About

Francis Toohey Conservation specializes in the conservation and restoration of sculpture, buildings and objects manufactured from stone, marble, terracotta, plaster of Paris, lime plaster, and Coade stone. We provide a well-respected condition reporting service for objects, collection care and site surveys.

Francis Toohey has worked with the British Museum, Ashmolean Museum, Fitzwilliam Museum, Tate Gallery, Victoria and Albert Museum, Christie’s, Sotheby’s, and Phillips auction houses, the Palace of Westminster, Historic Royal Palaces, Blenheim Art Foundation, Constantine Art Handlers, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Lloyds of London Insurance, the Governments of Saudi Arabia, and Qatar, the Royal Commission for Al Ula and numerous insurance companies and private clients.

Francis has over 25 years’ experience in sculpture conservation, most recently at the Tate Gallery as Sculpture, Installation, and Kinetic Art Conservator. Previously he was Senior Stone Sculpture Conservator for Plowden and Smith for over twenty years. His experience ranges from practical conservation, condition reporting, generating schedules of works, estimating, and implementing large conservation projects. He is extremely skillful with detailed precision work, carving and accurate retouching and highly proficient in the use of traditional lime mortars.

Francis is an ICON Accredited Conservator Restorer with two post graduate degrees, in Fine Arts Sculpture and Art History.

Sculpture Conservation Restoration Areas of Expertise

• Marble, stone.
• Pietra dura polished inlaid stone.
• Lime plaster.
• Plaster of Paris.
• Terracotta and Coade stone.
• Mosaic, tiles, and micro mosaic.
• Archaeological finds mounted for display.
• Re-carving in marble of losses to statuary.
• Installation/dismantling of stone memorials.
• Letter-cutting and restoration of letter-cut memorials
• Poultice cleaning specialist.
• Doff steam cleaning.
• Extensive site work experience.
• Consultations with artist foundations and estates.
• Archaeological surveys and treatment of stone finds in the studio or on site.
• Maintenance programs specified.
• Advice on sculpture packing for storage or transport.
• Generating schedules of works, estimating, and implementing large conservation projects.
• Museum standard conservation and reversibility.
• Like for like traditional materials and techniques.

Categories

Neolithic Egyptian Roman Chinese Medieval Pre Columbian Renaissance 18th and 19th century Contemporary

Select List of Artists

Donatello Francesco Bertos Antonio Canova Alfred Gilbert Gilbert Bayse Hiram Powers Edgar Degas Pablo Picasso Alexander Archipenko Alberto Giacometti Eduardo Paolozzi Barbara Hepworth Henry Moore Elizabeth Frink Bernard Meadows Louise Bourgeois Rachel Whiteread Maria Bartuszová Jenny Holzer Banksy Stik Ai Weiwei