Rescuing an Antique Mirror - Thomas Johnson Antique Furniture Restoration 

Beautiful work Thomas. I commend and respect your disciplined restraint. Feel free to shoot me an email regarding Laponite, I’m happy to share everything I know about it.

It is nice to see Baumgartner's name dropped here in the comments, these two professional restorationists are just a true joy to watch, this could of been a collaborative piece for them.

Baumgartner conservation, is a good series to watch for getting canvasses and papers off the back of paintings. He uses all sorts of materials, really interesting, valuable information ! Stu xx

I think the "something" on the back is "Eld", short for "Elder". I found Lucy's grave online and it says "In memory of Mrs. Lucy Smith, consort of Elder Ebenezer Smith late of Ashfield, who died Oct. 5th 1808 aged 68"

This one vagely reminded me of some Baumgartner restaurations, really great work once again Tom, you never fail to impress!

With all the rubbish going on in the world at the moment it is nice to sit down and relax to watch another excellent restoration video from your good self and learn something new. Thank you 😊

Handsome guy in the mirror. Thank you for showing us a different project. I had never heard of these mirrors before. It looked brilliant after you finished. The colours really came out and the painting on the mirror was much brighter. You saved it.

A museum-quality restoration. But then all of yours are, aren't they? Superb.

How dapper you are in a suit and fedora! What a lovely little looking glass. The floral decoration reminds me of the decoration found on other courting objects from northern and eastern Europe. Thank you for another delightful break from the horrors of the news.

Excellent work, Tom. The _one_ thing I would have done diferently (mainly so my wife, who is a librarian, wouldn't chastise me) is, I would have put that original paper with its old provenance notes inside an archival envelope (with a facscimil of the contents printed on it) and attached it to the back. But that's just a matter of style.

OMG, Tom!! I had to pause and take a deep breath. You've got 'em, m'man!

You make my day, mr Johnson, I was feeling litle tired and I got so intereted in your jof and seing the lovely Ella that I forgot everything else. Thank you, blessings and pease, pet Ella and the cats for me.

Agree with many here Baumgartner is another brilliant guy to watch,I'm sure hd would have had a great solution for binding the edge of the paper.It was great to see the inlay box out again,been a while Tom.Great restoration, that looked too far gone to me ,but as always the miracle was achieved and we all got to witness it.

Very nice. The look through the glass was a sweet touch.

Slow and Steady gets the job done Thomas! Well Done!

You are a master craftsman and it is always a pleasure to watch your process. I learn something new each video that I incorporate into my process. Thank you for allowing us this glimpse into true craftsmanship.

I am a retired antique restorer in the UK. I once had a customer bring one of these in and he said it had been identified by the V&A museum in London as being late 18th century and northern European . This is the attribution all auction houses still use when these mirrors come up for sale.

Oh my, now that was some restoration! I thought you'd never conserve that backing paper but another beautiful job. Superb!

Another great project. Your patience is admirable. I too thought of Baumgartner when you showed the project for this video. So love watching your videos. I love that look on you

What a pasión for a patiently detailed piece of restoration work... You put your hat on rightly and cooling cause I am taking my hat off!!! Congrats!

I always like it when you dig through your dad's old box of inlay, it's nice way of keeping your dad's memory in the shop. I've got a few items like that myself that were my dad's and it feels like sometimes you can feel him looking over your shoulder, it brings back great memories. Another great video. Thanks.

Just love to see the extreme care you took with this very old and fragile piece. Conservation of these unique items is so important to preserve them for future generations to enjoy. Great job, Tom. And you looked mighty handsome in that mirror.

You are well equipped: half the stuff I didn’t know existed!

Lovely project. Glad you were able to 'save' and reattach the back piece, with the note and newspaper clipping. I really liked the result.

There is a framers tape that is a double-sided tape, but on that paper, you might not have wanted to use it. Another possible "trick of the trade" would have been to mount that paper to a new backing paper, and then used the double-sided tape. But all in all that was a great job. The glass would be difficult. It needed to be "re-silvered" as noted by the oxidation of the silver in the form of the bubble appearance in the front of the glass. The frame was as complicated a piece of art as I have ever seen in the frame shop. The most important thing that you did was to take your time and to move slowly so as to no harm. I have worked on frames from the same era. This one piece that I did some years ago was to restore both a bamboo frame and the Japanese silk art in it. That took me several days, maybe 20 hours all told, to finish. But it was worth the effort. I must say that I love these videos. And you did look dapper in the fedora!

