The author writes as a curator-conservator of the Tillou collection of American Folk art. He discusses museum conservation and offers objects for research in materials and methods and historical scholarship. Samples of lead white and toned grounds were deposited in the Pigment Reference Library at the Mellon Institute of Science, Pittsburgh. Modern materials described include tempered masonite panels, synthetic adhesives, retouch vehicles, and varnishes. Stability and absence of distortion of original surfaces are stressed. The contribution of Dr. Robert Feller since 1950 is acknowledged. -- AATA