INTERIOR CONDITION ASSESSMENT, FINISH COLOR INVESTIGATION and PROBE REPORT

Tiffany Reading Room Irvington Town Hall Irvington,

Prepared for: Stephen Tilly Architect 22 Elm Street Dobbs Ferry, NY 10522

Prepared by: Jablonski Berkowitz Conservation, Inc. 40 West 27th Street, Suite 1201 New York, NY 10001

November 6, 2006 Tiffany Reading Room, Irvington Town Hall, Irvington, NY Interior Condition Assessment Report

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Section Page

Executive Summary 1

Description 1

Methodology 2

Description of Materials and Probe Results 2 Wood 2 Plaster 3 Glass Mosaics 4

Condition Summary 5

Recommendations 6

Condition Drawings 8

Appendix A: Selective Interior Finish Color Investigation A-1

Jablonski Berkowitz Conservation, Inc. November 6, 2006 Architectural Conservators A-i

Tiffany Reading Room, Irvington Town Hall, Irvington, NY Interior Condition Assessment Report

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

At the request of Stephen Tilly Architect, Jablonski Berkowitz Conservation, Inc. conducted a condition assessment of the interior of the Tiffany Reading Room, located in the Irvington Town Hall, Irvington, NY. This condition assessment report was prepared to identify, document and recommend required repairs to the interior of the room. This report also includes a finish color investigation, plaster and mosaic probe report, and the results of several exposure windows performed in the room.

The Tiffany Reading Room was finished in 1902, and was located in the southwest corner of the Irvington Town Hall. The interior of the reading room was designed by Tiffany Studios, a company founded by glass artist and interior decorator . The funds for decorating the room were donated by Helen Gould, who lived in nearby Mansion. The doorways leading to the reading room were surrounded by oversized, varnished wood frames into which literary quotes were carved. Six ceiling beams were also finished in a similar manner. Blue glass mosaics were laid into the walls on the south and west walls surrounding the windows, and on the north and east walls surrounding the doors. The walls were covered with pale yellow paint over which a decorative, textured glaze was applied.

Water damage is prevalent on the plaster walls and woodwork in the reading room. The southwest corner and the wood wainscot below the windows are particularly deteriorated due to water infiltration. The ceiling beam at the southwest corner is displaced. This should be examined by a structural engineer to determine the structural integrity of the beam connection in the wall. Other than the water damage in the southwest corner and on the south wall above the windows, the plaster appears to be in good condition. There is some bulging of the plaster below the ceiling beams on the north and south walls, and minor cracking along the walls and ceiling. The mosaics are fragile works of art and fortunately only a few tesserae have been lost, primarily near the window sills. The wood door frames and doors are in excellent condition.

DESCRIPTION

The Tiffany Reading Room consists of four windows: two each on the south and west walls. The windows are wood varnished a rich brown color, which complements the varnished wood wainscoting. The windows are surrounded by glass mosaics that have curved window returns. A glass mosaic clock face is also located on the south wall between the windows. The hands have been removed, but the face remains intact. Most of the walls are currently covered with canvas, but they were originally decorated with a textured, glazed finish characteristic of Tiffany Studios.

Doorways are found on the north and east walls, both of which are surrounded by glass mosaics. These mosaics are in turn framed by varnished wood door surrounds. The doorway on the north elevation has been permanently sealed to separate the reading room from the

Jablonski Berkowitz Conservation, Inc. November 6, 2006 Architectural Conservators 1

Tiffany Reading Room, Irvington Town Hall, Irvington, NY Interior Condition Assessment Report

adjacent Department of Buildings. The ceiling is divided into five panels by wooden beams finished with a dark varnish. Both sides of the ceiling beams, and the top of the door frames, have been carved with literary quotes. These quotes are currently highlighted with gold paint, which was applied in 1981.

