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Originally Posted by jrg908369
We have some very old paintings that have been in storage that we would like to reframe and display in our new house. Any recommendations? Relatively expensive paintings.
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For old paintings, I’ve sometimes purchased beautiful old frames on eBay. Are your paintings oils or watercolors? For oils, if I can’t find an old frame I like, I can buy custom-built frames in many styles at very good prices on eBay. There are several companies that do good work. (Measure carefully! I recently failed to notice that a circa 1800 oil was not quite square, so I had to cut a quarter inch from the back side of the frame opening—a lot of hard work with a dangerous saw and a chisel.) For watercolors, I usually use Michaels. They offer big discounts for custom framing if I include everything in the package. I get a simple black frame to accentuate the painting. But I always get Museum Glass! That is very expensive, but it blocks UV light and has an anti-glare finish. Sunlight is very hard on paint and on watercolor papers. (The British Museum puts its most fragile or rare oil paintings behind museum glass, so people won’t touch, and it’s hard to tell it’s there.) I back all my old watercolors (some two hundred years old and by Royal Academy members) with Artcare MicroChamber board. This is an alkaline board that soaks up acid in paper to keep it from yellowing. Way better than board that is simply acid free. This is what museums use. I buy a box of ten big sheets and cut my own backing and mats. (It’s enough to just do the backing and use acid-free mats.) But if you have some, I’m sure Michael’s will cut it and install it for you. I’m happy to pay $20 for a piece of something that will add a century or two to the life of my paintings.
For old oils, of course, keep them out of direct sun, with a humidity of about fifty percent. You don’t want high humidity to lead to mildew or mold, front or back. They need air circulation.