The Ultimate Finish: Gold

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32349, 15 July 1970, Page 11

The Ultimate Finish: Gold

Over the years—more than a hundred of them—A. J. Whites’ have repaired and reconditioned a great deal of top-quality furniture. Nevertheless they were so impressed with furniture sent in recently by Mr and Mrs J. C. Pavletich, of Christchurch, that they invited the Decor reporter round to have a look at it.

The gilded furniture at the top of the page is a 19th century English copy of an 18th century French style, and was brought out to New Zealand by Mrs Pavletich’s family, the T. J. Burkes of Wellington.

Although it had been carefully looked-after during 80 years of use, the covering needed replacement and the Pavletich’s bad bought a Frenchpattern brocade in London for the purpose. The rest was o\er to A. J. Whites’ and, as the photographs show, they made a splendid job of the re-covering.

The padding- is horsehair; permanently crimped by a steaming process not unlike the permanent waving of women’s hair, but much more lasting. By this time it has naturally lost some of the original resilience, but it is in

much better shape than any modern material could hope to be in after half the time. ' The gilding is also in very good order, which is fortunate because it could not be repaired satisfactorily. All that could be done would be to remove the gold and start again, and this is a most expensive process.

able skill is still required. And today’s craftsmen are paid far more than the shilling or two an hour they earned in England before the Second World War, or the pennies an hour they earned before the First

We asked Mr M. Sturrock (above) if any gilding of furniture wood had been done in New Zealand. Yes, he said. A. J. Whites’ bad done some for the Dennehys, on the West Coast during the 19305.