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Upholstery Project Update (August 2002) |
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| by Howard Minners | ||||
| Several years ago, former MAFFI Trustee Bertha Haueter saw the need for a reference set of original upholstery materials, and this idea developed into the MAFFI Upholstery Project Subsequently, Bertha worked diligently to move the Project from conceptualization to reality. By obtaining and organizing upholstery samples contributed by many different Model A'ers, Bertha created an extensive collection of fabric and trim materials. She prepared three copies of a large upholstery book, each with almost 60 samples, plus seven display boards with trim and associated items. It was truly a great effort with valuable results. MAFFI agreed that it would be appropriate to seek a broad consensus concerning the collection of cloth and trim samples. Therefore in November 2000, the MARC Judging Standards Committee reviewed a MAFFI upholstery book and the seven display boards. Excellent recommendations were made concerning their quality, correctness, originality and the need for additional items. Then on November 17, 2001, a MAFFI team of three individuals visited upholstery expert Marco Tahtaras in Pleasanton, California, in order to secure his views and recommendations on the upholstery books. The team consisted of Doug Clayton, Ross Milne and Howard Minners. Fourth member Mick Isbell was unable to attend. Marco not only reviewed the upholstery book in detail, but also had spent considerable time in advance preparing a detailed Master List of Model A upholstery materials. His list made it possible to correlate dates of application with specific body styles. In so doing, it was possible to identify which materials are still needed in the MAFFI books. But additional work remains to be done. Careful correlation needs to be made betweenthe MARC JSC's comments and Marco Tahtaras Master List. Possibly, there will be a few areas needing further discussion, analysis and research. |
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| Also if at all possible, a number of the current MAFFI samples will need to be upgraded and relabeled, i.e., replacement samples may be neededto correct for color/fading, and samples found to "fill in the blanks." It is expected that later this year the same MAFFI team will visit Bill Sturm in Wisconsin to further refine current understanding, needs and judgments. Also, it is possible that others will be brought into this process to develop broad consensus on the samples. Clearly, this is an undertaking that needs to be done quickly before the availability of original, well preserved materials and trim is lost over the coming years. The ultimate goal is to preserve and present original and agreed-upon correct Model A upholstery and trim materials for reference by restorers, judges, and of course, future generations. |
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