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Mason Monterey Museum Collection,
Oregon Caves NM

MPFC was privileged to conserve and restore two dozen pieces of original Mason Monterey Furniture which was bought for the Chateau, (an example shown right in the Chateau in 2006.)

We have divided the collection into three parts, with additional pages on various processes and showings:

• Robert Gamblin's assistance in the restoration and color determination
• Chateau Collection, for reuse in the hotel;
• A-Frame Dining Chairs, which we felt deserved a special page
• Painting the Decorative Elements on the A-Frames
• The Portland showing of the collection;
• Delivery Day at the Oregon Caves!
• and finally, the Oregonian wrote an article on the Collection:"Portland's MPF Conservation team's work shines in the Mason Monterey collection at the Oregon Caves"

 

Page Under Construction! The project is complete, and we will be adding material weekly as the reports are finalized. We offer our interim reports, below, which are informal updates for our clients.

Note: We are interested in obtaining broken down
Mason Monterey (or other brands in the genre) to repair and possibly restore.

Two Polychrome Mason Horseshoe-back Monterey Chairs

The size of these two chairs is more generous, as are gaming or side chairs to sit on in a living room rather than dining room chairs. There are four in the collection; these are the first two to be conserved. All will be part of the Museum Collection.

Floral Mason Horseshoe-back Monterey Chair

The Straw Yellow and Straw Ivory polychrome finish was severely compromised, and was cleaned and conserved. The original sling seat was in poor condition, but no tears. Some original lacing was resent in pieces on the chair. The upholstery was conserved. RESUME FOR THE MASON MONTEREY HORSESHOE-BACK FLORAL CHAIR (COMING SOON)

Geometric Mason Horseshoe-back Monterey Chair

The Straw Yellow and Spanish Blue polychrome finish was very dirty with 80 years of grease and food and environmental grime. MPFC cleaned and conserved the finish; no infill was performed. The original leather seat has red rot and was split across the front; as it will not be sat on again, we held it together with "bandages" and a bit of cosmetic infill to the bandages so they were unnoticeable. Red rot was treated to slow down the process. New leather lacing was colored in the manner Mason used, which is not typical. RESUME FOR THE MASON MONTEREY HORSESHOE-BACK GEOMETRIC CHAIR

 

"Chateau Green" Mason Monterey
A-Frame Dining Chair

The original finish was in good to fair condition, including the decorative motif on the splat. This chair was set aside for the museum. While it may be that the original color was intended to be Spanish Green, the base color is lighter than Spanish Green and quite blue, and the Smokey Maple top coat is quite subdued, so the overall appearance is a minty green. We dubbed this color "Chateau Green" and hope it sticks! RESUME FOR THE MASON MONTEREY A-FRAME DINING CHAIR (COMING SOON)

 

"Chateau Orange" Mason Monterey Lamp

The finish was severely compromised, having been through some form of water event. The lamp was slated for the museum, not for the reuse. The color is unlike any orange we have previously seen, being an apricot color. We are dubbing this color "Chateau Orange and hope it sticks. RESUME FOR THE MASON MONTEREY LAMP (COMING SOON)

 

Upholstered Paddle-Arm Mason Monterey Wingback Chair (Museum Collection)

The original orange and cream slubbed cotton burlap-weave upholstery fabric was intact and in good condition, though it was quite dirty. What is perplexing is that the fabric was in good condition, but the finish was severely compromised, having been through some sort of water event which removed the original paint. MPFC never resolved the mystery of how the original upholstery survived in good condition, while the finish was severely compromised!
RESUME FOR THE MASON MONTEREY WINGBACK

Straw Yellow Polychrome Mason Monterey Woven Leather Side Chair (Museum Collection)

This side chair was used in the lobby of the Chateau. The Straw Yellow finish was in poor condition; the decorative "River of Life" in Chateau Orange was intact, however. MPFC cleaned the chair and preserved the original finish; no infill was necessary. The original woven seat was in fragile condition with one break, but the chair was not to be sat in, and the upholstery was cleaned and repaired. Red rot was treated to slow down the degradation. RESUME FOR THE MASON MONTEREY CHAIR

Smokey Maple Ruffled Peplum
Mason Monterey Ladder-back Chair (Museum Collection)

Finish was in fair condition. The original upholstery was intact with small holes, and dirty. The frame was in one piece, with a fractured front leg. We borrowed parts from the matching chair which went back on the Chateau floor to create a museum-worthy ladder-back
RESUME FOR THE MASON MONTEREY LADDERBACK

Other pages:

• Museum Collection;
• Robert Gamblin's assistance in the restoration and color determination
• Chateau Collection, for reuse in the hotel;
• A-Frame Dining Chairs, which we felt deserved a special page
• Painting the Decorative Elements on the A-Frames
• Paddle-arm Chair
• The Portland showing of the collection;
• Delivery Day at the Oregon Caves!
• and finally, the Oregonian wrote an article on the Collection:"Portland's MPF Conservation team's work shines in the Mason Monterey collection at the Oregon Caves"

For information on the Imperial "Monterey" line
used at Crater Lake National Park,
see our page on the three dozen
pieces previously damaged, and restored by MPFC for the
Crater Lake Science and Learning Center.