Morris Paint Chips

[Kathryn Klos]

Seven colors, and the chips seem pretty bright, although bits of some are missing. This bit of ephemera was lodged inside an envelope since 1905 and probably saw no light, so the colors may be fairly accurate.

The paint chip literature and accompanying stationary uses the statement "canvas canoes and equipments", which is seen on the earliest of the Morris decals. I believe this motto had already been superseded by "canvas, paddling and rowing canoes" on the decals of this time period (1905)... my guess is these paint chips were made up and until they ran out of the ones with the older motto, these were sent out.

Kathy

 

[Kathryn Klos]

The third color down-- "CP Green dark"-- is that very dark, almost-black green, similar to the color used on Ted and Nolly's Old Town sponson canoe.

 

[Dan Miller]

If you haven't already, google "Wadsworth, Howland, & Co." - they carried everything from linseed oil paints to crayons... wish we could get some of their drafting supplies today...

 

[chris pearson]

so cool!!!!!!

 

[Kathryn Klos]

It amazes me when things like this are found-- paint chips that are 106 years old! This is what keeps us curious about what else is out there, in a drawer or attic trunk.

 

[Jan Bloom]

Where were they found?

 

[Kathryn Klos]

Bought in an eBay auction, where the seller was a dealer in old books. My understanding is that it was found in an estate sale. The letter accompanying the paint chips was addressed to Rhodes Bros. of Providence, RI, and is Bert Morris's reply to an inquiry about buying a number of mahogany trimmed canoes. Bert says he doesn't have any mahogany-trimmed on hand, suggesting that in January of 1905 the Morris Company was not yet "one grade only".

Kathy

 

[Danroy]

Wow this is really neat Kathryn and for the age the colors are remarkably vivid...Maybe Tom Thompson will reemerge to use these in a new painting...I wish I could find documentation like this for my old Tremblay.

Dan

 

[Jan Bloom]

So how do you preserve something like that? I have a friend that does preservation and restoration in the library at Notre Dame. South Bend. I can ask her if you need any help.

 

[Greg Nolan]

So how do you preserve something like that?

I am not an expert -- far from it -- but Deborah was a certified archivist at one point, and some of what she knows and has done has rubbed off on me.

I have learned that the first thing you do is keep it out of light -- no light at all when possible, and no direct sunlight when it is displayed. Ultra-violet light is very destructive of both colors and paper, just as it is destructive of wood, varnish, and paint on a canoe. Kathy's paint chips appear to have been kept in an envelope, and so may be good representations of the old colors

The next thing to do is to display it or store it in an acid free manner -- acid free matting boards, envelopes, and wrapping paper are usually available at most any artist supply store.

Beyond these very basic steps, there are a variety of things that might be called for. If the paper on which the text or color samples is made from wood pulp rather than rag fibers, it is likely the paper itself is acidic and needs to be neutralized and/or buffered so its ph is neutral. This is a complex issue, although some of the basic steps are easy and inexpensive, and should be taken to protect the item while the need for other and further steps is evaluated.

If the ephemera (fancy word for old paper items) has any value, monetary or otherwise, storage should be in a place where water (leaking pipes or a flood) will have no impact; further, the storage place should minimize fire hazard, along with the water problems that arise when a fire is put out.

Your South Bend librarian/archivist is a good place to start getting good advice, especially if you can bring the materials you are concerned about to your friend.

Paper conservation is generally fairly cheap, especially when compared to the value of unique historical papers.

Good luck.