The Buffalo Bill Center of the West offers a massive collection to interest audiences of all ages. After taking one look around any of the five galleries, visitors are often surprised that the objects the Center houses are in such good condition.
But who keeps these objects looking so pristine?
The Conservation Department works every day to preserve the collections within the facility. This department is so important because the Center strives to share an authentic, comprehensive American West experience with its visitors through the stories told and the objects on display—objects that are cared for by the Conservation program.
So, when Conservation was tasked with what seemed like the most daunting of all projects, they knew exactly what to do—they welcomed the challenge.
The painting pictured below, titled Shoshone Canyon by Henry H. Cross, was painted in 1899. At first glance, it appears to be a vast desert scene with elk and antelope and the sun setting in the background. But before moving on, take a closer look at the painting.
The small white spots in the middle are the true color of the original piece. In fact, this painting is not a desert scene at all; it is actually the Shoshone Canyon after a snow fall. The white spots have been cleaned with q-tips and a mild enzymatic solution. To learn more about conservation’s best kept secret cleaning solution, click here!
The painting had been hanging in a local restaurant for more than thirty years, and as time passed, cigarette smoke and grease slowly distorted the coloring of the snowy piece. As a matter of fact, it wasn’t until fairly recently, a man in the restaurant took a good look at the painting, rubbed it with a napkin, and realized the painting is not a scene of the desert.
However, this project is no small task for Conservation—the painting is forty eight inches tall and seventy two inches wide, and the majority of it will be cleaned with q-tips.
Below is a picture of the back of the painting that Conservation also plans to clean. In order to take on this project, they are working to vacuum the painting and its frame, attempt to flatten the canvas, and remake missing pieces of the frame.
This painting is only one of many projects this department happens to be working on. To learn more about conservation, click here!
