Paintings
Surface cleaning, consolidation, tear repair, lining assessment and retouching under documented ethical limits.
Conservation of paintings, paper & objects · fictional practice
Keep the evidence. Stabilise the future.
We examine what is present, identify what is unstable and intervene only as far as the object requires. Every treatment leaves a record for the next custodian.
01
Examine before proposing
02
Use minimal intervention
03
Document every material
Condition report 24-118Oil / linen
Stable support. Active surface lift at lower edge.
Recommendation: local consolidation before transport. Cosmetic integration can wait until the work is structurally secure.
About / conservation ethics
The object is not a blank surface for our skill.
Vellum is a fictional private conservation lab serving collections that need careful treatment and equally careful restraint. We distinguish structural risk from visual preference so clients understand what is urgent, optional and irreversible.
Photography, material notes, diagrams and introduced materials are recorded before an object leaves the bench. That record is part of the treatment, not administration added afterward.
Services / treatment areas
Bench work, written as treatment sheets.
Works on paper
Dry cleaning, humidification, flattening, mending, stain reduction, archival mounting and housing.
Objects
Condition stabilisation, corrosion control, adhesive repair, support fabrication and preventive storage advice.
Collections
Surveys, disaster planning, environmental review, handling protocols and treatment prioritisation.
Process / treatment sequence
01
Examine
Lighting, magnification, handling history and visible instability.
02
Record
Photography, diagrams, measurements and condition language before action.
03
Propose
Options are separated into necessary, beneficial and cosmetic work.
04
Treat
Materials and methods are logged as the object moves through the bench.
05
Close
Final images, care instructions and a treatment report travel with the object.
Projects / recent records
VC-24118
Oil on linen
1938
Oil on linen
1938
Flaking paint before regional loan
Local lifting was consolidated, an old surface coating reduced only where safe, and a travel frame added so the museum could lend the work without escalating cosmetic treatment.
VC-24091 · PAPER
Architectural drawings recovered from rolled storage
Controlled humidification, flattening, Japanese tissue repairs and individual buffered folders returned a working archive to safe access.
VC-24063 · OBJECT
Painted theatre maquette with unstable joins
A discreet support system removed load from brittle adhesive joins while preserving the original assembly evidence.
Proof / documentation standard
100%
objects photographed before treatment
14 yr
average bench experience
0
unrecorded introduced materials
72 hr
typical examination report turnaround
People / bench team
Named hands, named decisions.
Amahle Dube
Paintings conservator
Surface, consolidation, structural painting treatments
Noah Stein
Paper conservator
Works on paper, archives, photographic materials
Mina Okafor
Objects conservator
Mixed media, painted objects, support fabrication
Ruth Hale
Collections adviser
Surveys, environments, disaster planning, treatment priorities
Insights / lab notes
Notes worth leaving for the next custodian.
When not to clean a surface
Soiling, patina, accretion and original finish can look similar until examination separates them.
Packing is preventive conservation
A well-designed travel support can prevent more damage than a later treatment can undo.
What a condition report should actually say
Useful reports describe location, extent, severity and change, not just a list of vague defects.
FAQ / treatment questions
Before anything touches the object.
Will a treatment make an object look new?
No. The fictional lab is built around stabilisation, legibility and respect for original material. Age, wear and evidence of use are not automatically defects to erase.
Can every treatment be reversed?
Not every physical intervention is perfectly reversible, which is why we prefer stable, minimal and retreatable materials where possible and record exactly what was introduced.
How is a quote prepared?
We examine the object first, document condition, identify risks and then issue a written treatment proposal with options, exclusions, estimated hours and likely decision points.
Do you work with private owners?
Yes. The fictional practice serves museums, archives, galleries, designers, estates and private custodians, with the same documentation standard for each.
Contact / examination intake
Start with photographs, dimensions and what changed.
Send overall and detail photographs, approximate dimensions, known history, current location and the reason for examination. We reply with transport guidance and whether an in-person assessment is required.
Begin an examination request