RICHARD READ BRANYAN

712 Franklin Street, Natchez, MS 39120

Phone (601) 442-2617 Cellular (601) 807-4081 Fax. (601) 445-9785

richard@branyan.org

EXPERIENCE 

Owner of Lower Lodge Conservation and Museum Services

Natchez, MS

1993 to Present - Lower Lodge Conservation

Examine, document and catalog wooden objects, furniture, upholstered furniture and clocks.

Write treatment proposals and reports for wooden objects and furniture.

Assess collections and advise on environmental conditions to minimize deterioration.

Research appropriate designs for the restoration and replacement of missing areas of furniture by using well documented examples.

Perform extensive treatments on wooden objects using hand and power tools.

Work with veneers, inlays, marquetry, tortoiseshell, and ivory.

Replace and restore missing carvings, turnings, and hardware.

Treat and stabilize damaged finishes.

Inspect furniture for signs of authenticity or fraud.

Design and construct crates for transport of fragile objects

Write and present lectures on conservation.

Present workshops on museum cataloging and object marking.

Furniture Conservator, Gordon Maxwell Furniture Conservation, London, England

1989 - 1992 - Gordon Maxwell Conservation

Treated furniture from Royal collections, historic palaces, private collections, and for major London antique dealers.

Conserved and restored a wide variety of furniture ranging from Elizabethan to Art Deco, including English, European, Asian, and American furniture.

Made modern design and reproduction furniture for clients: including the Prince of Oman and London and New York Decorators.

Helped restore, deliver, and install furniture for the Royal Tent at Windsor Castle for His Royal Highness Prince Philip's birthday party.

EDUCATION

Higher National Diploma, Business and Technician Education Council (BTEC)
University of London, College of Furniture, London, England
(BTEC HND course is now an MA)

Furniture Conservation, 1987 - 1989

London College of Furniture, Advanced Award with Commendation
 

Furniture Conservation, 1989

Higher National Certificate BTEC
Rycotewood College, Thame, Oxfordshire, England
(BTEC HNC course is now a BA)

Furniture Crafts & Business & Marketing, 1986 - 1987

Advanced Award, City and Guilds of London Institute

Rycotewood College, Thame, Oxfordshire, England

Furniture Crafts, 1986

National Certificate, BTEC

Rycotewood College, Thame, Oxfordshire, England

Design (Crafts), 1985 - 1986

University of Oxford Advanced Level, Woodwork, 1986

University of London Advanced Level, Art, 1986

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

American Institute for Conservation, Annual Conference, 1999, 2004, 2005

American Association of Museums Annual Conference, 1997, 2000, 2001, 2004 

American Association for State and Local History, Annual Conference, 2000

Mississippi Museums Association, Annual Conference, 2001, 2003, 2004 

Southeastern Museums Conference, 1995, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2002, 2003

Natchez Antiques Forum, 1993 - 2011 

Object Marking Workshop - Registrars Committee AAM, 1997

Louisiana Art Conservation Alliance, "A Night to Remember: Preserving the Titanic," 1997

LECTURES CONDUCTED

"Furniture Conservation Workshop" Louisiana State Parks: Oakley House, St. Francisville, LA, 2008-2011          

"Katrina Recovery," Mississippi Museum of Art & Walter Anderson Museum of Art, 2005

"Hurricane Katrina Projects," Natchez Rotary Club, 2005

Various Programs for the Natchez Historical Society, 1998-2005

"Antique ID," Tullis - Toledano Manor, Biloxi, MS, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003    

"Rosalie," Meadville Chapter DAR, 2001, 2002

"Taking Care of Your Stuff," A one day workshop for the Mississippi Museums Association, 2000

"American Furniture Heritage," Natchez Chapter of the DAR, 2000; Jackson Chapter of the DAR, 2000

"Preserving it for the Next 1000 Years," SEMC Annual Conference, 1999 

"Conservation Projects," Natchez Rotary Club, 1999

"Conservation," Natchez Historical Society, 1998

"Conservation 101," Natchez Rotary Club, 1996

"Care of Antique Furniture," Coombe Arts Guild, Eastbourne, England, 1989

VOLUNTEER SERVICE

Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), Conservation Project Support, Field Reviewer for conservation grants, 1998 - 2010

NEH & IMLS, Field Reviewer for conservation grants, American Treasures, 2002, 2006

Treasurer of the Wooden Artifacts group of the American Institute for Conservation, 2004 - 2005

Provided advice to the Biedenharn Museum and to Beauvoir after arson attacks in 2004

Provided emergency conservation support at the Arlington Mansion (Natchez) after a severe fire, 2002

PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS

American Institute of Conservation (AIC) (elected a Professional Associate 1997)

(Treasurer AIC Wooden Artifacts Group, 2003 - 2005)

