Article Blogs Press Release

Big news for those acquainted with the historic Mission Inn in Riverside CA and the historic art collections on display that have been owned by Duane and Kelly Roberts since 1985 when they bought the closed down historic property which initiated a revitalization in the downtown area. It also added new breath to the Mission Inn Foundation and the community support organization, The Friends of the Mission Inn.

Since 1985, Fine Art Conservation Laboratories and Scott Haskins, Art Conservator, have been assisting the preservation and restoration of art efforts for the collections that are on the three separate inventories of the above organizations. But the hundreds of historical collectible artifacts and fine art were all part of the collection put together by Frank Miller for his fantasy, Hearst Castle-type retreat that has been a favorite getaway of the famous and infamous for the last century (many presidents of the US have stayed there). If you haven’t been there and seen it, you’ve been missing out.

“Authors Row” at the Historic Mission Inn in Riverside CA where famous writers came to “camp out.”

An inner courtyard with the specialty rooms known as “Author Row”… just a small part of what there is to see.

Have questions about your own family heirlooms or artwork? Call Scott Haskins or Virginia Panizzon, Art Conservators at (805) 570-4140 or email [email protected]. We would like to chat with you.

How FACL’s Art Restoration Relationship with the Mission Inn Began

In 1985, A very famous component of the Mission Inn art collection came up missing. Scott Haskins, Art Conservator, was able to locate the famous Missions of California paintings (painted between 1874 – 1889 on site at the missions!) by Henry Chapman Ford which had been sequestered by a disreputable art dealer. Unknown to the art dealer, Mr. Haskins met with a sympathetic accomplice who, under cover, let him into a storage unit and took possession of all the original framed 38 works of art on behalf of the Friends of the Mission Inn. These paintings, extremely important to California history, were then a major multi-year project of professional art restoration undertaken by Fine Art Conservation Laboratories and were later featured in a PBS special.

Mission Santa Cruz Before Conservation 1986

In 1986, Scott Haskins was asked to tour and hunt down — it was like a treasure hunt for a lost priceless hoard — every corner, attic and closet of the fenced off, closed down ghost-property of the abandoned Mission Inn to look for randomly placed artwork and collectibles, even in the haunted catacombs. All these items were gathered into a storage area at the bottom of the famous circular staircase. The Friends of the Mission Inn undertook the inventorying and cataloging.

The Circular Staircase, The Historic Mission inn

During that collection survey, proposals were made for preserving and restoring the variety of paintings and their frames to the new owner, Duane Roberts, and over the following years hundreds of paintings were readied for permanent exhibition within the historic complex.

Since that time, Mr. Haskins and FACL have been providing quality art restoration treatments, consultations, speaking at events and generally enjoying the association with the organizations that oversee the collections.

Buddha in Ho-O-Kahn Room, Mission Inn

See the Friends of the Mission Inn Art Conservation Team page for more detail on past FACL projects at the Mission Inn.

The Mission Inn Riverside Art Restoration Work — What Was Saved

FACL preserved and restored all of the artwork and designed the layout in the Spanish Art Gallery at the Mission Inn. Also, all the statuary was prepared for the walls of the Galleria. Notable restorations funded by the Friends include: The Espousal of the Virgin, St. Francis and the Flying Cross, The Good Samaritan, Charge Up San Juan Hill, the two McBurney paintings, and the 36 California Mission paintings by Henry Chapman Ford — highlighted by a PBS Special.The Mission paintings by Henry Chapman Ford are a national treasure to the history of California, were widely published and greatly influenced the Spanish-style architecture in California. They are an eminent part of the identity of the Mission Inn itself.

Read about the Henry Chapman Ford and Edwin Deakin Mission paintings conservation project here.

Spanish Colonial Alter and Tiffany Windows in the Chapel, Mission Inn, Riverside CA

So, What Will Happen to the Art Collection?

There’s already been a panic about the last owners wanting to take with them several of the very important works of art, which are fundamental to the identification of the Historic Mission Inn, with them. They would presumably sell them to maximize their profits.

Lastest Update:

This is an active and very current story. Here’s the rundown:

Kelly Roberts sold the Mission Inn to the Yuhaaviatam of San Manuel Nation in 2026, with the deal announced May 4. Kelly also announced she would be leaving California and relocating to Palm Beach. WikipediaRaincrossgazette

Then it got controversial. Just days before escrow was expected to close on May 28, two historic paintings were removed from the hotel and taken into Kelly Roberts’ possession. The two works: “California Alps,” an 1874 oil on canvas by William Keith, and “Charge Up San Juan Hill,” an 1900 painting of Theodore Roosevelt and the Rough Riders by Russian artist Vasily Vereshchagin — both had hung at the Inn for generations. HsjchronicleRaincrossgazette

The move sparked sharp criticism from local preservation advocates. A Riverside City Councilmember called the timing “vindictive” and described it as a “smash-and-grab.” Hsjchronicle

Roberts’ attorney pushed back, asserting the artwork is the lawful property of Kelly and her late husband, called the allegations “false and defamatory,” and threatened legal action against anyone repeating the claims. Raincrossgazette

Three unresolved legal questions hang over it: whether the 1977 National Historic Landmark designation binds moveable objects to the property permanently; whether any enforceable contract regarding moveable objects was executed over the 33 years of Roberts’ ownership; and whether any exclusionary clause in the current purchase agreement would be binding given the landmark designation. Raincrossgazette

Other items are also unaccounted for, including a small painting titled “Arch Beach,” a statue of the goddess Pomona, a Steinway piano, and the famous oversized Taft chair built for President Taft’s 1909 visit. Hsjchronicle

This is unresolved as of today — likely heading to litigation.

