About

Our conservation studio has been based in Wimbledon since the early 1960’s when Robert Shepherd and his colleague David Bull left the National Gallery, London to set up a private practice with the aim of providing museum standard conservation and restoration of easel paintings.

While David later left to work in America, Robert carried on the business, forming Shepherd Conservation and eventually handing on the responsibility to Simon Howell and Tom Caley.

  • Museum standard conservation and restoration of paintings
  • A well-established, purpose-built studio, running for over 50 years
  • The studio is based in Wimbledon, Southwest London
  • The studio is fitted with a security and fire alarm system with 24 hr monitoring. Our system has been approved by the major insurance companies
  • We are fully insured with on-site and off-site work indemnity
  • We have the facilities to work on large format paintings and are happy to undertake treatments in-situ if considered appropriate or safer for the artwork
  • We are registered with HMRC for Inward Processing Relief (IPR), allowing paintings to be imported into the EU for the purposes of restoration and conservation, without incurring Duty or VAT

To reflect the developing art market and to meet the needs of our clients, we have two specialist divisions offering conservation of Old Masters and Modern & Contemporary paintings

  • Our clients include private collectors, dealers, auction houses, commercial galleries and public institutions worldwide
  • Our staff are highly trained with many years of experience and are accredited by ICON and BAPCR
  • Discretion for our clients is of paramount importance
  • As well as providing a service for painting conservation and restoration, we offer advice on the condition of paintings, technical analysis, collection care, and conservation framing
  • We offer Collection Care, including: collection surveys, environmental monitoring, exhibition services, preventive care and courier services
  • We offer a scientific analysis service, in-house or subcontracted to specialists in the field

 

The Team

Simon Howell ACR, FBAPCR
(Managing Director)
Tom Caley ACR, FBAPCR
(Director)
Rachel Carey-Thomas ACR
(Paintings Conservator)
Nancy Wade ACR
(Paintings Conservator)
Rebecca Leathley
(Paintings Conservator)