Beautiful work. Nice to see the managing director and her able assistants. Thank you Tom.

talk about painstaking...Well Done, Sir; your care and respect is notable.

Darn it! I did it again! I get a nice, hot cup of tea and sit down to watch one of your videos and then I reach for my tea and it’s gone cold!

The Laponite isn’t left to dry. You leave it on for a time to rehydrate the glue, then proceed with separating the layers. Its purpose is to wet the glue without over-wetting the paper. I too watch Baumgartner. Thx for your great work!

My antique dealer friend bought a lovely gilded French 'marriage mirror', quite ornate with small pieces of glass set into the ornate top. He then dropped it and broke into pieces so I bought it from him for 20 euros and spent two days reparing it. The main mirror was intact, the damage was to the frame, mostly the ornate top. I had to use epoxy to hold the ornate top onto the bottom part from the back, it doesn't show. As there were pieces of the inset mirror missing, too broken to save, I cut out the same shapes from thin plexi and used a 'mirror spray' to mirror the back being careful to spackle it so it didn't draw the eye, I backed the plaxi with black paper. It's not a perfect solution but it looks good and the breaks don't show. Nice to save something.

Thanks again Tom. Another learning experience. Nice job. Rich/NJ

“Here’s looking at you kid.” Great job! Patience is the key. 👍👏

Your attention to detail an saving as much as the original piece as possible is awesome! I've watched many or your restorations now and I'm delighted!

Fascinating as always. There is always something new to learn, and it never fails to look pretty good in the end.

What is so admirable is that you never lose your patience however fiddly or difficult, or if you come across an unexpected problem right in the middle. You have a very calm temperament, ideal for restoration...

Thanks for another great video, Indiana Johnson!

I was riveted, no joke, watching how many challenges there were to bringing this one back. You certainly met them, it's lovely. I was quite surprised when you said it only took about 8 hours, I really expected to hear it took a few days! Great work

Loved the little bit at the end! lol really amazing and gentle restoration. Thank you for saving this little precious piece! you are the master

Lovely restoration, thank you for the video!

I think you did an amazing job. What is surprising to me is the design itself. I wouldn't ever look at something with what almost looks like zebra stripes to me and think 18th century. Learn something new everyday and today it was this. So I thank you sir, I appreciate it ☺

I was holding my breath while you were separating the paper from the frame with the knife. I had the feeling I was doing it with you in the same time. Amazing restoration.

I found myself holding my breathe when started driving that tack.

It's cool that several of us made the Thomas Johnson/Baumgartner connection.

Thomas, you have wonderful viewers and fans.

Great video as always, and like a lot of others on here, I was mentally calling Julian to come give you some advice on that stubborn paper! I noticed Ella seemed to have her paw wrapped at the beginning of the video, hope she is doing ok! Thank you for keeping us all entertained!

"I'm gonna buy this bit of specialist kit I've never used, not look up any instructions, and just slap some on!" "Huh. Doesn't work!" (Toss) We have more in common than I ever imagined, Mr. Johnson! 😅

Tom's a goin' courting :D Very nice work, a change from tall boys and such.

I was on the edge of my seat the whole time--all that fragile old glass!

Thomas, an admirable attempt preserving the paper backing. I dont think it was important to the piece to save; however the note certainly was. Using acid free card, and de-acidifying the note (with Wei-to spray or such) would have been a good idea. Overall a great job; and the piece looks great post restoration.

Like watching Baumgartner! Very interesting item. The decoration on the mirror is lovely. Is that ‘something’ on the back ‘Eli’?

Mr. Johnson has an amazing inventory of materials to assist him in repairing the many items he undertakes to restore. It must have taken years to gather and classify them. It is fascinating to watch him work.

Thank you for sharing with us another fine, delicate and respectful restauration. Interestingly in the german peasant art of the 18th and19th century we have similar designs (e.g.the floral design).

Watching you Tom always makes me wonder what will happen when craftsmen like you are no longer doing restorations? Do you ever put a note/signature/business card inside pieces so years later someone can at least know who worked on this piece?

Wow! The audible brittleness and fragility of the piece was plain to hear. What a wonderful restoration. I applaud your patience.

That was simply amazing Thomas! You never cease to amaze me with your patients, attention to detail and techniques. I have learned much from you and have taken on projects that I never would have without your guidance. Thank you so much for your videos. Please keep them coming.

As usual Tom a superb job!

