A modern way to move antiques
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by CM reporter
THE London-based removers Pitt and Scott have carried out some huge removals, and small ones worth a huge amount. It's the company's centenary this year and appropriately it was involved in the American bicentenary celebrations carrying 38 items to the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
But next year it reckons it has an order probably never surpassed. It is for a London
interior decorator undertaking the complete refurnishing of the Saudi Arabian Parliament Building. It is proposed to use .450 trailers to transport the furniture over a period of 21/2 years.
The largest order handled to date by this specialist firm of antique packers and shippers was once again to Saudi Arabia, for the 34-bedroomed El Massiria Palace at Riyadh. Included in the contract were 74 dining tables, 123 settees, 254 easy chairs, 560 dining chairs and 27,000sqft of carpet, a total of over 80,000cuft of cargo. All the items had to be carefully. packed to ensure their safety en route.
So, of course, did the American bicentenary art treasures. The March of the Guards was the most valuable single picture at 071,300. "These paintings," explains Mr John Johnson, operations director, "represent some of the artistic wealth of our country, and are • only on loan to the America, — they will be back within 1 months."
The valuable paintings ar works of art are fitted in. screw-topped exhibition casi which, will also be used fi transport within the USA ar then for the return journey. fl inner case, lined with foal rubber, is custom built for eac individual painting, and is thE suspended inside another ea: with a 2in air gap all round.
The suspension system ensures that there is an adequate flow of air around the delicate canvas, protecting it from violent changes in humidity and temperature while being transported from one _climate to another.
We are constantly updating our packing and handling methods," Mr Johnson told CM. ''We have recently introduced a training scheme for all relevant personnel. When experimenting with new cases or methods we use an inexpensive painting, pack it in the new case and send it to our offices in Liverpool, then Glasgow, then maybe Paris.
"It is opened and inspected at various intervals during its journey and only when we are satisfied that it has passed the most stringent tests do we actually use that method."
Pitt and Scott carried the Turner Exhibition to Russia. When the pictures were loaded into the containers for the return journey from Russia, Leningrad was under several feet of snow, and England in bright sunshine; this necessitated a well-insulated container to protect the priceless paintings and prevent the paint flaking due to the rapid change in temperature. The trailers were specially insulated with fibreglass and polystyrene for the trip.
Mr Johnson pointed out that besides precious works of art, the 200 employees at the company's Eden Grove headquarters handle virtually anything from heavy machinery to personal effects. Their fleet of 38 trucks, from 3$-ton-gross tractive units to 30cvvt pick-ups includes seven MAN 16.232 FT tractors. "They are the ideal vehicle," he said, "being incredibly reliable and economical. We have only had one MAN stoppage, and that was fixed within a few hours.'' The MANs run primarily to Italy, Spain, Switzerland, Netherlands, Finland and Russia, as well as a scheduled groupage service to Paris four times a week.
Mr Johnson couldn't say too much about their stringent security precautions, but explained that they worked closely with the Arts and Antiques Squad at Scotland Yard, having their trucks fully escorted when necessary. The recent journey through Russia involved escorts by the military authorities using armoured trucks and tanks.