At Howards Upholstery Inc, we sincerely believe that upholstery is like archaeology; it’s a way for us to be connected with the past in an intimate and tangible way. Upholstery is very similar to discovering the bones of a dinosaur and putting them back together, then having that reconstructed skeleton on a display at a museum for all to see, except in the case of upholstery, the museum is your home and the visitors are family and friends. That’s how Leroy Graves, formerly a worker at Colonial Williamsburg, views upholstery, according to this article in The New York Times.
Eve M. Kahn writes, “This month he published his first book, “Early Seating Upholstery: Reading the Evidence”, with a chapter devoted to “the Graves approach for nonintrusive upholstery conservation.” It also analyzes historic cushioning techniques that called for recycled grain sacks and willow tree oils, among other surprising ingredients.”
The book, an insightful look at upholstery, offers up tricks of the trade passed down from history. Graves believes that upholstery is a way to conserve the memories of the past and given his experience working at Colonial Williamsburg, he is definitely an authority on the subject. Between recycled grain sacks and willow tree oils, it becomes clear that upholstery has always been a way to protect history but also to appreciate the world around us.
What do you think? Is that ultimate goal of upholstery, to preserve the past and make it a more vibrant part of our daily lives? It’s a beautiful way of looking at things.
Written by hrosenthal-admin