However, these works of art are part of the identity of the Mission Inn and are listed in the inventory of their historic registrations with the United States Historic Preservation and California State Preservation offices. Presumably that will create a difficulty for them to remove anything from the collection.

Frankly, I’m surprised that having been so intimately associated with the running of the Mission Inn Hotel and the importance of its historic heritage that the old owners would want to dilute and detract from its historical status, art collections and reputation by taking these important works of art.

But we have something else going for “us”… Several of the things they want to take with them are gigantic in size and not easily re-sold. I hope that causes a big enough problem to dissuade them.

More on this later… with good news for the integrity of the collection, I am hoping.

New Ownership — A New Chapter

The San Manuel Investment Authority has completed its acquisition of The Mission Inn Hotel & Spa. Pyramid Global Hospitality has been retained to manage day-to-day operations.

As a sovereign nation with deep ancestral ties to the Inland Empire, the Yuhaaviatam of San Manuel Nation is invested in the preservation of the property. Chairwoman Lynn Valbuena stated at the acquisition: “The Mission Inn is more than a landmark. It is a living institution — one that has witnessed more than a century of California history and has been woven into the lives of this region’s families, including our own. We are honored to carry that legacy forward with the same dedication to maintaining its historic dignity and prominence.”

It’s unknown at present if the new owners will continue the working relationship with Mr. Haskins and FACL — but the Friends of the Mission Inn continue to be anxiously hopeful.

If you have a question about your artwork’s condition/stability call Scott Haskins or Virginia Panizzon, Art Conservators at (805) 570-4140, or email [email protected].

The Historic Mission Inn, Riverside, CA

More on past FACL art conservation projects at the Mission Inn:

PBS Program on Henry Chapman Ford Mission Paintings

300-Year-Old Buddha Conservation at the Mission Inn

Friends of the Mission Inn Art Conservation Team

Mission Inn Foundation Fundraiser with Bonhams

California Mission Paintings by Ford and Deakin

By Aspen Smith, Art Conservation Technician Intern

When a cherished family heirloom — an oil painting that hung in the family dining room for a couple of generations — starts to show its age, the atmosphere in the home changes. The artwork may have survived several moves, a kitchen remodel, decades close to a fireplace, and even a stint in the garage or basement when no one quite knew what to do with it. Sometimes it sits in less-than-clean storage for a while, or a long while. Then one day someone stops and looks closely. The painting never used to look this dark. Maybe paint is flaking. Maybe the frame is banged up. For families across Salt Lake County, this moment of recognition is often the first step toward professional oil painting restoration — and FACL has been serving families along the Wasatch Front since 1978.

Ancestor’s portrait covered with nicotine

You might wonder if the painting is simply showing its age, or — as you notice cracks and delicate flakes of paint coming loose — you start to worry. It is natural to wonder if a canvas can even be cleaned safely without wiping away its history. Most people worry that this kind of aging is permanent, or worse, that trying to fix it will only make it worse (which is often true when handled by an amateur).

Do you have questions you’d like to ask and expert, someone reputable and knowledgeable? If you are looking at an easel painting in your home right now that looks yellowed, muted, or dirty, get another set of expert eyes on it before you make any decisions.

What Is Actually Happening to Your Antique Oil Painting?

In most cases, the change in colors you are seeing are happening on top of the painting, not inside it.

Imagine never repainting or deep cleaning the walls of a house for half a century. Over time, a layer of accumulated grime takes over. For an easel painting, this surface layer is a magnet for fifty years of ordinary living. Old natural varnishes can naturally turn yellow, amber, or even dark brown as they age. At the same time, this protective top layer traps environmental pollutants like soot from fireplaces, candles, and kitchen oils floating through the air, alongside sticky nicotine residue from decades ago.

Because people are naturally terrified of damaging a precious piece, these layers just keep building up. That fear is entirely justified. A lot of irreversible damage happens when well-meaning owners try DIY cleaning solutions they found online.

Organizations like the American Institute for Conservation emphasize that improper cleaning attempts by non-professionals are in grave danger of resulting in the permanent loss of original paint. This highlights the absolute necessity of consulting a trained specialist before undertaking any surface treatment. We do not recommend attempting to clean your painting yourself.

Have questions about a painting in your home? You do not have to guess at the solution or risk damaging a family treasure. Get your questions answered by an expert by calling our professional art conservation lab at (805) 564-3438.

Inside the Professional Art Conservation Lab

Fine Art Conservation Laboratories

Everything from surface grime and yellowed varnish to severe lifting paint, flaking, cracking distortions, and rips (both small and super-ugly) can be safely stabilized and corrected in a professional art conservation lab. Heavy soot, puncture holes — you name it, it can be addressed.

Case Study: A Coal-Sooted Landscape, in the lab now

A startling example of this happened when a couple brought in a large old family painting that had become nearly impossible to enjoy due to accumulation from a past coal-burning heater. It was a scene of a deer standing among moonlit trees, but layers from the dirty air had built up over decades.

