With the month of August comes the close of the summer season for students across the nation. In this busy time, we welcome the start of a new academic year for all levels within the educational system. We have had the honor of working at many great educational institutions, historic campuses, libraries and other academic buildings over our 45 plus years doing the work we love to do as a specialty architectural arts restoration contractor working in the areas of decorative paint & finishes, plaster, gilding, historic woodwork, stone, murals/artwork as well as consultation services with building condition assessments, historic paint analysis and plaster surveys.
In spirit of going back to school, this month we are taking a look at some of our most notable projects at one institution of higher education in Connecticut – Yale University. We have been fortunate to have worked on many projects at this Connecticut gem, including the preservation of decorative and architectural woodwork at the Yale Manuscripts & Archives, as well as the research, investigation, interpretation, and restoration of the woodwork, decorative finishes, and plaster at Sterling Memorial Library. Our first project at Yale was the restoration of Battell Chapel; this project was one of the earliest historic preservation projects in Connecticut, and John Canning & Co.’s first comprehensive church restoration in the United States. These projects all helped to restore significant university buildings so that students and visitors alike could enjoy their historic beauty. To read more about the details for a couple of our Yale University projects and some of the many services involved in these projects, check out the links below.
Some of the other great institutions that we have been fortunate to work for include: St. Paul's School, Miss Porter's School, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Campus, Boston College, Williams College, Elms College, Hillsdale College, Wesleyan University, University of Virginia, Tufts University, University of New Hampshire, Harvard University, MIT, Kansas State University, University of Michigan, Brown University, Indiana University, and Boston University. Through the years, for many of these and other institutions, we have had the opportunity to revisit to undertake additional projects and we look forward to continue to use our expertise, unique approach and in-depth knowledge to make an impact in the academic world with the restoration, conservation and preservation of numerous other iconic and historic structures at educational institutions across the United States.
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Latest Articles & Announcements |
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Paint Colors & Types Characteristic of the Victorian Architectural Style |
The Victorian era, ranging from the early 1800’s up to the beginning of the 20th century, was a time of great painters and impressionists who developed new paints and created a range of new hues to add to their palette. Though many of the original designs of the Victorian era have been lost to layers of overpaint, there are methods in which we can uncover these hidden hues and reinstate earlier color schemes. In this recent blog, we dive into the history of Victorian era color schemes and the traditional materials and methods behind them.
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Art Condition Report: What It Is & How to Use It |
Art condition reports are a necessary component of the fine art restoration process. These write-ups are a culmination of research, both in the field and in the office, and the careful, exhaustive inspection and documentation of the existing state of the mural in question. In these reports, there are multiple key points that will be highlighted by the industry professional conducting the study. In this blog, we take a behind-the-scenes look at what goes in to an art condition report, and how to use the findings to inform your restoration project.
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Charles Follen McKim, a distinguished architect often known for his partnership in the trio of McKim, Mead, and White, was the original architect for the Boston Public Library McKim Building, which still stands as a masterpiece of Beaux-Arts architecture. This month we are celebrating the esteemed architect’s birthday of August 24th by looking back at our own projects at the Boston Public Library. John Canning & Co. was repeatedly chosen over a period of years and project phases to provide our expertise in analysis, interpretation, and implementation of historic conservation and restoration services in multiple public areas of the McKim building at Boston Public Library.
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The National Trust for Historic Preservation’s Where Women Made History program is hosting a webinar in conjunction with the “Women’s Work” exhibition at Lyndhurst Mansion on September 20th. The webinar, titled “The Evolution of “Women’s” Art from Womanhouse to Today” will begin at 1:00 pm, and will be a conversation-style event where Lucy Lippart, early champion of feminist art, and Harmony Hammond, artist and activist, will delve into the evolution of the definition of “woman artists”. More information about this event, including registration, can be found here.
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Our principals are professional associates of the American Institute for Conservation (AIC). AIC is a national membership organization that supports conservation professionals in preserving cultural heritage. We are guided by the principle “do no harm” and advance that principle by providing treatments that are reversible and supplying owners with thorough documentation of research, conditions, actions taken, and materials used. To learn more about this great organization visit their website, linked here. They have some great resources for conservation professionals as well as an AIC Wiki collaborative knowledge resource to help provide useful information regarding the subject of conservation.
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Check out our mention in Country Living Magazine! We were recently noted in the March 2022 edition of the magazine in the “Picture Yourself In” section of the magazine, which showcases fixer-upper homes for sale in the United States. Our field note highlights the process behind recreating historic color schemes through investigation and analysis. Pick up a copy or click here to see our field note and read about the historic restoration work we do. As seen in COUNTRY LIVING, 2022. Shared with permission of Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. Photography by: Briana Lyons/The Yellow Note.
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Check out the Canning 45th Anniversary Retrospective...
All last year we continued to share and expand this page to celebrate our 45th Anniversary, with project highlights, fun facts, stories, photos and more. If you haven't had a chance yet, check it out! |
We understand the importance in sharing our expertise and knowledge in our field. Besides the monthly newsletter and blogs we post, we also develop and share downloadable resources to help guide you in your conservation, preservation and restoration projects. Check out the Resources page and see if any of the resources can help answer some of your questions and provide a better understanding of some of the intricacies in the preservation field.
Check out our Featured Downloadable Resource below.
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With the above discussion of the investigation and analysis work completed at Yale University, this month’s featured resource is our Historic Paint Investigations & Analysis guide. This downloadable resource highlights the differences between full paint investigations and a paint analysis, the value of undertaking a paint study as part of a restoration project, and the key characteristics to look for when selecting a conservator or consultant.
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If you think others would be interested in our content, please forward!
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The Association for Preservation Technology (APT) is the premier cross-disciplinary organization dedicated to promoting the best technology for conserving historic structure and their settings.
APT 2022 Conference November 7–12th Detroit, MI |
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As a national nonprofit preservation organization, the National Trust for Historic Preservation works to save America's historic places and is a great resource for anyone looking to learn more or get involved. PastForward 2022 Conference November 1–4th Virtual |
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The American Institute for Conservation and the Foundation for Advancement in Conservation work together to promote the preservation and protection of cultural heritage. Partner with us to further that mission. |
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JOIN THE CONVERSATION #PerfectingPreservation #jcanningcrew |
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