Sculpture & Gravestone Preservation Workshop
August 5, 2012 |
The goal of this workshop is to educate all attendees on the various aspects of sculpture, gravestone, monument, and historic masonry preservation. This workshop will be conducted at the historic Pleasant Street Cemetery in West Rutland, Vermont.
On day 2 there will be a short tour of the historic marble quarry right next to the Carving Studio. The Studio building itself was once part of the quarry operation.
The workshop will begin with a walk and talk tour, using the cemetery as an open-air museum to illustrate; basic geology, common preservation problems, previously failed repairs, and assorted other related issues. Gravestones and monuments, will then be selected to be repaired, cleaned or preserved which represent all of the most commonly encountered preservation problems, found in historic graveyards. The following list of preservation treatments will be performed during the during of the workshop, as well as other assorted procedures:
An in depth demonstration on stone cleaning will be conducted, and performed by the participants. Cleaning is not something that should be indiscriminately performed, as some stone is too weak or fragile and may be harmed; many cleaning agents and chemicals can be detrimental to historic stone. Therefore the philosophy of cleaning will be discussed, and safe cleaning techniques will be demonstrated on gravestones which will benefit from the cleaning treatments. Re-setting of a tablet-stone, which may be in a badly leaning, and or sunken condition.
The repair of a broken gravestone will be conducted, by joining together the fractured stone fragments employing stone epoxy.Pros and cons of epoxies will be discussed. The re-construction of fallen and or badly leaning multiple piece cemetery monument will be demonstrated, with a discussion on the historical use, and option to employ blind pinning. The use of historic pointing mortars and composite patching material will be overviewed and demonstrated, with an emphasis on the need for mortars which are compatible with the historic substrate they are being applied to. The process and potential need for consolidation of weak and decayed stone will be overviewed. The issues and problems associated with sealing stone will be discussed. A folder containing printed information will be provided to further educate and inform students, regarding the conservation treatments and materials employed throughout the workshop.
Questions, interaction and group discussion is encouraged. Participants are welcome to bring along photographs of historic masonry, sculptures, or gravestones which they have concerns or questions regarding.
Feel free to phone me with any specific questions.
Jon Appell, 860-558-2785
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Website:
www.carvingstudio.org/workshops/workshop-information.asp |
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Location Information |
The Carving Studio & Sculpture Center |
636 Marble Street West Rutland, VT 05777 |
Website:
www.gravestonepreservation.info |
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Contact Information |
Jonathan Appell |
Email:
historicstone@msn.com |
Phone:
860-558-2785 or (802) 438-2097 |
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