Southeastern Regional Conservation Alliance (SERCA)

Louisiana Art Conservation Alliance (LACA)

American Association of Museums (AAM)

Southeastern Museums Conference  (SEMC)

Mississippi Museums Association (MMA)

PUBLICATIONS & PRESS APPEARANCES

Lower Lodge filmed for "Blue Ribbon Antiques" Turner South TV, 2004

Lower Lodge featured in a segment for "Ladies Day Out" on the Travel TV Channel, 2003

Lower Lodge/Richard Branyan featured in Southern Living, Traveler Magazine, The Flying Lady,

The Proper Motorcar, Country Roads Magazine, Natchez Democrat, Biloxi Sun Herald, Clarion Ledger,

Bluff City Post, VIP Magazine (Jackson, MS) and Biloxi TV.

Haunted Collector, SyFy Channel, Filmed at Lower Lodge Antiques

EXHIBITED

American Association of Museums, (AAM) 2004 annual conference, had a trade booth for Lower Lodge Conservation

 AAM's convention had 6,000 museum professionals in attendance

Harrogate Craft Fair- UK's largest tradeshow for gift shops

Chelsea Flower Show - Displayed wooden garden furniture - in conjunction with Practical Woodworking Magazine

OTHER MEMBERSHIPS

Rotary Club International, member since 1996

(Multiple "Paul Harris Fellow", former board member and Sgt.-at -Arms)

Natchez Opera Festival, board member, 2003 - 2006

Natchez Historical Society - President, 2004 - 2006

AWARDS

Epsom College, Woodworking Prize 1983; Epsom College, Graham Sutherland Art prize 1983

The Duke of Edinburgh's Silver Award, 1982

Certificate of Appreciation Rosalie Mansion, Natchez MS, 2001

Certificate of Appreciation Mississippi Governor's Mansion, Jackson MS, 2007

Richard Branyan's - Partial Client List

Gordon Maxwell Conservation 

United Kingdom  

H.M. The Queen

Various furnishings 

H.R.H. Prince Philip Duke of Edinburgh

 70^th Birthday - Royal Tent furnishings

 Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother 

A set of chairs originally from the Brighton Pavilion

The Saudi Royal Family - Art Deco Furniture

The Prince of Oman - Made a set of 6 tables 

Royal Residences

  Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle, Frogmore House

Public Collections

House of Lords, Hampton Court Palace, Victoria and Albert Museum

John Stefanidis, Interior designer

Andrias Whitten-Smith, Owner of "The Independent" Newspaper

Galley 25, Art Deco Furniture 

Norman Adams Antiques, Hans Crescent, London 

Robert Young Antiques, London

Musicians

Diana Ross, Mick Jagger & Jerry Hall, Brian Ferry,  Elton John

Lower Lodge Conservation & Museum Services 

United States

 National Park Service

Melrose, Natchez, MS

William Johnson House, Natchez, MS

Cane River Creole Historic Site, Natchez, LA

Jean Lafitte National Historical Park, New Orleans, LA

Saint Gaudens National Historical Park, Cornish, New Hampshire

Natchez Trace Parkway,  Tupelo, Mississippi

Washington's Headquarters/Longfellow House, Cambridge, Massachusettes

Alabama Historical Commission

General Joe Wheeler House, Pond Spring, AL

Gaineswood, Demopolis, AL

Arkansas State Parks

 Moore Horner House, Helena, AR

Civilian Conservation Corps Furniture in State Parks

Mississippi State

Department of Archives and History

Eudora Welty House, Jackson, MS

Old Capitol Museum, Jackson, MS

Manship House, Jackson, MS

Mississippi Governor's Mansion, Jackson, MS

Missouri Department of Natural Resources

Confederate Memorial Site, Higginsville, MO

Arrow Rock Historic Site, Arrow Rock, MO

Hunter Dawson House, New Madrid, MO

Battle of Lexington State Historic Site, Lexington, MO

Louisiana State Museums

E.D. White House, Natchitoches, LA

Old Mint Museum, New Orleans, LA

Oakley House, St. Francisville, LA

Cabildo Museum, New Orleans, LA

Other Sites/Museums

Mobile Museum Of Art, Mobile, AL 

City of Biloxi Museums

Tullis-Toledano Manor, & The Brick House, Biloxi, MS

Sons of Confederate Veterans, Beauvoir

Jefferson Davis Home & Library, Biloxi

Biedenharm Museum and Gardens, Monroe, LA

MS State Society of the DAR

 Rosalie, Natchez, MS

 Pilgrimage Garden Club

 Stanton Hall, Longwood, Natchez, MS 

Natchez Garden Club

Martha Mock, Yawning Industries, Atlanta, GA 

Morgan Freeman, Clarksdale, MS