METHODOLOGY

Conservators Jennifer Cappeto and Jennifer Kearney from Jablonski Berkowitz Conservation, Inc. surveyed the room, performed plaster and mosaic probes, and opened exposure windows of the walls and ceiling finishes between October 4 and 23, 2006. A baker’s scaffold was erected in the room and was used to examine conditions and to open the exposure windows.

Assessment of the room included photodocumentation and illustrations to document as-found conditions. Sketches were made in the field to note observations, and photographs were taken to record conditions. These photographs along with illustrations noting the location of all conditions are included in the report.

DESCRIPTION OF MATERIALS AND PROBE RESULTS

Wood

Wood used in the Tiffany Reading Room appears to be quarter-sawn oak. It is both varnished and painted, though most of the wood was finished using varnish. In addition to utilitarian items such as doors and windows, the wainscot, ceiling beams, and door frames were made with ornamental woodwork. The bookcase at the southeast corner of the room is also made of wood, but this is believed to have been a later addition to the room. Based on a microscopic analysis of finishes removed from the wooden elements in the room, we believe that the bookcase was probably installed within a decade or two after the room was decorated.

The wainscot, windows, door surrounds and ceiling beams were finished with a dark varnish. Carved quotes on the door surrounds and ceiling beams are currently highlighted in gold paint. The bookcase is also finished with a dark varnish color that was applied to match the original finishes elsewhere in the room.

In general, wood deterioration is primarily caused by moisture, but additional sources of deterioration include insects, impact or mechanical damage, and vandalism. Deterioration of wood in the Tiffany Reading Room appears as stained, warped and cracked wood, as well as loss of material.

Jablonski Berkowitz Conservation, Inc. November 6, 2006 Architectural Conservators 2

Tiffany Reading Room, Irvington Town Hall, Irvington, NY Interior Condition Assessment Report

Plaster

The plaster in the reading room consists of flat plaster on the walls and ceiling. At some point in the early twentieth century, both the ceiling and walls were covered with canvas. This was most likely done to cover cracks in the plaster. The canvas was applied and painted at least once before the bookcases were installed.

A probe was made into the plaster at the southwest corner of the room to determine the condition of the plaster and wood lath. The plaster is a two-coat system consisting of a thick layer of browncoat on the wood lath, and a thin layer of white finish coat. The browncoat was made of sanded plaster and animal hair, and was 5/8- to ¾-inch thick. The finish coat consists of 1/16-inch of white, unsanded plaster to which the paint was applied. The probe showed that the browncoat has begun to disaggregate, and the plaster keys have broken from the body of the plaster. However, the lath is in excellent condition and can be reused when the wall is repaired.

Common forms of deterioration in plaster include cracking, delamination, and separation of the plaster from the lath or other support. Deterioration from water infiltration, leaky pipes or leaders can manifest itself as visible water damage and disaggregation. This is the most prevalent form of plaster deterioration in the Tiffany Reading Room.

Jablonski Berkowitz Conservation, Inc. November 6, 2006 Architectural Conservators 3

Tiffany Reading Room, Irvington Town Hall, Irvington, NY Interior Condition Assessment Report

Glass Mosaics

The mosaic surrounding the doors and windows in the Tiffany Reading Room were created by Tiffany Studios. They are made of hand-rolled glass in shades of blue and green ranging from light blue-green to dark purplish blue. The mosaics form curves at the window and door returns, which was a common characteristic of mosaic installations by Tiffany Studios. There is also a glass mosaic clock face on the south wall of the room. The clock was designed with off-white, blue and green glass tiles.

The glass tesserae were laid into a hard plaster setting bed, approximately one inch thick, which had a burlap backing. The burlap gave the plaster bed tensile strength so that the plaster did not crack during expansion and contraction. The wall behind the mosaic also consists of a browncoat and a finish coat. The burlap was sandwiched between the plaster setting bed for the mortar and the finish coat of the wall. It appears that both the finish coat and setting bed were wet when the burlap was installed. We have provided a diagram below to illustrate the mosaic installation.