To make matters worse, someone had previously attempted a do-it-yourself (DIY) cleaning. That attempt only removed an uneven layer from the very top of the varnish, leaving behind a patchy layer of black and yellow residue. You could hardly make out the image at all, and it looked nothing like what the artist intended.

During the initial assessment, we performed a controlled cleaning test. After cleaning just a small spot that did not damage the original paint, we revealed a glimpse of the vibrant colors hiding underneath. Once the full cleaning is complete, the painting will look absolutely incredible, with the deep forest tones and the details of the deer restored to full view. Clearing away the discoloration does not just clean the surface; it completely reveals the skill and intent of the original artist.

Case Study: The Estonian Heirloom

During removal of the horribly browned/orange varnish. Not the origin al colors on the right side.

Another deeply meaningful project involved a small heirloom painting with incredible history. The family’s ancestors had fled from Estonia during war, an experience that cast a shadow over the following generations. Because of the pain associated with that time, their Estonian heritage was rarely discussed openly. Eventually, the children inherited three small paintings, which served as their only tangible connection to their family roots.

During its time in the lab, a photograph was taken midway through the preservation and restoration of art process to document the hidden beauty beneath the old layers. This photo shows a drastic change where the yellowed and darkened varnish is carefully cleared away. One half of the canvas is undeniably bright and lovely, while the other half is still masked under the blackened varnish. The transformation is absolutely amazing… and even more important, the artwork is preserved and will exist for generations to come.

Why Oil Paintings Slowly Turn Yellow, Dark, and Dull

One of the biggest misconceptions people have is assuming that old paintings are naturally supposed to look yellow, dark, or muddy. That is not true at all.

Most oil paintings are coated with a protective varnish after the artist finishes the work to protect the surface and saturate the colors beautifully. When first applied, that protective layer is likely crystal clear. However, as the years pass, many natural varnishes oxidize, lose their clarity, and yellow, sometimes quite rapidly. The process is usually so gradual that families do not notice it happening year by year. Then one day, someone with a sharp eye recognizes that the artwork seems to look different than it should.

In many family homes, people assume the painting itself has permanently darkened with age. But after careful cleaning and varnish removal, vibrant colors that nobody had seen in decades suddenly reappear. Backgrounds regain their depth, portraits show more expression, and entire sections of the canvas come back to life. This is not because the artwork is being repainted, but because a professional conservator has carefully removed what does not belong there. For families considering oil painting restoration in Salt Lake County, this distinction matters enormously — true professional art conservation reveals the original, it does not invent something new.

Environmental Factors: Why Salt Lake County Climate Matters for Oil Paintings

Where your painting lives, or is stored, matters. Fireplaces contribute heavily to canvas degradation; even occasional use releases fine soot particles that settle into the textured paint surface. The accumulation is completely invisible day to day, but over decades it changes the entire character of the artwork.

Geography also plays a massive role in how artwork ages. Salt Lake County and Utah County present a particular set of conditions for heirloom paintings. The “lightest dryest most incredible snow in the world” for skiing is also the dry, high-altitude air of the Wasatch Front that pulls moisture out of canvas and ground layers, making historical paintings progressively more brittle. Add seasonal humidity and temperature swings — wet winters, very dry summers — in your basement or attic storage area you have a recipe for disaster; the painting structure expands and contracts in ways that produce cracking (which usually leads to flaking), weakened edges, and lifting paint layers. Wood-burning fireplaces and wood stoves, common across Salt Lake County and Utah County homes and cabins, add another decades-long layer of soot.

None of this means your painting is ruined beyond repair. In fact, some of the issues that worry families the most turn out to be standard treatments for a professional conservator. FACL has been serving Salt Lake County and Utah County since 1978, with a long-standing commitment to families, collectors, and institutions across the Wasatch Front. We travel regularly into the area for evaluations, pickups, and consultations, and many Utah families have entrusted their heirloom paintings to our lab over those decades.

The Difference Between Restoring Oil Paintings vs. Acrylic Paintings

When people hear the phrase art restoration, they often assume every painting is pretty much the same. They actually aren’t. Oil paintings and acrylics react differently to the environment, meaning they need entirely specialized care. While oil paintings are typically sealed with a traditional varnish and possess a higher tolerance to specific conservation solvents, acrylics present a completely different chemistry.

Many contemporary acrylic paintings do not cover the entire canvas, leaving bare spots of canvas, nor do they have a protective varnish layer. This leaves them highly vulnerable to everyday dirt, fingerprints, and smudges, while their electrostatic nature actively attracts dust. Furthermore, acrylic paints are highly sensitive to most common solvents. Because modern paints have such unique chemistry, a professional conservator will always start with careful testing, as improper cleaning can permanently liquefy or smear the color and texture of acrylic artwork.

Preservation and Restoration of Art: Two Steps, One Goal

It helps to break the professional art conservation process down into two simple steps: preservation and restoration. Preservation focuses on stabilizing the condition and slowing active damage from continuing to occur. Restoration is the visual process of bringing back the colors, depth, and beauty the artist originally intended.

Saving the structure always comes first. If the paint is actively flaking, lifting, or peeling away from the canvas, you can’t just jump right into making it look pretty. A professional will first consolidate the paint and reinforce the canvas so the damage stops spreading. Once the painting is stable, visual restoration can begin.

