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Barry Bauman Has a Passion for Preservation
An acclaimed art conservator who has dedicated his time and talent to helping museums and nonprofit institutions preserve their painting collections, at no cost, will speak about and exhibit the work he has done for the Wisconsin Historical Society at 7 p.m. Tuesday, October 9, in the auditorium of the Society's headquarters building at 816 State Street in Madison. Barry Bauman will present an illustrated lecture covering his work, which requires a unique mix of skills split between equal parts scientist, detective, artist and historian. The presentation is free to the public.
 Captain John C. Starkweather by Charles V. Bond Early in 2004 Wisconsin Historical Society curator Joe Kapler received a seemingly typical letter of solicitation in the mail. The writer, Bauman, introduced himself and his intention of starting a conservation program exclusively for cultural institutions. The second sentence, though, was anything but typical. "There will be no conservation fees." Given that skilled painting conservation is an expensive endeavor, a skeptical Kapler consulted museum colleagues around Wisconsin. Was this too good to be true? The answers he got surprised him. Bauman had a solid reputation as a talented art conservator whose love of his work had led him to offer his services to institutions like the Historical Society — free of charge.
Since establishing a partnership with Bauman, the Historical Society, the state's keeper of historical paintings, has received more than $60,000 in pro bono services performed on 16 paintings from the collection. Bauman's presentation will highlight his restoration of a Wisconsin masterpiece — John Singer Sargent's 1887 oil portrait of Civil War hero and former Wisconsin Governor Lucius Fairchild. The presentation will also offer insight into the fascinating world of fine-art conservation and will include numerous historical and technical discoveries that Bauman has made during the course of his career. The Sargent portrait, along with four other paintings conserved by Bauman, will be displayed in a rare public viewing after the presentation. The others include Thomas Sully's 1854 portrait of George Washington (the top photo above before and after the portrait's restoration), Samuel Marsden Brookes' 1855 portrait of Increase Lapham, his 1858 portrait of Chief Oshkosh and Ernest Hupeden's 1911 landscape, The Valley Where the Bluebirds Sing.
 Construction crew, Milwaukee by Edwin B. Knutesen The Historical Society and the state of Wisconsin are indeed the beneficiaries of Bauman's generosity. The Society has a modest private endowment for the conservation of museum art and artifacts, but it is not enough to meet all of the preservation needs. This is true in cultural organizations across the country — a fact that inspired Bauman to undertake his pro bono service. His program greatly reduces stress on the Historical Society's fund and expedites the treatment of paintings at a faster rate than otherwise possible.
The benefit of Bauman's work extends far beyond budget savings. "The value of Barry Bauman's contributions to the Wisconsin Historical Society cannot adequately be measured in dollar amounts alone," said Society Director Ellsworth Brown. "The value of his work will live on for generations to come in irreplaceable paintings that enjoy renewed vitality because of his generosity and expertise." The most immediate benefit of Bauman's work is the return of paintings to exhibition quality. Notably, six works conserved by Bauman now reside in the state Capitol. Among these are Robert Sully's portrait of Chief Black Hawk located in Governor Doyle's office, a vivid Works Progress Administration painting depicting a Milwaukee construction scene hanging in Senator Judith Robson's office, and a stunning portrait of Captain John C. Starkweather displayed in the office of Senator Scott Fitzgerald.
It is the story of the treatment of the Sargent portrait that is the most compelling, though. One of the most valuable single pieces in the Society's vast collections, it took Bauman four months to clean, repair and stabilize the painting. "It is a humbling experience to work on a Sargent," noted Bauman. "The unique challenge was to have this great portrait serve as a testament to Sargent's rare talent." As it turns out, Sargent is one of Bauman's favorite artists, and once again the Society benefited. Bauman became quite intrigued with Sargent's subject and undertook an extensive case study documenting the history and context of Fairchild's portrait. An illustrated essay excerpted from his study appears in the Autumn 2007 issue of the Wisconsin Magazine of History, and Bauman will be signing copies of the article following his presentation. For more information about Bauman's October 9 presentation, contact the Wisconsin Historical Society at 608-264-6552 or via e-mail.
:: Posted October 5, 2007
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