Jablonski Berkowitz Conservation, Inc. November 6, 2006 Architectural Conservators 4

Tiffany Reading Room, Irvington Town Hall, Irvington, NY Interior Condition Assessment Report

CONDITION SUMMARY

Deterioration of the interior finishes of the Tiffany Reading Room range from severe to aesthetic. The heaviest deterioration is due to water infiltration, particularly on the south and west elevations. The plaster has become detached from the lath, is disaggregated, and is bulging in these locations. Slight bulges in the plaster may also be found on the north wall below the ceiling beams. The plaster is also cracked in several locations; we anticipate that extensive cracking will be visible once the canvas wall-covering is removed. Other deterioration includes wood damage from moisture infiltration, loss of glass mosaic tesserae, and blind detachment of the mosaic from its plaster substrate.

The following is a summary of the conditions found in the reading room. Appendix A contains condition drawings. A glossary of conditions is located in Appendix B and should be used to understand the described deterioration mechanisms. Appendix C consists of the Finish Color Investigation report, as well as the exposure window findings.

Summary of Deterioration

Plaster

• Bulges in the plaster may be seen on the south wall of the room above the windows. Large cracks also appear in these areas. Bulges are also found on the north wall immediately below most of the ceiling beams.

• There is extensive water damage to the plaster wall in the southwest corner of the room. The plaster is in poor condition, but the lath is stable and was dry on the day we did the probe. Water infiltration may be the result of a damaged water shedding system.

• Large cracks in the plaster are found at the corners of the room. Most of the plaster is currently covered with canvas, which when removed will reveal more cracks.

• Small holes in the plaster occur where fasteners have been removed. Most holes occur within the bottom half of the walls.

Wood

• There is extensive water damage to the wood wainscot below the windows. The wood is slightly warped and has begun to crack in these areas.

• The ceiling beam in the southwest corner of the room appears to be displaced. A wooden shim was previously installed between the beam and the west wall to fill the gap, indicating this condition has been occurring over a long period of time.

• Bookcases were previously installed on the north and west walls of the room. These bookcases were not original to the room, as they were installed after the canvas had been applied to the walls. The bookcases left soiled shadows on the wainscot and walls on the north wall. They were directly attached to the wainscot on the west wall.

Jablonski Berkowitz Conservation, Inc. November 6, 2006 Architectural Conservators 5

Tiffany Reading Room, Irvington Town Hall, Irvington, NY Interior Condition Assessment Report

• A piece of wood wainscot is missing from the west wall at the northwest corner. A thin piece of wood molding is also missing from the east side of the door frame on the north wall.

• Mechanical damage to the wood wainscot and window frames was found on the west wall. Small notches were also cut out of the window frames on the south wall; the function of these notches is unclear at this time.

• A piece of hardware is missing from the western window on the south wall.

Mosaic

• Most of the mosaic panels are in excellent condition.

• A few small areas of loss were visible around the window sills on the south and west walls.

• Salts have leached through the mosaic on the south wall below areas of plaster damage, and near the center of the west wall.

• Blind detachment was detected by lightly tapping the mosaics with fingernails. Several areas of blind detachment were found on the window surrounds, while only one small area of blind detachment was identified on the door frame of the east wall.

RECOMMENDATIONS Repair recommendations have been outlined below in order of highest priority to aesthetic concerns. Items of highest priority entail structural assessments and severe deterioration. Medium priority items are required to return the room to a unified appearance, and low priority items are generally aesthetic in nature.

Highest Priority—Structural, Water Infiltration and Hazard Items

• A structural engineer should evaluate the stability of the ceiling beam attachment at the southwest corner of the room. Depending on the findings, other beams may also require examination.

• The cause of water damage on the southwest corner of the room should be determined to prevent future deterioration of the plaster.

• Plaster in areas of displacement and severe water damage should be removed and patched. If the lath is in good condition, as was found in the probe on the southwest corner of the room, it should be reused.