Unsure if your painting is oil or acrylic? Speak directly with a live specialist to learn how to safely protect your artwork. Call us at (805) 564-3438 or reach out via email at [email protected]

Professional Canvas Repair: Fixing Tears, Rips and

Structural Damage

Ripped while leaned on in storage

True professional art conservation isn’t just a quick surface-level fix; it is about saving the structure so the artwork will be stable and look its best for decades in the future. The biggest issues with an old painting aren’t always the obvious ones. A single crack or flaking is usually just the tip of the iceberg. A piece might have been exposed to moisture decades ago, leaving microscopic weaknesses hiding beneath the surface where the paint separates from its backing and starts flaking around the edges of the wooden frame. Its common that rips are accompanied by flaking paint.

Sometimes the threat to a painting’s survival is sudden and heartbreaking, like an heirloom portrait of a soldier grandfather that is in the lab now. The rip occurred during shipping… the massive, nasty wound ran right across his face. To the distressed family, it looked completely ruined. In the lab, a conservator can actually mend those torn threads and fill in the missing paint with structural precision, making the damage disappear. Only after that stability is achieved can the cosmetic issues be addressed.

Fire Disasters and Smoke Damage Recovery

We saw a similar transformation with an heirloom painting that survived a house fire. Fire disasters — whether a single-home fire, a structure loss, or a major wildfire event — leave heirloom paintings coated in soot, smoke residue, and sometimes heat-blistered varnish. Even homes outside a direct burn zone experience heavy smoke and ash infiltration through HVAC systems, attics, and gaps around windows. Many families still have smoke-altered paintings, photographs, and antiques sitting in storage because they don’t know how to safely approach the cleanup.

Not every smoke-altered painting is permanently ruined, but smoke damage is incredibly tricky, and amateur cleaning does more harm than good. By working slowly and carefully, a professional lab can lift the contamination, neutralize the smoke odor, stabilize the original layers, and let the colors show again. When it is finished, the transformation is often deeply emotional, allowing the artwork to remain a beautiful centerpiece of the family story.

Don’t Forget the Frame: Antique Frame Restoration and Repair

When families call about paintings, they usually focus on just the image itself, but frames are often a valuable and important part of the artwork and are worth saving. Frames protect easel paintings while shaping how the artwork impacts the room. In many cases, the frame was originally selected by the artist, the first owner, or someone who knew exactly how the artwork should be presented.

Over time, frames suffer their own aging problems. Wood can crack and split, gilding can flake or dull, and ornate plaster details can fall off entirely. Previous DIY repairs are often performed poorly using hardware store materials and bright gold craft paint, which destroys the historic character and value of the frame. When both the painting and the frame are treated together by a professional conservator, the entire presentation changes. That is often the moment when families realize they are truly seeing the artwork properly again for the first time in generations.

Preserving Your Family History and Peace of Mind

The paintings that come into our lab are so much more than wall decor. They hold memories, tell stories, and connect us to the people we love. When an heirloom gets dark, damaged, or dirty, it is easy to feel overwhelmed and tuck it away in a closet or garage because you just aren’t sure what can realistically be done.

Yellowing, cracking, smoke damage, and peeling paint are completely solvable problems. If you have a painting you love anywhere in Salt Lake County, Utah County, or the surrounding Wasatch Front, getting a professional opinion is the safest path forward. With nearly five decades of serving Utah families, FACL is always happy to look at a piece, explain exactly what the artwork needs to safely shine, and help you protect it for the next generation.

Let us answer your questions about your artwork:

Call Us Directly: (805) 564-3438 

Send us an Email: [email protected]

Have a Question About a Painting You Love or a Family Heirloom? Art Conservation Expert Wants to Answer Your Questions.

By Scott M. Haskins, Art Conservator

If you live in Los Angeles County and you have an old painting in storage, a grandmother’s portrait in the garage, a box of photographs you haven’t looked at in years, or an antique you’re not sure what to do with — this article was written for you.

You don’t need a crisis to call an art restoration expert. You just need a question.

Scott Haskins, founder of Fine Art Conservation Laboratories (FACL), has been answering those questions since 1975. He and his team serve Los Angeles County families, collectors, dealers, auction houses, estates, and institutions regularly. He’s also the author of the internationally award-winning Save Your Stuff book series.

“I’m not an artist,” Scott is quick to point out. “I’ve never painted a painting in my life. But our profession requires us to understand why things fall apart — adhesive technologies, climate, light levels, the physics of different materials under stress. At FACL, there’s no mop and Windex, no slapdash repainting, no shortcuts.”

The stories below are real. The losses were real — and so were the rescues.

Mold Damage on the Sweetest Painting of a Little Girl with Her Cat

We enjoy meeting people at their house to consult and answer questions. This call took meto Pasadena to evaluate a rolled-up watercolor wrapped in a plastic bag. The owner was a cute 94 years old lady, her hands shaking a little as she handed it over, barely daring to hope that we could save her picture

The painting was in bad shape — the matte around the artwork was ruined and moldy, water-stained, the original paper was yellowed and fragile, parts of the image stained by the mold. Stored badly for years, someone hadn’t known any better. or thought it was important enough. It was even painted by a well-known California artist and had financial value!

Scott unrolled it gently on the examination table, careful to not upset the mold and make it airborne. So cute!! A little girl, maybe five years old with a cat in arms, too big to have a good hold on it. After a thoughtful minute…

“Who is this?” Scott asked.

She looked at him with quiet, clear eyes.

