Dear Barbour,
We want to formally thank you for the spectacular framing of our prized Maine Coast watercolor by Carlton Plummer. Your guidance in selecting the frame shape and size, your suggestions for coloring and gilding it, your recommendations for the mat and glazing, and your own craftsmanship in implementing all of these excellent ideas resulted in a unique and perfect frame for this valuable painting. We now have a work of art framed with another work of art. And while both are beautiful, your framing is by far the better bargain.
Almost every frame shop everywhere now claims to offer “museum” framing, by which they mean, basically, acid free mats (or even just mat liners) and the ubiquitous linen tape. As you well know, this is not museum framing. Your frame shop has made available locally the real thing: state-of-the-art, museum quality, true archival framing involving all the correct materials and procedures. Before you arrived on the scene, we previously turned to established framers in Philadelphia, New York, and Boston. Not only were their prices much higher than yours, but packing and shipping were a nuisance and shipping/insurance costs were a major expense. The crowning irony is that several pieces framed by them had not been correctly done after all – for example, using that infernal linen tape where Japanese paper hinges should have been applied. Fortunately for us, you have corrected a number of these problems. Your experience as a museum director and, more specifically, your training have made you that rarest of commodities, an “expert” who knows what he’s talking about and does what he says. The Northeast Document Conservation Center has published guidelines for correct archival framing. What they prescribe, you provide in full. Your good taste and generous guidance are a bonus.
After almost twenty framings by your shop, we’re very pleased with your work and we look forward to our continued association.
Regards,
R.H., Grimesland, NC
