ABSTRACT
Historic chair frames with their original upholstery under-structures and surviving original top covers and trimmings are very rare. One exceptional example is a magnificent suite of seat furniture commissioned for Corsham House in Wiltshire, UK. The suite now comprises 30 open armchairs, two pairs of settees, three pairs of window seats and a winged armchair. The mahogany frames are upholstered with red silk damask top covers, many of which had been repaired with patches of fabric. The upholstered elements of a number of armchairs from the suite were conserved to make them safe for continued open display in their original historic house setting, while protecting original materials still on the frame. Treatment was carried out in situ on each chair. All existing net overlays and the damaging patch repairs were removed. The original upholstery and its profile were preserved and stabilized by camouflaging areas of loss in the red silk damask with habutai silk patches with crepeline overlay. Net was applied as an in-situ protective overlay and external support for the inner back seat and arm pad covers. A non-interventive seat support, based on an acrylic panel, was created for one chair which had a sagging seat.