“That’s me,” she said, “90 years ago!” with a bashful smile.

What we did to save the artwork

All the moldy framing parts were tossed. The mold damage on the artwork was removed and then the areas were treated with solvents that would kill the mold if there was any residual. The paper’s acids were neutralized to stabilize them forever. Then she was rematted and reframed. What a thrill to see this heirloom resurrected and that little girl in the garden with her cat was brought back. The painting was saved. The client was beyond thrilled to know that it would be preserved and looking it’s best for generations to come. In addition, I suggested that she upload the photo to the genealogical website she uses to be stored in the memories for others to see.

If you’re a Los Angeles County family with a question about an old painting or damaged heirloom, meeting with Scott Haskins at your house is available to you too. All it takes is a phone call. (805) 564-3438.

Is My Heirloom Worth Saving? Three Kinds of Value Every Los Angeles County Family Should Know

Scott gets this question more than almost any other. His answer covers three kinds of value — and only one shows up in an appraisal.

Financial value is real. Some heirlooms and antiques are worth thousands on the market.

Historical value is equally real. For historical houses and museums researchers, for example, Los Angeles County has one of the most interesting histories going back more than 200 years. In addition, genealogy-active communities are very active — an ancestral portrait or a landscape prior to development may be the only surviving visual record of interest to lots of people you don’t even know.

Emotional value is for items that an insurance company can never replace. The portrait of the ancestor whose face looks exactly like your daughter’s. The quilt made by a woman who arrived in this country with almost nothing. The step-stool you stood on when you were tiny to bake cookies with your dear mother. Those are the things you cannot put a price tag on.

A Family Moving to Los Angeles Trusted the Wrong Person With Grandmother’s Portrait

The 40-year-old mother/wife in a family relocating from Texas to the Los Angeles area

Practically ripped in half while the owner’s  brother and the moving guy guaranteed its safety… I think they had to pay for the painting conservation work to make it look perfect.

was very concerned with the safety of her grandmother’s portrait — a large oil painting three generations had grown up looking at every day. It IS her most cherished possession (after her family, of course). Her brother, who was coordinating the move, said he took personal oversight of the portrait and would be responsible. She begged her brother to be careful. He guaranteed it would arrive safely.

When the painting arrived, there was a two-foot vertical rip straight down the center of the canvas. The face — her grandmother’s face — was torn in half.

FACL’s art restoration team repaired the tear, consolidated the paint losses, and brought the portrait back so that the damage could not even be detected. If you are curious, here’s how we did it: Here is a link to a video on how a proper rip repair is performed:    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xhhu0AZ_WVI

But it didn’t have to happen at all. If you’re moving, storing, or worried about a painting you haven’t looked at in years — call us before something happens. (805) 564-3438.

The Photographs and Documents in Your Home Are Probably Chemically Unstable

Old photographs are layered, fragile, and chemically unstable. The biggest threat isn’t fire or flood — it’s chemistry: acids building up in paper, various kinds of plastic being unstable, light fading image layers, moisture and temperature swings causing irreversible deterioration, all making a visible and invisible impact on their long-term preservation.

Scott’s practical fix: scan originals at high quality, reprint with a laserwriter on archival paper, store originals in proper archival sleeves. Simple. Cheap. Almost no one does it.

Old letters and documents face acid from within. Acid-free storage might eliminate acid transfer from the boxes to the papers, but the action of the acids already in the paper doesn’t even slow down. A de-acidification spray neutralizes the acids and buffers the paper. A family Bible with records going back generations deserves at minimum a nice protective book box or even a custom archival box. Losing it to preventable deterioration means losing documented family history that exists nowhere else.

A Treasured Ceramic Heirloom Full of Memories Arrived in 25 Pieces — Entirely Preventable

Ginger jar heirloom with lots of memories and stories connected.

A ceramic jar — a family heirloom carried across the ocean — arrived at FACL in 7 heartbreaking pieces. A single careless move. A box that wasn’t padded remotely properly. FACL put it back together. But as Scott says: “entirely avoidable.”

Wrap ceramics individually in tissue or cotton muslin — never newspaper (the print rubs off). Use boxes, multi-layered, with no flexibility, even in storage. For display on shelves, Museum Wax anchoring material holds collectibles and antiques securely against bumps and Los Angeles County earthquakes. It removes cleanly when needed.

Never use super glue, white glue, or tape on any heirloom that matters. An amateur repair can make professional art restoration far more difficult — or impossible.

Wedding Dresses, Military Uniforms, and Family Quilts Are Being Destroyed in Garages and Storage Units Right Now

Textile heirlooms face pests, moisture, and distortions folded in the wrong place. Dry cleaners often won’t touch fragile antique fabrics.

Scott’s technique: vacuum through a window screen with a soft-brush attachment. No moisture, no stress, no damage.

Don’t store textile heirlooms in a garage or storage unit. Silverfish, moths, and mold work quietly and permanently. Store flat or rolled, wrapped in acid-free tissue, in a clean, dry, climate-stable space.

The Most Dangerous Thing You Can Do to a Valuable Antique Is Try to Fix It Yourself

“DIYers have a compulsion that is almost pathological,” Scott says. “They will hit a priceless antique with a sander and polyurethane.”

Understand what you have before touching it. Wood-boring insects can hollow out an antique from the inside without surface evidence until the damage is severe. Fine powdery dust around antique furniture is a warning sign. Call a professional before doing anything.

