Framing work often involves taking a picture out of an existing frame and choosing something new. Sometimes the frame and mount may look a little outdated, maybe the customer just does not like the style, or heaven forbid it does not fit in with the room decor where it will hang. Some of the old frames are just discarded, anything worth keeping is offered back to the customer, artist, or gallery but they rarely want them back.
Here are just a few frames that I have got from re-framing pictures, the two water gilded and burnished 1970's frames at the front are my favourites amongst these examples, behind them there is a water gilt spoon made by John Jones Ltd in London. The frame behind the reproduction Watts (outer) is a nice shape, probably 1980's and behind this is a mid 20th C water gilt cushion frame which came off a John Nash landscape. At the back is a simple unfinished walnut flat which is a lovely wood to stain and wax.
Old oak frames a regularly discarded for newer framing (all be it usually in 'old' effect or style), when I think they look very good on old prints, pictures, and photographs. Often sadly and inevitably (and sometimes for the better) pictures and paintings are taken out of their original or later re-frames to meet new tastes.
