Our Conservation Framers Special Interest Group, (CFSIG,) represents conservators whose work involves mounting and framing.
Materials that are framed include prints, drawings, photographs, documents, paintings, textiles and objects. The skills required to carry out our work include mounting, hinging, woodworking and gilding.
Materials that are mounted include artwork and documents on paper, board or fabric, including prints, drawings, photographs, small textiles and historic documents.
We work in both public and private practice and are conservators of paper, paintings and textiles, conservation lab technicians, conservation framers, librarians and curators. There are currently 91 members in our group.
Our main objective is to share and provide up-to-date information about our area of interest and expertise. We're also committed to maintaining the traditional skills of mounting and framing and to increase the awareness and appreciation of period frames, including frames designed or made by artists.
Article on hinge free mounting—National Gallery of Art, Washington:
http://www.nga.gov/content/ngaweb/conservation/matting/matting-hinging-project.html
The National Gallery of Victoria Frames and Frame Makers online database includes John Payne’s valuable research contained in Framing the Nineteenth Century, Picture Frames 1837-1935:
http://www.ngv.vic.gov.au/explore/collection/conservation/frames/
Comprehensive information on frames and an extensive bibliography compiled by Jacob Simon can be found on the National Portrait Gallery, London:
http://www.npg.org.uk/research/programmes/the-art-of-the-picture-frame.php
The Metropolitan Museum of Art: http://www.metmuseum.org/collection/the-collection-online/search?ft=frames
The Rijksmuseum website has images of many frames and detailed information compiled by conservator Hubert Baija. Pay special attention to the Dutch frames: https://www.rijksmuseum.nl/en/search?v=&s=&q=lijsten&ii=4&p=4
Email the Conservation Framers SIG convenor