Uncertain about preserving an heirloom, painting, antique, or collectible?

Call (805) 564-3438

www.FineArtConservationLab.com

Home preservation manual: www.SaveYourStuff.com

Garages, Storage Units, and Attics Are the Wrong Places to Store Your Heirlooms

The biggest threat to heirlooms isn’t disaster — it’s quiet, cumulative damage from wrong storage conditions over time… adding pests to the offenders

Target range for paintings and organic materials: 40–50% humidity, 65–75°F. The most important factor isn’t the number — it’s avoiding swings. A space that fluctuates more than 20 humidity points in 24 hours does more damage than one that’s slightly warm but stable.

Los Angeles County garages and storage units cycle through wide temperature swings with every heat event, marine layer shift, and Santa Ana wind season — almost universally poor environments. Never place cardboard directly against paper, photographs, or textiles. Cardboard is acidic. Newspaper is worse.

Your Heirloom Was Just Damaged — What You Do in the Next Few Hours Matters

Water-damaged painting: no sunlight, no heaters, no pressing flaking paint with your fingers, no household cleaners on soot. Photograph everything first. Keep it flat. Call a professional.

Broken ceramics: save every fragment in a labeled zip-lock bag. Do not glue them. Hardware store adhesives are nearly impossible to remove from porous materials cleanly.

Wet textiles: do not fold or compress. Keep flat, away from heat and light. Call quickly — mold establishes itself on wet organic materials within 24 to 48 hours.

The window for good outcomes is wider than most people expect. But it is not unlimited.

DIY Cleaning a painting

An “Experienced” Collector Destroyed a $35,000 Painting in Thirty Minutes

“A collector brought in a 19th-century Dutch interior painting worth approximately $35,000.” Scott recalls, “I walked him through exactly how delicate the varnish removal process had to be — we even looked at it under the stereobinocular microscope together. I told him the delicate process of just the cleaning would take several hours.”

“Two weeks later he came back. He had cleaned it himself at home in half an hour with the wrong solvent. The original paint was dissolved with the varnish over most of the painting’s surface. The signature was nearly completely dissolved and wiped off. A $35,000 painting reduced to a fraction of its value in thirty minutes.”

This was ego, impatience and stupidity that got in the way. Don’t let these very damaging characteristics get in your way!

If you’re thinking about cleaning, repairing, or restoring anything yourself — call us first. The call is free. (805) 564-3438.

You Are Not Wrong to Care — And One Phone Call Is All It Takes

People ask Scott: Is this heirloom worth restoring? The real question underneath is almost always: Am I wrong to care this much about this?

The answer is no.

Every culture throughout all of recorded history has found ways to honor the objects that carry memory across generations. The quilt. The portrait. The letter. The ceramic jar that crossed an ocean. These aren’t things. They’re evidence of lives lived — the living documents of your family tree.

Los Angeles County is one of the most culturally rich and genealogically diverse communities in the world. The family histories here — from every continent, every tradition, every generation of arrival — deserve to be preserved with the same care to at least preserve the items as any museum would feel the responsibility to do..

And sometimes what it comes down to is this: a 94-year-old woman from Pasadena, looking at a watercolor of herself as a little girl with her cat.That painting was saved. That moment was possible because she picked up the phone.

Nellie after she was restored (repainted) by a family artist friend… and after FACL overpaint removal and return to her original glory.

Call (805) 564-3438 Virginia Panizzon and Scott M. Haskins, Art Conservators

www.FineArtConservationLab.com

Guidance manuals for home use: SaveYourStuff.com

 Los Angeles County and surrounding areas. No obligation.

Frequently Asked Questions — Art Restoration Los Angeles County

Can art restoration save a moldy or water-damaged painting?

In many cases, yes — mold, tears, flaking paint, water damage. Photograph it, don’t touch unstable areas, and call FACL. (805) 564-3438.

How do I know if my heirloom is worth restoring?

If it has emotional, historical, or financial value, it’s worth a conversation. No obligation.

My photographs and genealogy documents are yellowing. Is it too late?

Usually no. Scan them, digitally restore if needed, store originals properly. Don’t attempt repairs yourself.

Can I store heirlooms in my Los Angeles County garage?

Poor choice. Temperature swings from heat events, Santa Anas, and marine layer shifts accelerate deterioration. Use interior climate-controlled spaces.

What’s the most common mistake families make?

Wrong storage environment and amateur repairs. Call a professional first. The call is free.

How do I pack a heirloom painting for a move?

Never face-down, never bubble wrap against the paint layer, never rolled. Call FACL before moving anything valuable.

My old letters are deteriorating. What do I do?

De-acidification spray neutralizes acids and buffers the paper. Full guidance at www.SaveYourStuff.com.

I think I have a valuable antique painting. What should I do?

Call before touching it. Don’t clean it, don’t repair it, don’t put it in the garage. (805) 564-3438.

