Berkey and Gay Furniture

The Berkey and Gay collection, in the years 2012-2013, was preserved by MPF Conservation. This collection belonged to the initial collection acquired by Henry Hahn, designated for the Henry Hahn House.

Berkey and Gay (or Berkey & Gay) was established by siblings William and Julius Berkey, along with George Gay, in Grand Rapids, MI. That location was long thought of as a hub for furniture production. Cabinet maker John Frohberg is recognized for many of the carving designs. The scalloped design exhibited on these items was a trademark of their company.

It is important to stress (or point out) that MPFC was not assigned the task of refinishing the Berkey and Gay pieces. Instead, it was preserving the original finish. On all items, the finish underwent treatment employing our proprietary, in-house shellac, mixed with no additives. As infill, it matched the historical finish; subsequently, it was waxed and buffed to achieve a warm patina.

Note: The China Cabinet, situated on the right, was in the most optimal condition, and
acted as a model for how the original finish possibly would have looked.

Above, the credenza before treatment and after.

Berkey & Gay Credenza

The credenza showed significant staining from decades of use. Rings, deposits, and losses were evident on the serving surface, illustrated below. Heat marks, water deposits, and occasional caustic or staining liquids left their impact. The general finish was exceedingly dry, and exhibited a hazy or grayed appearance.

The finish deepened wonderfully after cleaning, infilling as needed, and waxing, as demonstrated below.

Before treatment, left, and after, right.

Before treatment, left, and after, right.

Before treatment, left, and after, right.

Berkey and Gay Dining Table with Leaves

The tabletop, configured as a modest oval (of approximately 5&215;7-feet), without leaves. When fully deployed with its ten original leaves installed, it extended to an impressive 16-feet.

The wooden, telescoping loafer mechanism, mounted underneath the oval table&8217;s underside, opened and closed without effort. When the central decorative column was unlocked and the table was pulled apart, sliding on its substantial, recessed casters, it revealed another sturdy column. That column remained in place as a center supporting leg, forestalling sagging of the leaves in any configuration.

The table suffered from severe staining, manifesting heat damage. That looked like chemical burns, including moisture rings, which gave way to areas with complete varnish loss. Those losses frequently showed ring edges where pigments and grain fillers accumulated and concentrated at the edges after migrating.

Above, example of removing one of the burns in the table.

The leaves' finish was also compromised, as shown on the right. Differing surface tones and colors (presumably from use or lack thereof) exhibited bleached and faded areas. The leaves also had rings and white spots.

Both the table itself and the leaves had been overcoated with a nitrocellulose lacquer, likely dating back to the 1950s. This substance, especially around damaged zones, was peeling and flaking, much like brittle film negatives.

The complete table and leaves were treated, seeking uniformity of tone, from one compound to the next, while maintaining its intended historic, patinated appearance. The nitrocellulose lacquer was removed by employing a heat gun and meticulous scraping, using neoprene spatulas. This was done without harming the aged patina underneath (image two above). Selective infill was undertaken. Finally, the entire top was lightly sanded to raise the grain and brush-coated with numerous applications of our in-house shellac.

Following the varnish's curing, the top was rubbed-out using powdered abrasives. Then it was treated with a hard, unpigmented carnauba wax (above).

Side-by-side comparison of a chair before and after treatment.

Berkey and Gay Caned Chairs

The caning was torn in a few chairs; the chairs underwent re-caning, were colored, then varnished to match the original caning. Carved decorative elements on the various chairs were absent. These parts were remade, applied, colored, and varnished to match.

Above, before and after shown on one of the arms chairs.
Below, after images of the chairs around the table.

Before treatment, left, and after, right.

Berkey & Gay Sideboard

The sideboard's top was splitting and lifting (as seen above). This particular piece showed the worst stains, mostly from food and hot plates. Also, the general finish was significantly damaged.

The warped and delaminating historic top (above) was repaired from underneath, using the introduction of internal butterfly keylocks. These were coupled with hardwood splines, which bisected breaks and were screwed into the superstructure. The top was clamped and remained in stasis for several weeks and ultimately regained its alignment (above right).

The original finish was cleaned, and deep stains were lifted using various methods. The top was infilled, then topped with shellac, and waxed.

Before and after images throughout.

Before treatment, left, and after, right.

Entry table and mirror before and after treatment, above.

Berkey and Gay Entry Table with Mirror

The table showed physical damage, lacking a carved panel alongside the side and a small portion at the mirror's base. The table exhibited splitting on the sides. Overall, the finish was in a fair state.

MPF Conservation produced parts, repaired parts, and reapplied them to the side table and infilled the parts. Splits were repaired employing warm hide glue. The table and mirror received waxing.