• The canvas should be removed from the walls so that the condition of the plaster beneath the canvas may be assessed.

Jablonski Berkowitz Conservation, Inc. November 6, 2006 Architectural Conservators 6

Tiffany Reading Room, Irvington Town Hall, Irvington, NY Interior Condition Assessment Report

Medium Priority—Restoration Items

• Large cracks in the plaster should be raked and patched with new plaster. Small cracks can be routed and injected with grout, or may be patched with a skim coat of plaster.

• The water damaged wood should be removed from the room and allowed to thoroughly dry. The wood should be cleaned and waxed with a paste wax containing no silicone additives. Areas of loss should be filled with wood fillers pigmented to match the color of the cleaned varnish.

• Replace the piece of wainscot missing on the west wall. The replacement unit should be oak, and should match the original in size and shape. The new piece should also match the grain and finish of adjacent wainscot units.

• Restore the areas of loss on the mosaic window surrounds. Blind detachment of the mosaic may be performed by injecting grout or adhesive into the joints. Restoration should be performed by a trained conservator specializing in glass mosaic restoration.

• Clean all of the mosaic panels with a mild detergent. Cleaning should be performed by a trained conservator specializing in glass mosaic restoration.

• Fill all holes in plaster with new plaster.

• Clean the entire wood wainscot and wax with a paste wax containing no silicone additives.

• Fill all holes and gouges in wood wainscot with wood fill. Finish these areas to match the surrounding wood.

• Finish plaster walls to match original. Touch up painted lettering on woodwork, if necessary.

Low Priority—Aesthetic Items

• Replace the hardware in kind on the western window on the south wall.

• Replace the piece of thin wood molding missing from the east side of the door frame on the north wall. The replacement molding should be oak, and should match the original in size, shape and grain pattern. It should be finished to match the existing woodwork in the room.

Jablonski Berkowitz Conservation, Inc. November 6, 2006 Architectural Conservators 7

APPENDIX A

SELECTIVE INTERIOR FINISH COLOR INVESTIGATION

Tiffany Reading Room, Irvington Town Hall, Irvington, NY Interior Condition Assessment Report

FINISH COLOR INVESTIGATION METHODOLOGY

Samples measuring approximately three to six millimeters in length were removed from the identified areas using a scalpel for further examination. A minimum of three samples was taken from each element. In most cases, in situ cratering and close-up examination of the surfaces was performed to quickly determine the status (degree of surviving original paints) and complexity of the finishes before sample collection.

Upon returning to the laboratory, the samples were broken to reveal fresh cross-sections. Each sample was examined in normal reflected light, under illumination conditions that simulate daylight (fiber optic illuminator) for the purpose of color-corrected stratigraphy identification. The samples were examined microscopically during the investigation using a Nikon Stereo Zoom microscope with 10x-63x magnification.

All layers have been recorded using a descriptive color name rather than a standardized color notation system. This was done to document the seriation of the samples for comparative purposes prior to the identification of early layers using both a standardized universal color system (Munsell) and a commercial paint color (Benjamin Moore) or wood stain system (Sherwin Williams).

Each paint layer was identified as a primer, finish, or component of a complex finish system. While primers did not usually affect the color of the finish coat, they were important for the opacity and richness of the finish. Complex finishes in the Tiffany Reading Room involved a base coat and colored glaze. Base coats were important for the intended appearance of glazes. Glazes were applied as a semi-opaque layer over an opaque base coat to give the paint depth, luminosity, light reflectance and greater sheen.

The sheen of each layer was identified during microscopic analysis. The sheen match was based on a four-point scale ranging from the lowest amount of sheen (flat) to the highest surface sheen (glossy). Flat paint has no surface sheen when examined under the microscope. Semi-flat paint has some surface sheen and could be compared to modern eggshell or satin finishes. Semi-gloss paints and glazes have moderate surface sheens, while glossy paints and glazes have high sheen.