Don’t roll up paintings! They are not like rugs. Even new paintings can have violent reactions

Cleaning a painting: 

Authentication and Hidden Signatures- IR: 

Discovering Previous Restorations- UV: 

Repairing holes and rips: 

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There is a particular kind of heartbreak that happens when someone opens a damaged box marked “FRAGILE” that they were not expecting. Opening it carefully they find the important oil painting inside has shifted, in its frame causing scratches or rips, its cracked, or worse. The heirloom was supposed to be handled or even hand carried with the utmost care… as it traveled across the country after a parent passed away. Maybe it was pulled from a storage unit that flooded. Maybe it came back from a framer with a dent that was not there before. The husband promised it would be safe! (I can’t tell you how many marriages I’ve saved, lol)

At Fine Art Conservation Laboratories, damage from shipping and storage is a very common reason even recently new oil and acrylic paintings, but even fragile Old Masters, arrive at our lab for professional art conservation treatments. Most of it was preventable. All of it is distressing. And much of it — far more than people realize — can be significantly improved or fully resolved through careful, professional treatment. Have you thought about if your homeowner’s insurance would cover the repairs?

If you have a painting that was damaged in transit or during storage, or if you are wondering whether a framed painting in your care is at risk, you have questions. Let’s talk through what the “spin off’ problems are that may arise, what the damage looks like, and what can be done.

Questions about a damaged painting that has been in storage or recently shipped? Call and ask for Scott or Virginia — we are glad to talk through what you are seeing before you do anything else. (805) 564-3438

Why Oil Painting Damage From Shipping and Storage Is So Common

Oil paintings, especially if they are old, are more fragile than they appear… and the damage you see may get worse with time. The image you see — the color, the brushwork, the faces and landscapes — exists as a thin, aged layer of paint sitting on top of a fabric canvas that has been reacting and responding to its environment for decades, sometimes centuries. Add to that various sudden changes in storage and shipping — cold air, impact, pressure, or moisture — assume more than just the visible damage that just happened is in play.

Temperature and Humidity – Wild Fluctuations Cause Change

The entire oil painting’ s structure of canvas and layers of paint expands and contracts with changes in humidity but at different rates. When a painting moves from a climate-controlled home into an unheated moving truck in January, or sits in a storage unit through a hot summer, the canvas and paint layers don’t like that. Over time, even a short time, sometimes, this causes the paint to develop a network of cracks. As the condition ages, paint layers begin to lift from the surface — a flaking condition art conservators call cleavage — a problem that requires more than just spraying on a sealer or varnish.

We often see and receive unstable old paintings that were packed and moved without proper protection from the 150 deg. Arizona heat in the back of the moving truck like they were a poster or a replaceable non-important “decoration” resulting in paint losses, rips etc much to the horror of the family historian of the family. The husband, kids, church group who helped had no idea the painting was at risk when it was packed.

What Physical Impact and Pressure Do To Paintings

Paintings that are stacked, leaned against one another, or packed without proper cushioning frequently arrive with dents, punctures, or distortions in the canvas. A dent in an oil painting is not like a dent in a piece of furniture. The paint in a dented area may be cracked, lifted, or detached. Trying to push a dent back out without proper treatment can — and often does — cause active paint loss.

An example of a heartbreaking cases that we corrected involved the picture at the bottom of this article: a 150-year-old oil painting valued at $75,000 that arrived with catastrophic damage across most of the picture surface — entirely the result of careless packing. All of it was avoidable. The owner had no interest in investing in quality art conservation treatments… and threw it away!! It was bought as salvage for pennies on the dollar by an art dealer who knew its quality… and yes, it was a major bill to “fix it.”

Moisture, Mold, and Art Storage Conditions

Storage units are not climate controlled by default. Even those that advertise climate control often have humidity levels that fluctuate significantly with the seasons. Paintings stored in basements, garages, attics, or outdoor storage units are particularly vulnerable.

Moisture that infiltrates a canvas on artwork can cause the stretcher bars to warp, which deforms the entire canvas. It can also cause mold to develop on the canvas or the paint surface itself. Mold on a painting is not simply a surface contaminant — it can penetrate paint layers, discolor the image, and weaken the structural integrity of the work if not treated properly. And while the organism can be killed, sometimes the stain left behind cannot be removed.

The lady that gave us this cherished artwork to preserve was 94 years old and was the child in the artwork!

We have seen this play out firsthand. A painting left in a storage area that took on water arrived with extensive flaking and discoloration. It was not just a damaged painting — the memories and family history attached to it had been sitting in that wet room too. The treatments vary considerably depending on severity and paint media, but the approach is always the same: assess the full extent of damage before touching anything, then treat methodically from the most structurally fragile areas first.

One more thing worth knowing: homeowner’s insurance often covers family heirlooms and personal artwork — not items considered decorations — that are damaged during a move. If you are filing a claim, we can help you work with your adjuster. FACL charges flat fees for insurance claim work, not a percentage of the settlement.

What Improper Storage Actually Looks Like

Not long ago, we were called in to consult on a collection belonging to a man who considered himself an experienced, high-end collector. The storage conditions we walked into were genuinely painfully the worst I’ve even seen. Paintings were stacked against one another without protection, leaning in conditions with no humidity control, in a room that gave no thought to the value of what it held. We documented the situation on video. In one case, plastic tape had adhered directly to the front of a painting and had to be carefully removed on-site.

The situation is much more dire if your painting was painted between 1850ish and 1910ish. Additives to the canvas making machinery cause this age of canvas to be more brittle as it ages than a piece of fabric 200 years older! These oil paintings are frightfully brittle and VERY easy to rip.

See this short video. Click on the picture

The lesson is not that this person was careless in a dramatic or obvious way. The lesson is that he genuinely believed he was doing fine. Most people who store art poorly do not know they are doing it wrong… or maybe their impatience justifies in their m ind that they are doing to carelessly. That is the nature of this kind of damage — it accumulates quietly, and the consequences show up later.

