Conservation at the Fall River Historical Society

As we go about packing and moving the Fall River Historical Society holdings for the installation of the new HVAC system, we are rediscovering myriad art and artifacts in the treasure trove that is the museum collection.

Many of these historically significant items have not seen the light of day in decades, and most will require some form of conservation to ensure their preservation for future generations.

Join us on this fascinating voyage of discovery as we delve into Fall River's rich history and uncover the untold stories of these important artifacts that document our cultural heritage.

We add to this online collection periodically, so check back often for more content. There are currently two listings below.

Etchings by the Fall River artist Rita E. Lavagnino (1889-1958).

These pieces had originally been framed by Hutchinson Art Shop in Fall River in the 1930s in a narrow, silver-gray molding, with pale gray matting that cropped the prints too closely, thus covering the margins and plate marks. This greatly hampered the overall aesthetic.

The pieces also exhibited overall condition issues due to age, environmental exposure, and harmful acids.

Significance:
The first etchings by Lavagnino to enter the FRHS collection.

Donor:
Jane Reilly
#2022.68

Provenance:
Gertrude Louise Reilly, née Kelley (1897-1992), mother-in-law of the donor, and thus by descent in the family.

About the artist:
Rita E. Lavagnino was a Fall River native and life-long resident of the city. She worked in oil, pencil, watercolor, and crayon, and was an accomplished etcher. Despite being handicapped by severe scoliosis – a condition for which there was little treatment available – the versatile artist sought independence and forged a career for herself, achieving regional recognition for her work.

Lavagnino studied in the studio of the Fall River artist Nancy Eveline Buck (1861-1944), and in the Fall of 1912 entered the Rhode Island School of Design, graduating with a diploma in Freehand Drawing and General Art in the class of 1916. She also did post-graduate work at that institution. Shortly after completing her formal education, she began teaching, first taking private students in the Buck studio. Early in her career she also taught sketching, oil, and watercolor at the Cathedral Girls’ Camp.

The artist maintained a Fall River studio in the A. J. Borden building on South Main Street for several years and was listed in the city directories in that profession from 1915 to 1958. Lavagnino exhibited her work frequently, especially during her early career, and garnered praise in the local press.

She often travelled to Provincetown, Massachusetts, seeking inspiration for art. In the summer of 1922, she spent “six weeks in the artists’ colony,” a visit that produced numerous works that she later exhibited to favorable reviews and offered them for sale. A visit in 1927 garnered similar praise.

Despite a lengthy career, few works by Lavagnino have surfaced.

Subject:
Swans 

Date:
Undated, circa 1927.

Medium:
Etching on paper.
Signed in pencil.
6 ¾” x 5 ½”

Object identification Number:
2022.68.1

Initial Condition Evaluation:
Surface soils.
Acidic mat stains and overall acid toning.
Void on top left corner and tear on bottom right corner.
Paper tape on verso.
Mold stain on verso.

Conservation Treatment Proposal:
Clean surface soil.
Remove tape and tape residue.
Mold treatment.
Reduce acid stains.
Reduce mold stains.
Repair tear with Japanese rice tissue; leave void as is.
Deacidify to neutral pH.
Press to flatten.

Subject:
Provincetown, Mass.

Date:
1927 

Medium:
Etching on paper.
Signed and dated on plate.
Titled and signed in pencil.
4 ¾” x 6”

Object identification number:
2022.68.2

Initial Condition Evaluation:
Surface soils.
Acidic mat stains and overall acid toning.
Mold spores.
Irregular torn paper margins.
Voids on bottom corners.
Paper and glue residue on verso.
Skinned paper on verso from previous tape removal.
High acid content.

Conservation Treatment Proposal:
Clean surface soil.
Remove tape and tape residue.
Reduce acid stains.
Reduce mold and mold stains.
Leave voids as is.
Deacidify to neutral pH.
Press to flatten.

Conservator:

Cory Barbis

Barbis Fine Art Conservation LLC

Woodstock, Vermont