Community: bloggers@brooklynmuseum

Lisa is on vacation this week, so I’ll be updating the blog in her absence. We apologize to everyone who came out to see our talk on Saturday. Due to the rain showers, we had to cancel, but we hope to reschedule soon. On Sunday and Monday, the UPH Projects team applied the final green acrylic paint layers, and Lady Liberty looks fantastic! As Lisa mentioned in an earlier blog, the color was chosen based on the color of Lady Liberty on Bedloe’s Island. Some of you may wonder why she looks different from her big sister. The Bedloe’s Island Liberty is made from copper alloy sheeting, which has developed the green patina over time through a chemical reaction of the metal with the atmosphere. It is actually a stable green colored corrosion layer that has formed on her surface, and there is some natural mottling in color. The Brooklyn Museum Liberty is made from zinc and galvanized steel sheeting that was then painted to achieve the desired color imitating the lady in the harbor. As the paint surface weathers, it will also become more mottled. We’ll be putting the finished touches on during the next few days so check back soon for some final pictures.

The primer is complete. See the video!

It is too humid today to apply the topcoat, and thundershowers are expected later this evening.

Tomorrow is First Saturday at the Brooklyn Museum. My colleague, objects conservator Tina March and I will be giving a talk at 5:15 in front of the Statue of Liberty, discussing the conservation treatment. There is a very good chance that the painting will still be in progress. If you are able, please stop by.

The painting continues. The sculpture has approximately 250 square feet of surface to paint. The progress is good. The winds are less strong today and the team from UHP Projects, Inc is able to apply the primer with a spray gun. The spay gun should help them achieve a smooth and even base layer for the final paint color.

Painting is also continuing on the interior. Because metal absorbs heat from the sun, the temperature on the outside surface of the metal skin is hot, whereas the temperature on the inside, although hot, is less than the outside surface. This contributes to condensation of water vapor on the inside, making the application of a paint layer on the inside a very difficult and slow process.

This is a photograph showing the cross sections of the original paint layers, before removal with the water blasting. As can be seen in the lower paint layers, the statue was various shades of brown for many years. For a few years, the statue was metallic silver (layers 13 and 15). However, in the most recent years (layers 16 and 17), the statue was green.

The images below are from the National Park Service website, showing the actual Statue of Liberty made by Bartholdi. Brooklyn Museum Designer, Lance Singletary and I made a visit to Liberty Island to closely look at the surface of the torch to choose a closely matching paint color. With the help of the Rangers and specifically George Tselos and Diana Pardue for arranging the visit, we were able to find a paint color that closely matches the existing corrosion on the original Statue of Liberty. Please stop by as the painting progresses.

Now that the repairs to the metal skin are complete, the team from UHP Projects. Inc. (Ultra High Pressure Projects) is back and have started to paint the statue. Discussions between the team at UHP Projects, Inc. and the conservator Mark Rabinowitz at Conservation Solutions, Inc. plan out the methods to be used in re-painting the sculpture. To prolong the life of this paint system, the surface of the metal needs to prepared to achieve a good, and strong bond with the paint. A very clean metal surface is needed, and to achieve this both the interior and the exterior were rinsed with a dilute phosphoric acid solution. Painting will be done both inside and outside, and consist of a white acrylic based primer, followed by a green acrylic enamel topcoat. The paint is manufactured to be used in outdoor applications. Normal household paint rollers are initially being used to apply the primer because the wind is fairly strong today in Brooklyn and it may be difficult to control a spray application of paint. These are just some of the conditions that conservators need to cope with in an outdoor environment. The painting should continue for the next few days, please stop by the museum and have a first hand look if you are able.

Many of the multiple layers of failing paint found on the statue contained heavy metals, such as lead, which was a common ingredient in paint products in the United States up until 1978. Due to the hazards of lead associated with public health, the paint on this statue needed to be removed and disposed of in a manner that was safe and in full accordance with existing laws and regulations, dealing with hazardous waste disposal. The large blue tank along side the statue was used to catch and contain the paint during removal. This inevitable necessity has added costs to the conservation project.

The installation of the Museum’s Statue of Liberty replica and the associated conservation project were made possible by the generosity of The Joseph S. and Diane H. Steinberg Charitable Trust. Additional support was given by the New York State Assembly and its Brooklyn Delegation, and John and Diana Herzog.

Public support through both governmental agencies and individual donations is vital to support the collections in the Brooklyn Museum. Conservation projects such as this one will guarantee that the Museum remains a vibrant institution, serving its public’s needs. If you would like to lend your support to these collections, one way is to become a member of the Museum.