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Carnegie Museum, Pittsburgh. An eight arm Sinumbra Chandelier c. 1820, from the Mattausch Collection.

The CARNEGIE Chandelier Story - We call this chandelier the "Carnegie," because it had it's first debut at the Carnegie Museum in Pittsburgh Penn. It is owned by Dan and Nancy Mattausch. Dan is responsible for all the mechanical restorations and the acquisition of missing parts and reproductions castings. He also took part in the finish restoration by doing the work that was the dirtiest, and the least desired by all. He did a healthy portion of the difficult hand burnishing, packing and transport. His wife Nancy sat for hours in the cold outter room of the studio scrubbing polishing compounds off the metal with patroleum distillates. Dan Sohn came and helped to burnish, pack and haul. Upton Studio's Museum Conservator designed the finish, and watched with heartfelt appreciation as the team labored tirelessly to help bring this lovely chandelier back to life. It took an entire team of people to restore this piece and am proud to have been included.


This photo is the above Sinumbra chandelier as it appeared when it was discovered by some Rushlight members, in a Railroad warehouse in Debuke Iowa.	This is one of the "feathers" at the top of the chandelier. It is shown in three stages of restoration, before during and after. The 24K gold finish was custom made to match small isolated areas of the original found in crevasses and under fitted parts.

The ST. Luke's 8 arm Sinumbra from Granville Ohio c. 1832. 80% of the original finish was recovered. Chandelier is now reinstalled to it's original location.


St. Luke's Episcopal Church chandelier prior to restoration. Burners were sawed off to be electrified with Edison bulbs in 1929.	Original finish recovered at 80%. Documents (original finish in small areas) are sealed beneath restored surface for future reference.	Chandelier arms before and after restoration.


Matching pair of Cornelius "Girondoles" The one on the left reveals some of it's original finish around the figure and in the crevasses. The one on the right has been restored to the likes of that original finish.	Pair of gas moderators. C1880's. They look like wall mounted Moderator lamps but in fact are gas brackets. These are apart and under restoration. They have no original finish left beyond small documented areas and microscopic indications in the surface of the metal. They are being completely restored to their original appearance.

One of pair, 9 arm Candelabrum from the Poet Laureates desk at the Library of Congress.	This is the after-shot in the Poet Laureates office. The candelabrum is restored to it's original 24K gold plate finish.

This Solar lamp still has enough of it's original finish to be conserved without any further restoration. When a lamp looses more than 30% of it's finish to deterioration, the finish becomes a separate issue from the lamp. This is inappropriate due to the fact that in a functional, ornamental device, the appearance is equally as important as the function. The manufacturer's who produced these products spent more of their time and capital on appearance than on technology. Beauty sells, and in the case of lighting devices, it accurately reflects the wholistic function of the artifact.	This represents a complete conservation of the solar lamp to the left. The verdigris (rust) has been neutralized, the stains examined for any further deterioration and then stabilize, the finish cleaned with museum soap and sealed with an historically accurate coating that contains a corrosion inhibitor.

Restored Stand lamp. Notice how the window in the middle of the column seems to glow.	Stand lamp font was restored for the Decorative Arts Center of Ohio for display in the Lighting exhibition by Dan Mattausch. The font was significant because it bears a strong resemblance to the ornamental pattern present on the 12 Arm Sinumbra chandelier which we restored for the lighting exhibition at the Carnegie Museum in Pittsburgh. This 12 Arm Sinumbra was also on display at the Decorative Arts Center.

Argand base before restoration.	Argand base after restoration.

To the left is a restored lamp as it now appears in the Wright Brothers Museum in Dayton, OH