The identified coat, sheen, standardized color (Munsell) match, and commercial match for each element are included in the report. A chromochronology and photomicrograph of each sample is also included in this report.

Jablonski Berkowitz Conservation, Inc. November 6, 2006 Architectural Conservators A-1

Tiffany Reading Room, Irvington Town Hall, Irvington, NY Interior Condition Assessment Report

INTERIOR SAMPLE LOCATIONS

Tiffany Reading Room Irvington Town Hall, Irvington, New York

Sample # Description TRR-001 Plaster ceiling between beams TRR-002 Lettering on ceiling beam TRR-003 Wall above east doorway TRR-004 Wood door surround, north wall TRR-005 Wall above wainscot TRR-006 Bookcase TRR-007 Horizontal wood molding above wainscot, between window sills TRR-008 Wainscot TRR-009 Mosaic grout

Jablonski Berkowitz Conservation, Inc. November 6, 2006 Architectural Conservators A-2

Tiffany Reading Room, Irvington Town Hall, Irvington, NY Interior Condition Assessment Report

Jablonski Berkowitz Conservation, Inc. November 6, 2006 Architectural Conservators A-3

Tiffany Reading Room, Irvington Town Hall, Irvington, NY Interior Condition Assessment Report

INTERIOR DECORATION BY TIFFANY STUDIOS

The interior of the Tiffany Reading Room was decorated by the Tiffany Studios, owned by Louis Comfort Tiffany. Tiffany began his career as an oil painter in the 1860s under the tutelage of George Innes, an American landscape painter of the late nineteenth century. Tiffany made several trips to Europe and North Africa, where he found inspiration for much of his art. In 1879, Tiffany and Candace Wheeler formed an interior design and decorative arts firm known as Louis C. Tiffany and Associated Artists. The firm’s popularity rapidly grew, and by 1882 they were commissioned by President Chester Arthur to redecorate the White House. The firm eventually dissolved, and Tiffany went on to form the Tiffany Glass Company, and later, Tiffany Studios.

Tiffany is widely known for his artistic use of stained glass for lamps and windows, but at the end of the nineteenth century into the early twentieth century, his interior designs were also celebrated for his innovative use of materials. Tiffany’s decorative wall painting was done in a multi-colored, layered method similar to his technique for producing luminous glass windows and mosaics. Later known as Tiffany Blending, his painting technique involved painting the wall a light or ivory colored ground, over which a glaze was applied.1 The glaze was tinted but allowed the ground color to be seen behind the glaze to give the surface a luminous appearance. As D. Joseph DiBernardo stated in his book, Painting and Decorating, “the effect should be that of a refined, rich blend of equal tones.”2

1 D. Joseph DiBernardo, Painting and Decorating (New York: D. Van Nostrand Company, Inc., 1952): 77. James B. Sipe and Company, The Guide Book of Painting and Varnishing (New York: Save the Surface Campaign, 1929): 35. 2 DiBernardo, 77. Jablonski Berkowitz Conservation, Inc. November 6, 2006 Architectural Conservators A-4

Tiffany Reading Room, Irvington Town Hall, Irvington, NY Interior Condition Assessment Report

FINDINGS

Walls and Ceiling

The plaster walls and ceiling were originally finished using the glazing process for which Tiffany was well known. The walls were originally primed with a yellowish white colored paint (Munsell 5 Y 9/2), over which a similar colored base coat was added. The base coat was glazed with a light grayish olive colored glaze (Munsell 5 Y 5/2 to 5 Y 5/4). The glaze was semi-opaque, allowing some of the base coat color to show through. Before the glaze dried, it was stippled to create a textured appearance similar to that of rough leather. The base coat matched Benjamin Moore 184 “Ivory Lustre,” while the glaze matched Benjamin Moore 1525 “Cleveland Green.”

