About this project
This two-person sleigh was once owned by General Artemas Ward, a Major General in the American Revolutionary War and a Congressman from Massachusetts. It is owned by Harvard University’s Artemas Ward House. After sustaining damage by a roof collapse under which it was stored, the sleigh was in poor and unstable condition. Harvard University contracted B.R. Howard & Associates to perform the necessary treatment to the Artemas Ward sleigh.
What we did
The treatment commenced with an in depth documentation process. The sleigh was then realigned and clamped into its proper orientation. With permission from the curatorial staff, a section of similar pine was cut and fit to replace the missing segments of the sleigh’s proper left side.
in-house repairs
Other sections of ash and poplar were also sawn to match the original components. These were steam bent to conform to the remaining sections of the curved dash.
All areas of repair were then in-painted and striped using a reversible paint palette. The corrosion on the sleigh’s ironwork was reduced and stabilized. The completed vehicle was then photo documented and returned to the Artemas Ward House for exhibition.