I believe the purpose of the clay is to moderately moisten the paper and the glue without overly wetting it. It contains the water to only the treated area. I doubt you are supposed to let it dry in place. In fact, where you used the wet paper towels, the clay would have had much better contact with the glue, and much less run-out of water. For the cardboard, it would have been better to use acid-free archival cardboard to prevent further deterioration of the delicate paper.

One tool is missing from the layout at the end… your patience! You have way more of that than anyone I’ve ever had the pleasure of watching. Is this a piece for your own collection, or was this done for a client? I love the shot of you in your hat checking yourself out before you go to see your “best girl”.

You are so patient and thorough in your technique. Thank you for showing us your work and teaching through your calmness and persistence.

Beautiful Tom. Looks great in your home as well...cheers...rr Normandy, Fra.

That looks like "Old Ebeneezer"

That tape job on the back is a bit of a dog's lunch.

I like the hat. The looking glass is a fine piece of work.

Great job Thomas,looks great.

All the repeated flipping it over is driving me crazy. Ugh ... No felt under it while you're working on it is driving me crazy as well , I hate to see the face of it on that MDF

What a great resto Tom

Great restoration of a unique looking glass! And Tom, you looked quite dapper in your suit,tie and hat !👍🏻🥰

Another piece of history saved. Great job Tom.

I restored a beveled glass mirror several years ago and the mirror glass was flaking badly. I used oven cleaner to remove the mirror silver from the glass and then had a thin mirror cut to place behind the original (now) clear glass. worked really well, I still use it in one of my bathrooms today 30 years later. Appreciate your videos, I learn something from each one of them. Tim in Kentucky

That indecipherable word looks like three letters ELD. Perhaps it is an abbreviation of elder. Guesswork! Fascinating project.

Here's looking at you kid. Nice work on such a delicate piece.

looking pretty snazzy there Tom. What a lovely project.

Watching this again to see Ella, enjoyed her on the show!

Love it! So beautiful.

Simply amazing !

Your attention to detail is unreal Mr. Thomas Johnson. As an amateur wood worker myself it absolutely boggles my mind how you are so attentive and mindful at every step of the process. You NEVER lose your mindfulness. You have the same attention to detail at step 1 as you do step 3056. Its a true pleasure to be able to sit back and watch a master at work. Thank you sir. Truly. Thank you. I save a few of these from time to time just to keep for my own archives to show my next generation (whenever the Lord see's fit to bless me with a child). You remind of the American equivalent of how Japanese culture used to be in ancient times. How even the simplest things, such as making tea, was taken very seriously and each step was just as important as the last!

Fascinating. Great work.

Something completely different. Love it. Great job!

Tom, your patience is outstanding and has been a lesson to me in my woodworking. Thanks

In addition to your artistry, you look quite dapper in your jacket and hat.

Congratulations! You preserved the structure and the history of the mirror. Good job

I watch your videos and I have learnt a lot. Your skills are amazing when it comes to woodworking. With that mirror you should have referred it to art experts.

Genius. Pure genius.

Such a difficult job. Well done!

Excellent nice change of pace.

I really enjoy your videoes. As a fellow woodworker and youtuber i find them very relaxing. No disturbing music, just your calm voice. I guess you don't have to edit them yourself? Nevertheless, they are well edited. Long and informative. Thanks for letting us take part of your work! Greetings from Norway.

Thomas: the attention to detail and your expert touch to restoring the courting mirror was top drawer. I was riveted to the video. Fabulous job! Carol from California

I get so happy when my day starts with a coffee turning the heater on in the shop and realizing there's a new video from your shop .......it's a good day

Placing the hat on your head made me subscribe. Well done.

Beautiful restoration and a joy to watch, as always!

Outstanding! Such ingenious solutions to restore/repair this lovely antique.

It is a great pleasure to watch your video :)

A pleasure as always,.

Simply Amazing

As someone who has a collection of letters from that time period, I was holding my breath throughout that one !!!! A wonderful example of control in only doing enough to preserve the item and avoiding the temptation to do too much. Paper that has been under glass or exposed to so many varying temperatures etc over the centuries is so very hard to handle or work with - bravo sir on such control.

Loved this. 👍

Without your beautiful cats it could not have been done.

Nice job Mr. Tom.

Whoa. I spent this video either holding my breath, or grinning in delighted relief. What a masterful job, and how kind of you to let us see this work!

Dear Mr. Johnson this is truly a restoration of the highest order. Only the most necessary things have been lovingly repaired so that the antique character has not been destroyed. I am very impressed.