An Example Of A Painting In Our Lab

A woman in her 30s contacted us about her grandmother’s portrait – her most prized possession beside the children— a nice sized oil painting that had been in her family for three generations. As her family was moving to a new house, she protested to her brother about the painting being packed loosely in a cardboard box. He guaranteed her he would hand carry it to the new house. When it arrived, there was a 2 ft vertical rip down the center of the painting, and small areas of paint that had flaked away entirely. I’ll let you imagine the war that ensued. She was devastated. This was not just a painting to her. It was the face she had grown up looking at. It was all the memories of a cherished person in the painting. Insurance couldn’t buy her a new one…

What she needed first was not a blind per sq, inch estimate that would probably change. She needed  to find the right person/lab … someone to look at the painting carefully, explain what had happened and why, and tell her honestly what was possible and what her options were.

If a painting in your care has been through shipping or long-term storage and something looks wrong — or even if you are not sure — call or text us and ask for Scott or Virginia. A quick phone call can tell you whether the painting needs urgent attention. (805) 564-3438

How to Assess Damage When a Painting Arrives

Before calling a conservator — or while you are waiting — here is how to look at a damaged painting without making things worse.

Check the surface first. Look for scratches, abrasions, or punctures. On oil paintings, look specifically for areas where paint is visibly lifting or flaking. Do not touch those areas, don’t rub them, or try to press them flat. Loose paint fragments may be out into a zip lock bag, they may be able to be put back!

Check the structure next. Look at the canvas itself for tears, punctures, or warping. Check whether the stretcher bars are still square and intact. Avoid moving the painting more than necessary, and keep it flat if the damage is cause by water and flaking is active.

Especially if its wet, do not expose the painting to direct sunlight or heaters and do not attempt any cleaning.

Document everything with photographs before moving the painting further. This protects you in any insurance situation and gives a conservator a clearer picture of the condition at the time of discovery. This step-by-step guide to assessing art shipping damage walks through the process in more detail.

Don’t roll up paintings!

The Most Common Treatments for Shipping and Storage Damage

Professional art conservation for shipping and storage damage typically involves some combination of the following, depending on the nature and severity of the damage:

Consolidation of cleavage and flaking paint. When paint layers have lifted or are actively separating from the canvas, consolidation is the first and most urgent step. This involves introducing a conservation-grade adhesive beneath the lifted paint and applying gentle pressure — sometimes with heat — to re-bond the layers. This must happen before any other treatment, because moving a painting with active flaking will cause additional loss.

Canvas repair and structural work. Tears, punctures, and dents in the canvas require structural repair before surface treatments can be completed. Depending on the extent of the damage, this may involve local patch repairs, full lining of the canvas to a new support fabric, or working a distortion out from the reverse side using moisture and controlled pressure. A damaged or warped stretcher may need to be repaired or replaced entirely.

Cleaning. Storage conditions often mean a painting arrives with accumulated grime, mold residue, or discolored varnish. Cleaning is done selectively and with considerable care, using solvents and methods appropriate to the age and condition of the specific paint layers. There is no universal formula — every painting requires its own evaluation.

Filling and inpainting. Areas of paint loss are filled with a stable, reversible fill material shaped to the profile of the surrounding original paint. They are then carefully inpainted with conservation-grade materials that match the color, texture, and reflectance of the original. The goal is not to make the painting look as if nothing happened, but to make the damage visually recede so that the full composition reads as it was intended.

Varnishing. A final protective varnish can stabilize the surface, even out the sheen, and provide a layer of protection for future handling and display.

What You Can Do Right Now to Protect a Painting

If a painting is currently in storage, or if you are anticipating shipping one, the most important things to understand are these:

Glassine paper sticks to many types of varnishes and many new acrylic paints (I know you are surprised and you are not sure I’m right… but you’ve been told.)

Never wrap a painting face-down against another surface, never wrap it in material that traps moisture, or rest it on the floor without a barrier.

Never roll an oil or acrylic painting, especially an old one. Professional can coach you on your options… but rolling a painted canvas that has not been prepared for that process will do more than just crack the paint.

For shipping, a painting should NOT be wrapped in glassine against the paint layers or frame surface — and especially do not wrap artwork with bubble wrap directly against the painted surface —

If a painting arrives damaged, do not try to push the canvas back from the front, remove any loose paint, or clean the surface yourself. Call a professional first. Handling a painting with active damage incorrectly can turn a treatable problem into a much more serious one… and wipe out any financial value it might still have.

Preserving Family History And All The Stories – Memory Triggers

What professional art conservation protects is not just paint and canvas. It is the grandmother who sat for her portrait in 1900, the ancestor whose face is the only surviving record of what they looked like. The painting that hung in the same spot in the family home for fifty years, traveled through four moves, survived a flood, two world wars and arrived cracked and tired on someone’s doorstep.

Those stories do not end when a painting is damaged. They continue — sometimes for generations more — when the painting is treated with care, honesty, and real expertise.

If you have a painting that was damaged in shipping or storage — or if you want to protect one before it travels — we would like to hear from you.

Call (805) 564-3438

and ask for Scott Haskins or Virginia Panizzon.

We answer questions, give honest assessments, and treat every heirloom as if it were our own.

[email protected]

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