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Swiss Attic Fanciers receive repair grant
swiss attic fanciers grant
Swiss Attic Fanciers was awarded a grant from Questers International for the repair of portraits of Carl Marty and his wife, Verena. From left, SAF vice president Sue Becker, master conservator Len Lassandro and SAF president Anita Duray hold the portraits that took several months to complete.

MONROE — Questers International has awarded the Swiss Attic Fanciers a Preservation and Restoration Grant for the repair of portraits of Carl Marty (1873-1960) and his wife Verena (1861-1965). 

The portraits have been in the care of the Green County Historical Museum. 

Members from both the GCHM and SAF were concerned about the condition of the portraits especially Mr. Marty’s as his had extensive crackling. The SAF contracted Len Lassandro, a master conservator from Conserve Lab in Madison, to repair the portraits. Lassandro explained he conserves oil paintings by “inpainting” or filling in the missing parts. In contrast, restoration involves removing the old and replacing with new material. The conservative process was long and tedious, taking several months to complete before the portraits were returned to their home at GCHM this fall. Lassandro said the portraits will last decades. 

swiss attic fanciers grant 2
Carl Marty and his wife, Verena, have had their portraits restored thanks to a grant from Questers International. Granddaughters pictured from left, Jane McKenna of Redding, California; Carol Showalter of Wisconsin Dells and Susan Winton of Elmhurst, Illinois.

Carl Marty was one of the native Swiss who pioneered in this area’s cheese industry. His life had many facets and his history has become legend. His career entertained a variety of occupations from a cheese operator to newspaper editor to becoming a leader in the emerging cheese industry. He was a member of the Wisconsin Board of Agriculture and an honorary life member of the National Cheese Institute. As one of the founders of the Green County Historical Society he served as president more than once. He constructed and owned a lavish resort in northern Wisconsin. 

Carl was an accomplished artist of over 600 oil paintings and penned many poems. He enjoyed his collections of art and historical objects of Swiss origin. 

In 1897, Carl married the former Verena Isley Jones, widow of Charles B. Jones, a widower with three children. Carl and Verena had three sons, Carl O., Walter and Robert. Carl and Verena were a prominent couple in the Green County area. The portraits will be available for the public to view next spring when the GCHM opens for the season.

The purpose of the Quester’s International Grants Program is to encourage preservation and restoration of historic buildings, museums or landmarks and appropriate antique objects or artifacts for those structures at a local level by chapters. Swiss Attic Fanciers is one of eleven Wisconsin state chapters. A few notable projects SAF has contributed to are the restoration of the Green County Courthouse Clock Tower, the stained-glass windows at the GCHM and restoration of a depot bench at the National Historic Cheesemaking Center. The chapter welcomes new members. For those interested in becoming a member, contact President Anita Duray at 608-426-6223.