The History of Conservation: Furniture Polishes
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CCI Newsletter, No. 27, June 2001
The History of Conservation: Furniture Polishes
by James Hay, Senior Conservator, Treatment and Development Division - Furniture and Decorative Arts
As furniture has been around for thousands of years, so has the task of polishing it. And the methods and materials that have been used for this task have been as varied as the furniture itself.
Wax and oil finishes were the norm from the Iron Age until about 4 centuries ago. For wax finishes, periodic re-applications of wax made into a paste with turpentine sufficed to maintain the dull gloss and protection. Wherever flax could be grown, boiled linseed oil was popular as a finish and a polish.
Oil and spirit varnishes became popular by the 17th century; both of these produced a hard, shiny, reasonably permanent film, but they responded differently when polished. In 1861, Mrs. Beeton1 suggested making a polish of "equal proportion of linseed-oil, turpentine, vinegar, and spirits of wine" which was to be applied with a clean linen rag, rubbed, then whisked off with a clean cotton duster. This may have worked well on intact oil varnish surfaces but since 'spirits of wine' was an old lay term for ethanol (which would instantly dissolve and strip spirit varnished surfaces), following this advice must have caused a lot of damage to a lot of furniture. Another peculiar recipe from the 19th century was cigar ashes and mayonnaise (the fine cigar ash provided a mild abrasive while the water/oil emulsion of mayonnaise provided a lubricant for grinding).
Moving into the 20th century, raw as well as boiled linseed oil and beeswax were being recommended for furniture polish, but with the addition of turpentine. Many commercial furniture polishes were also introduced.
There are two problems with all of these recipes. First, unless the compatibility of a polish with the furniture has been tested, the result of polishing is guesswork (and could result in damage). Second, it is always necessary to remember the goal of polishing, which is generally to maintain the finish rather than 'improve' it. Sometimes 'polishing' with any applied material is too severe a treatment—buffing with a 100% cotton cloth may be more than enough.
"What should I use to polish my furniture?" is about as easy to answer as "How should I bring up my kids?" To do either, one must first have an understanding of the raw materials and the times we live in, and then take a position on the value of the past in the future.
- Beeton, I.M. The Book of Household Management. London: S.O. Beeton, 1861.