Base Coat Glaze Walls and Ceiling Walls and Ceiling

Benjamin Moore Benjamin Moore 184 1525 Ivory Lustre Cleveland Green

Semi-gloss sheen Semi-gloss, semi- opaque varnish

Using a Zeiss Axioskop polarized light microscope, the conservator determined that the light grayish olive glaze was made using chrome green pigment. According to Rutherford J. Gettens and George L. Stout in their book Painting Materials, chrome green is “a green pigment that is made by mixing Prussian blue and lead chromate [chrome yellow].”3 One of the component parts, chrome yellow, is known to turn brown with age.4 Therefore, it is likely that the color of the glaze was originally a more vibrant olive color.

Several exposure windows were made on the walls and ceiling to determine if there were any stencils or other types of decorative painting on the walls. These exposure windows were performed on the east wall above the door surround, the west wall between the windows, and the south wall immediately above the clock. One was also performed on the ceiling between beams toward the east wall. None of the exposure windows identified any stencils, but the texture of the original glazing was revealed. A photograph of the original finish is included on the following page.

3 Gettens, Rutherford J. and George L. Stout, Painting Materials (New York: Dover Publications, Inc., 1966): 105. 4 Gettens and Stout, 106.

Jablonski Berkowitz Conservation, Inc. November 6, 2006 Architectural Conservators A-5

Tiffany Reading Room, Irvington Town Hall, Irvington, NY Interior Condition Assessment Report

Detail of original base coat and glaze texture

Shortly after the room was completed, the walls and ceilings were covered with canvas. Exposure windows were also performed on the canvas, but revealed no decorative finishes. It is likely that the canvas had a cosmetic application and was used to cover cracking of the plaster walls. It is interesting to note that the canvas used on the walls had a heavy texture, while the canvas used on the ceiling was fine. Most of the canvas remains on the walls of the room. The first finish applied to the canvas was light olive green in color, and was probably intended to imitate the original Tiffany finish.

The next finish campaign was a grayish green colored paint. Bookcases were applied to the north, south and west walls of the room after the grayish green colored finish had been applied to the canvas. This paint can be seen on the canvas where the bookcases were removed at some point in the late twentieth century.

Jablonski Berkowitz Conservation, Inc. November 6, 2006 Architectural Conservators A-6

Tiffany Reading Room, Irvington Town Hall, Irvington, NY Interior Condition Assessment Report

Southwest corner of the Tiffany Reading Room

Original Woodwork (Door Surrounds, Ceiling Beams, Wainscot)

The woodwork that is original to the room, including the door surrounds, ceiling beams and wainscot, were originally finished using a dark reddish brown colored varnish (Munsell 2.5 YR 2/4). The varnish had a glossy sheen, was semi-opaque, and matched Sherwin Williams 3104-O “Modern Mahogany.” This varnish can still be found on the original woodwork, but has darkened and become dirty over the past century.

Varnish Door surrounds, ceiling beams, wainscot

Sherwin Williams 3104-O Modern Mahogany

Glossy sheen Semi-opaque varnish

Jablonski Berkowitz Conservation, Inc. November 6, 2006 Architectural Conservators A-7

Tiffany Reading Room, Irvington Town Hall, Irvington, NY Interior Condition Assessment Report

The thin molding strip between the window sills on the south and west walls of the room is currently painted white. A sample was removed from this element to determine whether it was original to the room, or if it was a later addition. The original finish on the molding was the same varnish found on the door surrounds, ceiling beams and wainscot, indicating it is an original element. However, it was later coated with a clear yellow varnish and has since been painted white to match the walls.

Lettering on Wood

The lettering carved into the wood ceiling beams and door surrounds was originally coated with the same dark reddish brown colored varnish found on the wood elements. The lettering was then highlighted with bronzing powder. Bronzing powder was made of a combination of metals, such as aluminum, copper and gold, to produce a golden color. It was sprinkled on a slightly sticky surface, in this case damp varnish, and was used to highlight decorative elements. The bronzing powder was not coated with a protective glaze in the Tiffany Reading Room, and was found to have darkened over time as the metals oxidized. In 1981, the lettering was highlighted again using gold paint. On March 3, 1981, painters Tom Fragiacomo and Stephen Spoerle signed their names in gold paint on the top of the eastern door surround.

