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Lucinda chair on exhibit at the Commissariat Store Museum, a niche gallery focused on Queensland history.

Lucinda Chair
QLD Government Yacht

This chair originates from the Lucinda, a Queensland Government yacht commissioned by the Queensland Government in January 1884. Built in Dunbarton, Scotland, by William Denny and Brothers, the Lucinda was made available in March 1891 to host the National Australasian Convention. During this convention, Sir Samuel Griffith, Charles Kingston, and Sir Edmund Barton finalised the draft constitution while cruising on the Hawkesbury River.

Background

The Royal Queensland Historical Society is the custodian of this chair. Frank's services were engaged to conserve this important piece of our history. In 1924, the yacht was decommissioned, dismantled, and its contents auctioned. This chair was purchased and presented to the Royal Queensland Historical Society by the then vice president, Thomas Welsby. It originates from the yacht's smoking room.

Back of the Lucinda chair in the process of coming apart. The broken curved top rail can be seen.

The back of this chair had suffered damage at some point. The curved top rail and the dowels securing the arms were both broken.

Close-up of the bottom rail of chair back, showing the damaged finish. It has an overcoat of red spray finish and a thick build up of wax and grime.

At some point, this chair was coated with a red-toned spray finish. Additionally, there was a thick buildup of wax and grime.

Process

The central panel in the back of the chair displays the name of the yacht, Lucinda, and is done using a sign-writing technique. The substrate for the sign writing is a light-colored timber, possibly birch or beechwood. The negative space around the letters is painted with a dark pigmented paint to form the name Lucinda. Some of the treatments and techniques used to conserve this chair are as follows:

  • The chair had quite a few structural problems, there was damage to the curved top back rail and some of the dowels that secured the arms were broken. I suspect that this chair may have been dropped at some stage.

  • The top curved back rail is cut out of one piece of solid Walnut. As the back has quite a steep curve the grain becomes short and vulnerable to breaking.

  • The chair was taken apart, the chair back unscrewed from the base.

  • The seat of the chair is constructed out of a solid Walnut. It has turned legs and rails. The tops of the legs terminate with a spigot which is then fitted into the seat and wedged in place.

  • Although there was some movement in the legs they were not taken apart. The wedged joinery was still secure and the risk of damage taking them apart was to great.

  • The back section of the chair was made up out of two main vertical supports, curved intermediate rails, the curved top rail, arm and small spindles came completely apart.

  • The back section was re-glued with hide glue. The broken dowels removed and replaced with hardwood dowels made out of European Beach.

  • The top curved back rail was re-glued. However additional support was provided by way of dovetailed blocks inset from the back.

  • The finish on this chair was original however it had been over coated at some stage with a red tinted finish.

  • The over coated finish was carefully removed, the existing shellac finish touched up then a French Polishing rubber was used to re-build the finish.

  • Finally a protective sacrificial coating of a hard wax was applied.

Close-up of the chair’s back panel prior to conservation work. This panel displays the name Lucindas done in a traditional sign-writing technique.

The back panel of the chair before conservation work. Losses to the paint were touch up and surface adulterants removed.

Back panel after conservation treatments. Losses and damage have been touched up and adulterants removed.

Above is the chair after conservation work. It now presents well looking nicely it's age and is structurally sound. 

Broken curved top rail. The chair back has a steep curve which creates short grain that is vulnerable to breaking.

The curved top back rail is cut from a solid piece of walnut. Since the damage occurred quite some time ago, a significant amount of dirt and grime has penetrated the fracture line, making a strong repair with glue alone no longer possible.

Curved top rail repaired. Small dovetailed blocks were inset across the crack to structural consolidate it.

While I am reluctant to change an original surface, some form of additional support was needed to achieve a strong repair. Small dovetailed blocks were inset across the grain to structurally consolidate the damage.

Chair seat with hand written card from Thomas Welsby dated 1935. Documenting the history and purchase of the chair for the Royal QLD Historical society.

Above is a photo of the seat of the chair. A hand written piece of card documenting the date of purchase and when it was donated to the Royal Queensland Historical Society.

Outcome

This was an interesting project. It was nice to be able to take part in preserving some our Australias European cultural history. 

"Frank knowledge and skills were vital in conserving and restoring a Yellowwood drawing room suite which is an important part of  Brisbanes history. He did an excellent job and we would happly to recommend him.

Person Name

Royal Queensland Historical society.

If you would like to discuss commissioning a furniture repair, contact Frank by making an inquiry...
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