Nor’East Frameworks was opened in October of 1995. Owner CF “Chuck” Haybeck offers ready made photo frames as well as custom made frames in all sizes and various shapes. He uses a variety of woods including such things as recycled wood from fishing boats in Thailand.

Of the unusual things he has framed there was a shadow box frame he made to contain the x-ray of a broken bone along with a custom bent titanium rod that was used to set the injury.

There are all sorts of stories with every custom frame. A man and his wife to be were in Italy where he proposed and they celebrated (she accepted…) the moment with a bottle of wine. The gentleman was able to buy another bottle and have it shipped home where he held it for their tenth anniversary. Chuck was asked to build a shadow box to hold the empty bottle. I think Chuck could write a book of such stories.

On the fine art side Chuck has framed a 1914 John Singer Sargent painting. In this category Chuck provides restoration or replacement of museum quality frames.

An artist as well, Chuck has a BA in Fine Arts from Boston University. As a result he looks at all projects with the eye of an artist, not just a framer.  He says that a new or increasing problem for preserving artwork for the long term is protection from ultra violet rays from the sun. Special glass is needed to provide such protection, but Chuck now recommends UV protecting glass in more situations as a result of the increased use in homes of compact fluorescent lights. An unintended consequence of going green.

Chuck displays artistic items that are for sale like 3-4 color silk screens on paper with images from around Cape Ann, suitable for framing! Artists often display their work for sale on the walls of Nor’East Frameworks so its worth checking out Nor’East Frameworks if you need a frame, or not. Nor’East Frameworks is located across from the train station in Manchester at 40E Beach Street.