Jablonski Berkowitz Conservation, Inc. November 6, 2006 Architectural Conservators A-8

Tiffany Reading Room, Irvington Town Hall, Irvington, NY Interior Condition Assessment Report

Bookcase at Southeast Corner

The bookcase at the southeast corner was not original to the room. It was originally finished using two different layers of varnish to imitate the varnished wood elsewhere in the room. The first layer of varnish was a strong yellowish brown colored varnish (Munsell 10 YR 5/8), and was followed by a moderate reddish brown colored varnish (Munsell 2.5 YR 3/4). Both of the varnish layers were glossy and semi-translucent. The first varnish matched Sherwin Williams 3123-O “Oak Mantel”, while the second varnish matched Sherwin Williams 3110-O “Classic Cherry.”

Varnish 1 Varnish 2 Bookcase Bookcase

Sherwin Williams Sherwin Williams 3123-O 3110-O Oak Mantel Classic Cherry

Glossy, semi- Glossy, semi- translucent varnish translucent varnish

Painted Joints on Mosaics

The mosaic joints were formed of plaster to which paint was originally applied. This paint layer consisted of a semi-opaque wash of dark brown pigmented paint. Pigment identification tests were performed on the paint layer to determine its composition. Using a Zeiss Axioskop polarized light microscope, the conservator determined that the paint layer was made using burnt umber pigment. Burnt umber is made by heating raw umber, an earth pigment made of iron oxide and manganese dioxide.5 According to Gettens and Stout, burnt umber readily absorbs oil, making it darken with age.6 However, burnt umber is generally a dark colored pigment. Therefore, it is likely that the color of the grout lines was always a dark brown color. This probably complemented the dark varnish on the woodwork, and would have visually unified the glass tesserae.

5 Gettens, Rutherford J. and George L. Stout, Painting Materials (New York: Dover Publications, Inc., 1966): 167. 6 Gettens and Stout, 168. Jablonski Berkowitz Conservation, Inc. November 6, 2006 Architectural Conservators A-9

Tiffany Reading Room, Irvington Town Hall, Irvington, NY Interior Condition Assessment Report

PAINT CHROMOCHRONOLOGY AND COLOR MATCH

SAMPLE NUMBER: TRR-001 LOCATION: Plaster ceiling between beams SUBSTRATE: plaster

Commercial Munsell Color Coat Sheen Characterization Match Match Used to prepare the 1. resinous (oil) primer Primer - plaster 2. yellowish white Primer Semi-gloss 3. yellowish white Base coat Semi-gloss BM 184 5 Y 9/2 5 Y 5/2 – Semi-translucent 4. light grayish olive * Glaze Semi-gloss BM 1525 5 Y 5/4 glaze; stippled 5. glue Prep - 6. canvas Repair - 7. pale grayish yellow Primer Semi-gloss Imitation of original 8. light olive green Finish Semi-gloss finish 9. grayish green Finish Semi-gloss 10. pale gray Finish Flat 11. yellowish white Finish Flat 12. white Finish Flat 13. white Finish Flat

* The light grayish olive colored glaze was made with chrome yellow pigment, as identified by polarized light microscopy.

