Source for stretchers sought

Brian McLaughlin <brian.mclaughlin [at] gmail__com> writes

>... I was wondering what my
>alternatives are with regards wooden stretcher makers within the UK,
>who make stretchers of a similar quality that other UK conservators
>have used in the past and would recommend.

I am a paper conservator so haven't used these myself, but I
recently started working for a framing company that produces high
quality stretchers in the UK: John Jones. They offer

    "museum quality fine art stretchers, hand-crafted to bespoke
    measurements. These canvas stretchers are produced using lengths
    of kiln dried tulip wood, a low-off-gassing hardwood with very
    few knots. The kiln drying process removes all moisture from the
    timber, creating a durable, strong canvas stretcher support with
    a low risk of splitting when nailed or stapled. This choice of
    timber is also far more resistant to warping than other woods
    (which is why it is also a popular material for manufacturing
    billiard cues)."

The best person to discuss it further with would be Adrian Parkes
<adrian.parkes<-at->johnjones<.>co<.>uk>. He can put you in touch with
artists that have been using John Jones stretchers for years for
recommendations. If you do try them and find any aspect not the
highest standard I would be keen to know about it as I'm supposed to
review and suggest any useful improvements across the business from
a conservation perspective.

Annika Erikson
Head of Conservation
4 Morris Place
London N4 3JG
+44 +4 420 7561 8195
Fax: +4 420 7281 5956


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                  Conservation DistList Instance 26:15
                 Distributed: Sunday, September 2, 2012
                       Message Id: cdl-26-15-007
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