The International Architectural Paint Research Conference that led to the production of this book was held January 17-19, 2008 at Columbia University in New York City. This book is a compilation of most of the papers that were presented at the conference. For three days in January 2008, over 200 people from 14 countries with an interest in architectural finishes gathered to present and discuss recent findings and work in the field. Architectural paint research is a small subset of the building conservation field but one that is generating great interest. Although the field has been known as architectural paint research for a number of years, recent conferences have also included wallpaper, gilding, glazes and varnishes. The boundaries of our research are expanding and perhaps we should consider calling our field architectural finishes research.
The conference began with a keynote speaker from the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, Curator Willie Graham. He set the tone for the conference by reminding everyone that paint research in the United States started at Colonial Williamsburg. He discussed the evolution of paint research from Susan Nash's initial work in 1929 to the development of current work being undertaken at the Foundation. Graham's paper also made note of two important issues at the forefront of the field: first the lack of standards and the inability to agree upon standards and secondly, the need to move beyond simply viewing paint research as uncovering the original finish. A specialized conference with international attendees is an opportunity for the building conservation community and its allied disciplines to take part in cross-cultural discussions and further develop the field. Several recent conferences have built on the knowledge of past conferences. Out of an informal group of international practitioners at these conferences has sprung researchers who are increasing our knowledge and working on standards for architectural finishes.
This title includes papers from a range of international perspectives on architectural paint research. There are several papers on architectural restoration in the USA, including papers on Williamsburg, James Madison's Montpelier, Tiffany's decorative finishes, Stenton and Mount Pleasant, the Grand Opera House in Meridian, Mississippi. Other papers include research on architectural restoration in China, Norway and the United Kingdom.
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