Being entrusted with someone’s family heirlooms is always a privilege. When those heirlooms represent the courage, sacrifice and bravery shown by loved ones during times of fear and uncertainty, it becomes an even greater honour.

At Foxglove Picture Framing, we believe that the things which carry our family’s stories deserve to be carefully preserved and proudly displayed.

We were approached by a client with two collections of medals belonging to their great grandfather and grandfather, who served during the First and Second World Wars respectively.

The brief was to carefully clean and preserve the medals where possible, while creating a display that felt traditional, timeless and respectful of their history.

Designing the display

Together with our client, we selected a classic dark wood and gilded moulding, paired with burgundy suedette mountboard for both the front and rear mounts.

To help protect these important family heirlooms, we selected 70% UV protective, anti-reflective glass, reducing harmful light exposure while allowing the detail and craftsmanship of the medals to be appreciated.

Before beginning the final assembly, each medal, ribbon and pin was carefully measured and plotted digitally. This allowed the layout to be precisely planned, ensuring the finished display was balanced and accurately spaced.

Conservation-led craftsmanship

The medals arrived with aged adhesive residue and the ribbons had been stitched in a way that concealed their original colours.

Each medal was carefully cleaned to remove the old double-sided tape, and the ribbon stitching was carefully undone so that the bright original colours could be revealed once again.

Rather than using adhesives or irreversible fixing methods, the ribbons were secured through precisely cut apertures in the rear mountboard. This allowed the medals to be safely displayed while minimising the impact on the original materials.

Additional support was provided using carefully positioned conservation-friendly nylon line, threaded through to the rear of the mount, providing security without compromising the integrity of the medals.

The front mounts were then precisely designed and cut to include apertures displaying the names of the servicemen and the conflicts in which they served.

The finished piece

Once the conservation work was complete, the final stages involved assembling the frames, fitting the glass, installing spacers to prevent the medals touching the glazing, securing the backing and completing the finishing touches. The final clean before sealing a frame is always one of the most meticulous parts of the process, particularly with textured suedette mountboard, where every tiny speck of dust matters.

After careful inspection and refinement, both frames were complete.

Our client collected the finished pieces and was delighted with the result, looking forward to displaying these important family stories proudly in their home.

Preserving stories for future generations

This is the true beauty of bespoke framing.

Objects that might otherwise remain stored away in a box or forgotten in a drawer can become treasured displays, sparking conversations and keeping family stories alive for generations.

At Foxglove Picture Framing, we specialise in preserving the things that matter, from family heirlooms and keepsakes to artwork, textiles and memorablia.