Please provide us with the following information when submitting an inquiry, and someone from the Trefler’s team will help you determine the next steps.

Please describe your item(s) in as much detail as possible. Information such as dimensions, what materials the item is made of (i.e. wood, plaster, porcelain), and your item’s current condition are all very helpful for our experts to make an accurate estimate.

We suggest providing at least three .jpg images per item. These should include; one image of the entire object, and detailed views of the area(s) of damage and/or pieces. 

If you are submitting an inquiry for painting restoration, please provide an additional photograph of the back of the canvas.

Our team will review all inquiries and assess the best course of action to suit your needs.

We look forward to hearing from you.

 


PROJECTS

An Iconic Steamer Trunk is Conserved

Louis Vuitton Steamer Trunk

Project Type

Conservation

Department

Decorative Arts

HISTORY OF THE PIECE

The iconic Louis Vuitton Trunk, or “malle” in French, was first introduced in 1858 by Louis Vuitton himself. The unique design featured a flat top that enabled it to be easily stacked and transported. This improved design soon gained widespread popularity across Europe. As competitors began to produce imitations, Louis Vuitton decided to set his apart with recognizable striped and checked canvas siding.

The Monogram Canvas, as seen here, was first created in 1896, when George Vuitton took over his father’s business. In effort to create an even more iconic brand, the monogram LV, as well as the brand’s symbols; a graphic flower and quatrefoil, were printed on the trunk. 

About the restoration

This Louis Vuitton Steamer Trunk came to Trefler’s for minor conservation and cleaning. It was presented with its original paper tags and stickers. During its lifetime, its various owners made sure to take the right measures to preserve this artifact. Despite this, it still required some care and attention to help keep it in tip-top shape! 

Our Decorative Arts Department took great care in cleaning the exterior. Adhesive residue from stickers that had been removed decades earlier was successfully cleaned, all while keeping surrounding stickers intact and untouched. 

Other small repairs included toning the exterior wood details, cleaning metal hardware and conditioning the trunk’s leather handles and trim. Additionally, the interior base of the trunk was relined with book cloth, where the original lining was unsalvageable. 

Restoration projects

  • Conservation, with the sea in mind

    This was painted in approximately 1900, by our client’s husband’s Swedish great grandfather. He was a ship captain, and was lost at sea in 1910.
    The painting had a dark layer of discolored varnish and soot obscuring the surface. There were some losses in the paint layer and scratches.
    The restoration process included a cleaning with a combination of solvent solutions. An isolating varnish of Paraloid B-67 with 2% Tinuvin 292 hindered-amine light stabilizer was brushed over the surface. Losses were filled with Flügger and inpainted with pigment ground in Laropal A81 aldehyde resin. A final coat of Paraloid B-67 with Tinuvin was applied.

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  • A Collection of Civil War badges is displayed

    This client’s Great-Great-Grandfather fought in the Civil War for the Indiana 44th Infantry regiment. After the war, he attended many of the GAR reunions, acquiring a badge at each one. After his death, his daughters (both of whom I knew as a child – one as an adult) created the display of badges that you have prepared the shadow box to house. One of his daughters, the Great-Great-Aunt I knew even as an adult, was an invalid and never married. Until her death in the late 1970s she received a Civil War pension as a dependent of a veteran – the princely sum of $11 a month!

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  • The New Bedford Whaling museum repairs its lamp

    The New Bedford Whaling Museum contacted us with a very special project. Their Pairpoint Mushroom electric lamp, made in the time somewhere between 1907-1929, was in pieces.

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  • An antique carousel horse is restored

    This antique carousel horse was brought to Trefler’s as part of a larger fire claim which included an incredible private collection of fine and decorative artworks. The capabilities of our full-service studio, coupled with the trained hands of our skilled restorers, allowed our team to address damage to the wide array of objects, antiques and artworks that were affected by this unanticipated and unfortunate event.

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  • Framing a Soviet-era shawl woven with family history

    This beautiful Russian shawl was brought into Trefler’s framing department with a story that spans three generations of women.

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  • A Sentimental Armoire Gets An Update

    This piece was incredibly sentimental to its owner, however its original finish was heavy and no longer suited its contemporary surroundings. With the ambition to give this armoire a new aesthetic, Trefler’s furniture department worked extensively with the client to create a custom finish that would re-imagine the piece of furniture by simply refinishing it.

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  • A Family’s Dollhouse is Restored For Future Generations

    This dollhouse was originally played with by Boston architect John Hubbard Sturgis, who would later come to design the Codman House in Lincoln, MA, and the personal residence of Isabella Stewart Gardner.

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  • Original Boston Garden Benches are Given a Custom Base

    This historic artifact was once part of the Boston Garden, and was later acquired by a private collector through a local fundraiser. With hopes of preserving the history of the benches, while also restoring their function, their new owner enlisted Trefler’s team to ensure these benches could be appreciated for years to come.

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  • An Asian Figurine is Put Back Together

    This antique Asian figurine came to Trefler’s in several pieces after taking a fall. Our Decorative Arts Department securely re-attached the figure’s head and shoe. Filling and sanding of the fractured areas was required in order to ensure a smooth surface texture. Finally, the affected areas were painted and color matched to the original glazing, restoring it to its former self.

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  • An Iconic Steamer Trunk is Conserved

    This Louis Vuitton Steamer Trunk came to Trefler’s for minor conservation and cleaning. It was presented with its original paper tags and stickers. During its lifetime, its various owners made sure to take the right measures to preserve this artifact. Despite this, it still required some care and attention to help keep it in tip top shape!

    Read On