To prepare for installation, the owls were first cleaned with a soft brush and vacuum to remove surface dust and then with a detergent and water to remove the more tenacious grime.

Pictured above is Emy Kim, fourth year conservation intern from the NYU IFA Conservation Program, rinsing the owls.

Before the owls were placed into the brickwork they were secured to a mounting board for safe transport and installation. Since the owls weigh in at 251 and 232 pounds they had to first be rigged onto their respect mounting boards. Soldered brass mounts were then created to secure the owls to the boards.

Pictured below at left are Paul Daniel, mount maker, and Jakki Godfrey, project conservator, rigging one of the owls onto a mounting board. Pictured below at right is a detail image of the mounting system.

Finally it was time to install the owls. The mounted owls were secured to a forklift and then gently lifted to their new location. Once in position the owls were secured in place to the brickwork.

Pictured above at left is Jason Grunwald, art handler, making sure the owl is safe as it is raised. Pictured above at right are Jim Hayes, senior art handler and Barbara Duke, art handler securing one of the owls in place.

One Pair of Pegasi

This summer we cleaned the Four Pairs of Pegasi located along the staircase by the staff entrance. The Pegasi were originally made for the Coney Island High Pressure Pumping Station at 2301 Neptune Avenue. The horses were brought to the Museum in March of 1981 as a result of Project S.A.V.E. of the Landmarks Preservation Commission. The horses are carved from limestone of the oolitic variety as many seashells are evident within the body of the stone.

The Pegasi were placed in their current location on concrete pedestals in 2004. Regular maintenance on the Pegasi began last summer when the conservators cleaned them to remove dirt, pollutants and biological growth. Cleaning involved gently scrubbing the horses with water and a detergent. Following cleaning, a biocide was applied to further remove the existing biological growth.

Pegasus Before Treatment (left) and After Treatment (right) in 2006

It was hoped that this biocide would serve to reduce the reoccurrence of biological growth over the next few years, and so far it seemed to have worked fairly well! When examined this summer, the Pegasi appeared to have much less biological growth present. The treatment this summer was identical to last summer - cleaning with a detergent and application of a biocide. It is hoped that the Pegasi are able to be cleaned on a fairly regular basis - about every two summers.

Maintenance 2007: (Left Image) Kate Wight, a summer intern from the Winterthur / University of Delaware Program in Art Conservation, (Right Image) Emy Kim, Brooklyn’s Third Year Intern from the NYU Program in Art Conservation and Chris Watters, a summer intern from the Buffalo Program in Art Conservation

Although it is impossible to completely halt changes to sculptures which are displayed outdoors, a regular maintenance program can help to protect the works from significant deterioration caused by atmospheric pollution. Deposits of soil and pollutants from the air support the growth of fungal cells on porous stone sculpture such as limestone. Once begun, the roots of such growth penetrate the stone causing staining and if left untreated complete destruction of the stone itself. Regular maintenance to remove these harmful materials will help to preserve the works for future generations.