Jablonski Berkowitz Conservation, Inc. November 6, 2006 Architectural Conservators A-10

Tiffany Reading Room, Irvington Town Hall, Irvington, NY Interior Condition Assessment Report

PAINT CHROMOCHRONOLOGY AND COLOR MATCH

SAMPLE NUMBER: TRR-002 LOCATION: Lettering on ceiling beam SUBSTRATE: wood

Commercial Munsell Color Coat Sheen Characterization Match Match 1. dark reddish brown Varnish Glossy SW 3104-O 2.5 YR 2/4 Semi-opaque Used to highlight 2. bronzing powder - - lettering 3. gold paint Finish Glossy Done in 1981

Jablonski Berkowitz Conservation, Inc. November 6, 2006 Architectural Conservators A-11 Tiffany Reading Room, Irvington Town Hall, Irvington, NY Interior Condition Assessment Report

PAINT CHROMOCHRONOLOGY AND COLOR MATCH

SAMPLE NUMBERS: TRR-003, TRR-005 LOCATIONS: Wall above east doorway Wall above wainscot SUBSTRATE: plaster

Commercial Munsell Color Coat Sheen Characterization Match Match Used to prepare the 1. resinous (oil) primer Primer - plaster 2. yellowish white Primer Semi-gloss 3. yellowish white Base coat Semi-gloss BM 184 5 Y 9/2 5 Y 5/2 – Semi-translucent 4. light grayish olive * Glaze Semi-gloss BM 1525 5 Y 5/4 glaze; stippled 5. glue Prep - 6. canvas Repair - 7. pale grayish yellow Primer Semi-gloss Imitation of original 8. light olive green Finish Semi-gloss finish 9. grayish green Finish Semi-gloss 10 light yellowish green Finish Flat 11. pale yellow Finish Flat 12. pale orange yellow Finish Flat 13. white Primer Flat 14. pale yellow Finish Flat

* The light grayish olive colored glaze was made with chrome yellow pigment, as identified by polarized light microscopy.

Jablonski Berkowitz Conservation, Inc. November 6, 2006 Architectural Conservators A-12 Tiffany Reading Room, Irvington Town Hall, Irvington, NY Interior Condition Assessment Report

PAINT CHROMOCHRONOLOGY AND COLOR MATCH

SAMPLE NUMBERS: TRR-004, TRR-007, TRR-008 LOCATIONS: Wood door surround, north wall Horizontal wood molding above wainscot, between window sills Wainscot SUBSTRATE: wood

Commercial Munsell Color Coat Sheen Characterization Match Match 1. dark reddish brown Varnish Glossy SW 3104-O 2.5 YR 2/4 Semi-opaque 2. yellow coating * Varnish Glossy Translucent 3. white ~ Finish Flat

* Yellow coating was a later attempt to “refresh” the original varnish. This was only identified on the wood molding above the wainscot (TRR-007), and on the wainscot (TRR-008). ~ The white paint was identified only on the wood molding above the wainscot (TRR-007).

Jablonski Berkowitz Conservation, Inc. November 6, 2006 Architectural Conservators A-13 Tiffany Reading Room, Irvington Town Hall, Irvington, NY Interior Condition Assessment Report

PAINT CHROMOCHRONOLOGY AND COLOR MATCH

SAMPLE NUMBER: TRR-006 LOCATION: Bookcase SUBSTRATE: wood

Commercial Munsell Color Coat Sheen Characterization Match Match 1. strong yellowish Varnish 1 Glossy SW 3123-O 10 YR 5/8 Semi-translucent brown 2. moderate reddish Varnish 2 Glossy SW 3110-O 2.5 YR 3/4 Semi-translucent brown

Note: both of these varnish coatings were applied at the same time and were an attempt to match the varnish on the original woodwork

Jablonski Berkowitz Conservation, Inc. November 6, 2006 Architectural Conservators A-14 Tiffany Reading Room, Irvington Town Hall, Irvington, NY Interior Condition Assessment Report

PAINT CHROMOCHRONOLOGY AND COLOR MATCH

SAMPLE NUMBER: TRR-009 LOCATION: Mosaic grout SUBSTRATE: plaster

Color Coat Sheen Characterization

1. dark brown Finish Semi-gloss Semi-opaque wash of burnt umber pigment in oil

Jablonski Berkowitz Conservation, Inc. November 6, 2006 Architectural Conservators A-15