Can't find a see-through frame

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Lee in Beautiful Charleston SC

Grumbler in Training
Joined
Jul 11, 2005
Posts
6
Loc
Charleston, SC
Hello all-

I'm interested in framing vintage postcards I've collected, and would like to find frames with glass fronts and backs. I was able to find one several months ago, but haven't been able to find any since, either online or in my local frame shops. Unfortunately, the selection here isn't all that great. Does anyone know an online company that sells them? Or, if anyone has a framing shop that carries them, could I purchase a few from you?


Thank you,

Lee
 
The smart-*** answer would be to suggest that you've seen them, but they were invisible.

Are these postcards collectible? Sandwiching collectibles between two pieces of glass is problematical and real solutions tend to be custom-made, not pre-fab.
 
I wouldn't necessarily call these postcards collectible. They were mostly purchased at antique stores for a quarter a piece, and are more funky/strange than valuable. The reason I'm looking for glass front/back frames is because some of the cards have interesting inscriptions on the back.


By the way, just out of curiosity, how is sandwiching a collectible between two pieces of glass problematic? Is it mostly a matter of exposure to light?

Lee
 
That's a part of it. Most of the pre-made frames you'll find are made with regular glass. Most of the time in custom framing we use glass that blocks about 97% of the UV light. This provides a good deal of protection and greatly slows down fading. It's like sunscreen for your art.

The main reason is that we don't want the art to touch the glass. Moisture in the air, especially a humid place like Charles ton, will condense on the glass, leading to the growth of mold and mildew. It will also "glue" a photograph to the glass. Take a look around here and you'll see posts from framers trying to get photos unstuck from glass.

So even though these postcards may not have a lot of monetary value, you obviously like them enough to frame them, so you may as well keep them looking good for as long as possible.
 
Originally posted by Lee in Beautiful Charleston, SC:
Unfortunately, the selection here isn't all that great.
Click to expand...
There is more frame shops and art galleries per square mile in Charleston SC than anywhere else in the world. Somebody there can help you.

Welcome to the Grumble Lee!
 
Originally posted by Jerry Ervin:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by Lee in Beautiful Charleston, SC:
Unfortunately, the selection here isn't all that great.
Click to expand...
There is more frame shops and art galleries per square mile in Charleston SC than anywhere else in the world. Somebody there can help you.

Welcome to the Grumble Lee! </font>[/QUOTE]Hmmm, I think that honor belongs to Naples Florida, where they have over 110 in a less than a 2 mile area!
 
That's the most amazing example of nested quotes I've ever seen on The Grumble.

Regardless of how many custom framers are in Charleston, or in Naples, I think the problem is that Lee is looking for something ready-made.

Any competent framer could construct something fabulous with back-to-back multi-window mats and maybe UV acrylic to keep the weight down and diminish the chance of cataclysmic breakage.
 
I'll swap you some advise for some she crab soup from 82 Queen !!!! My sister ,Lisa, lives in Charleston and I love your city. Anyway, back to your question... before we rethink this situation too much, are we talking about a decorator piece or something in need of conservation framing. My advise is to sandwich glass, mat, artwork, mat, glass in your frame and finish off the back with a strip of suede mat to hide the raw frame back, enough to cover your framer points and anything else you need to hide. You can also fit this package into a stained glass frame which is finished frame all the way around.
Good luck,
Lori
 
A good solution would be to color photocopy (or scan and print) the backs of the ones you like, and include that in the frame, so you can see both sides from the front. You would have to get a two opening mat custom cut for that, but could still fit it in a ready made frame.

Otherwise, try comicbook and collectible card stores for acrylic sleeves.
 
**Lee, this is the great advice Tony gave me recently. If you aren't making your own frames, perhaps you can find a matching pair thick enough to stand up. To see his photos, search this thread. Good luck. David.**

MGF Master Grumbler
Member # 3342

posted May 31, 2005 09:56 PM
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OK here goes:
This piece is about 10 years old, so some details about construction may be fuzzy.
The 2 frames are cut exactly the same size. Then the 2 inside "mount mats" are cut. The artwork is attached (use the best applicable method - I think we used corners on this) and the mats attached to each other. Didn't know about encapsulation back then - we'd mount it that way if we were to re-do this. It's a postcard so it's pretty thick stock and there's no need for the extra support.

The frame is "filled" so the mount mat is flush to the back of frame 1. This creates the floated look of the mat. Frame 2 is filled the same way, and the 2 frames joined together.
You could nail, glue, or silicone (!) them together. Rare earth magnets also work great, with the advantage of being able to take the piece apart without destroying it. The joined frames in this case are thick enough to stand on the table without easel or stand, but you can easily cut a third frame to act as a stand.

Side1:

Side2:

Hope that helps....

Tony

--------------------
Kassandra Ulchar, CPF
Tony Ulchar (the hired hand)

Check us out at applewoodgalleryNC.com

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Posts: 570 | From: North Carolina - Picture Framing Capitol of the World | Registered: Jun 2003 | IP: Logged
 
Originally posted by Lee in Beautiful Charleston, SC:
....There may be a heavy duty crafts project for me in the future! I'm new to framing. In fact, I had to figure out how to use brads not too long ago, but I'm always up for a challenge...
Click to expand...
Lee,

I would guess that for responses to be of value, perhaps you should identify yourself? All I know at this point is that you are "new to framing" and that your name is Lee.

Are you a home based framer, store-front framer, a consumer just trying to do some framing for yourself?

I would recommend, that before you reply, that you fill in your profile more completely. It would be useful and considerate as this is a professional forum.
thumbsup.gif


Regards,

John
 
Wow, I was in frameshop shock the first time I walked through New Orleans. I thought they had to be the king. Looks like I gotta visit Charleston and Naples.
 
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