Cleaning original brass fixtures

I just moved into an apartment that has all original brass door knobs and hinges. The one in the picture is one of those two-way swinging hinges and it is really beautiful and even has the 1878 patent carved into it. Unfortunately someone got some wood stain and paint on them, and I would love to clean them up. Can someone suggest how I would do this? Should I polish all the brass or leave it with the patina on it?

By boofer | 02/24/2009 2:14 PM