This watercolor was in very rough shape. A number of tears that were nearly the width of the page, oil contamination on two of the corners, air-borne contaminates across the surface, and harmful Scotch tape on the reverse that had been there for more than 40 years.

The Scotch tape and residue had sunk into the fibers of the paper. With several sets of chemistries we were able to remove most of it and what was left behind was then removed with very careful scalpel work. The oil contaminates required their own baths with targeted solutions, which left the paper wet and pliable, the perfect condition to flatten it with blotters. After deacidifying, the paper was strengthened by adding a specific kind of tissue paper to the reverse side. In-painting then completed the restoration.