Artifact & Decorative Object Conservation—Decorative and Propaganda Arts

historical artifact restoration

Model Greyhound Bus

This object is a scale model greyhound bus fabricated of painted aluminum on a steel chassis with two axles. The bus is fitted with six rubber wheels and the interior has model seats made of wood and upholstered in fabric. RLA was retained by the Wolfsonian to mitigate insect damage and conserve the model. Evidence of insect activity in the form of frass was detected during initial inspection and the bus was subjected to anoxia fumigation for 6 weeks, a process that suffocates insects using oxygen scavengers in an airtight chamber. Afterwards, we determined how best to address the overall conservation of the model. A decision was made to stabilize the damaged wheels and chassis and repair losses to the metal and exterior paint layer to render the object able to stand without crushing its wheels. A system for supporting the weight was fabricated and installed. The metal was cleaned of minor corrosion and old repairs were removed. Interior fabrics were repaired and re-adhered to the walls and roof of the bus and the exterior was filled and inpainted. The aim was to produce a work that was stable and able to be seen as a decorative object.