Please provide us with the following information when submitting an inquiry, and someone from the Trefler’s team will help you determine the next steps.

Please describe your item(s) in as much detail as possible. Information such as dimensions, what materials the item is made of (i.e. wood, plaster, porcelain), and your item’s current condition are all very helpful for our experts to make an accurate estimate.

We suggest providing at least three .jpg images per item. These should include; one image of the entire object, and detailed views of the area(s) of damage and/or pieces. 

If you are submitting an inquiry for painting restoration, please provide an additional photograph of the back of the canvas.

Our team will review all inquiries and assess the best course of action to suit your needs. In order to expedite your inquiry, please make sure to include your telephone number

We look forward to hearing from you.

 


PROJECTS

Gaming at Trefler’s

Chinese Checkers!

Project Type

Restoration, Conservation, Repair and Fabrication

Department

Furniture

HISTORY OF THE PIECE

My grandfather was born in what is now Poland and emigrated to the United States in 1892 at the age of nine. His father was a cobbler who settled in Detroit. My grandfather only received a third-grade education. He eventually found work in the auto industry where he was recognized for his artistic ability and, among other things, carved the molds for car emblems and hood ornaments. He loved to work with his hands and, after his retirement, spent many summers at children’s camps teaching arts and crafts. He enjoyed creating toys and games out of wood. He didn’t invent this game, of course, but he did create a unique storage box for it. He was particularly proud of the metal slide that can be adjusted so that exactly one rack of marbles can be added or removed at a time.

I have fond memories of playing this game as a child, so I am looking forward to being able to play it again with my family.

About the restoration

As a restorer, there is an aspect to every project that makes it interesting. Some projects, however, are just interesting and challenging in every way: a piece’s history, its functionality, the aesthetic, and the problem solving that is necessary for a proper restoration. The handmade, portable Chinese Checkers Box was a pleasure to restore on all these levels. So much thought was spent on the original design and fabrication, yet over many years of family games , it had finally broken into many pieces.  Returning the box to its original functionality, and appearance was a long process.  The fabrication of a new brass slider which would let out only one section of marbles at a time was especially challenging. I am sure the member of the family who originally made the piece went through similar trial and error to get the spacing of the design just right. In the end, I was proud to have brought the piece back to life while maintaining its antique, handmade look.  I am grateful that my work on this piece will return memories of the past and now can create new memories with each family gathering’s new game. 

Restoration projects

  • Gaming at Trefler’s

    These pieces came to our studio for restoration, repair, conservation, and fabrication. Many details went into the process of bringing it back to its final version, ready for use by the family of our client. There is an interesting background story to both the game and the process of its work, here.

    Read On

  • An antique Rocking Horse is restored

    Our client writes “This rocking horse was bought by my grandparents for my father and his two brothers in the early 1900s. They lived in Cleveland, Ohio, but the horse was made by the Whitney Reed Company in Massachusetts. My father inherited the horse from his parents, and it was then passed down to me. When I brought it into Trefler’s, the brace, saddle, mane, and paint all needed work after many years of use by young children. I’m so glad that it’s been brought back to its original condition.”

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  • Conservation, with the sea in mind

    This was painted in approximately 1900, by our client’s husband’s Swedish great grandfather. He was a ship captain, and was lost at sea in 1910.
    The painting had a dark layer of discolored varnish and soot obscuring the surface. There were some losses in the paint layer and scratches.
    The restoration process included a cleaning with a combination of solvent solutions. An isolating varnish of Paraloid B-67 with 2% Tinuvin 292 hindered-amine light stabilizer was brushed over the surface. Losses were filled with Flügger and inpainted with pigment ground in Laropal A81 aldehyde resin. A final coat of Paraloid B-67 with Tinuvin was applied.

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  • A Collection of Civil War badges is displayed

    This client’s Great-Great-Grandfather fought in the Civil War for the Indiana 44th Infantry regiment. After the war, he attended many of the GAR reunions, acquiring a badge at each one. After his death, his daughters (both of whom I knew as a child – one as an adult) created the display of badges that you have prepared the shadow box to house. One of his daughters, the Great-Great-Aunt I knew even as an adult, was an invalid and never married. Until her death in the late 1970s she received a Civil War pension as a dependent of a veteran – the princely sum of $11 a month!

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  • The New Bedford Whaling museum repairs its lamp

    The New Bedford Whaling Museum contacted us with a very special project. Their Pairpoint Mushroom electric lamp, made in the time somewhere between 1907-1929, was in pieces.

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  • An antique carousel horse is restored

    This antique carousel horse was brought to Trefler’s as part of a larger fire claim which included an incredible private collection of fine and decorative artworks. The capabilities of our full-service studio, coupled with the trained hands of our skilled restorers, allowed our team to address damage to the wide array of objects, antiques and artworks that were affected by this unanticipated and unfortunate event.

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  • Framing a Soviet-era shawl woven with family history

    This beautiful Russian shawl was brought into Trefler’s framing department with a story that spans three generations of women.

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  • A Sentimental Armoire Gets An Update

    This piece was incredibly sentimental to its owner, however its original finish was heavy and no longer suited its contemporary surroundings. With the ambition to give this armoire a new aesthetic, Trefler’s furniture department worked extensively with the client to create a custom finish that would re-imagine the piece of furniture by simply refinishing it.

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  • A Family’s Dollhouse is Restored For Future Generations

    This dollhouse was originally played with by Boston architect John Hubbard Sturgis, who would later come to design the Codman House in Lincoln, MA, and the personal residence of Isabella Stewart Gardner.

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  • Original Boston Garden Benches are Given a Custom Base

    This historic artifact was once part of the Boston Garden, and was later acquired by a private collector through a local fundraiser. With hopes of preserving the history of the benches, while also restoring their function, their new owner enlisted Trefler’s team to ensure these benches could be appreciated for years to come.

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