 1888, located at 165 Church Street, New York. The label includes the address Barclay 7-5371 and is dated April 17, 1943.
  • The text is printed in a clear, typed format typical of newspaper clippings from the mid-20th century.
  • The overall presentation suggests the clipping is preserved as part of an archive or collection, likely for historical or research purposes.

Context:

The article reflects the importance of art conservation during World War II, a period when many cultural treasures were at risk due to the conflict and environmental factors. It highlights international collaboration in preserving cultural heritage, with an American expert being called upon to assist in restoring British art.