Replacement of missing compo ornamentation. Once-attractive
compo may become damaged to such a degree that the remaining fragments
are removed by an owner and the entire surface painted over. Thus,
if there is some existing composition ornament in a room, such
as an overdoor or chair railing, the conservator would most likely
look for evidence of other ornament that is now missing.
Based on
documentary and physical evidence, missing composition ornament was re-created.
Photo: Jonathan Thornton.
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For example, a mantel may appear as a flat, unornamented surface
to the untrained eye, but after many layers of paint are removed
by the conservator, shadow images are revealed.
These images or "ghost marks" are left by the hide glue
component of the original mix. Although the glue is water soluble,
it will not be completely removed by an organic stripper such
as methylene chloride. (But if earlier inappropriate paint removal
methods were used, such as water-based strippers, caustic strippers,
or mechanical sanding, ghost marks from the glue would be destroyed.)
When the paint stripper dries, a ghost mark left by composition
ornament appears slightly darker than the surrounding area where
no compo had been attached. In addition, small, square-headed,
¼" brads used to reinforce the original compo may be
embedded in the wood.
In summary, detailed physical evidence, as well as written and
pictorial documentation, can provide a valid framework for replacement
at a particular site. With careful detective work, missing historic
ornamentation may be successfully identified and replaced with
matching ornament.
Restoration of a "period" interior. When
ornamentation is extensively deteriorated and missing, owners
often want to re-create the historic appearance through restoration.
Physical evidence and other documentation may be used as a basis
for the restoration; it should be remembered, however, that as
the amount of surviving material diminishes, the greater the chance
for inaccuracy when attempting to depict the historic appearance.
Choosing restoration as a treatment thus requires exacting documentation
prior to work and meticulous attention to detail in the work itself.
Despite its popularity and widespread use as a decorative material,
the history of composition ornament has yet to be thoroughly studied.
Individual craftsmen have acquired fragmentary knowledge about
some designs and historic methods; historians and students of
interior decorative design have accumulated knowledge about patterns,
artisans, and methods of manufacture and distribution; and curators
of historic collections that include compo are knowledgeable about
the objects under their care. The combined knowledge of these
individuals, together with examples and images of compo ornament
from a variety of sources, needs to be synthesized to address
the complex issues involving compo repair and preservation. The
future of the study of composition ornament, as well as many other
facets of architectural, decorative, and fine art history, lies
in this sort of cooperative effort.
"Applied Decoration for Historic Interiors" an Historic Preservation Brief
