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Home , Alexander Bullock, Anson Burlingame, Artemas Ward, Benjamin Butler, Caleb Strong, Christopher Gore

~~ (1J:.omm.onftt~a1t1t .of ~lH~a.cIt1t~~tt~ Art Commission State House Room..w-:?~ , MA 02133 tel. (617) 727-2607, ext. 517 fax (617) 727-5400

Peter L Walsh Chairman

Bonita A. Flood - Arlene E. Friedberg ANNUAL REPORT OF THE ART COMMISSION Paula M. Kozol YEAR ENDING JUNE 30, 1998 Katherine B. Winter

The members ofthe Massachusetts Art Commission respectfully submit the Annual Report for the year ending June 30, 1998. The Commission is charged under General Laws chapter 6, sections 19 and 20 with the "care and custody of the State House art collection" and thus serves as the appointed curator of the Commonwealth's 200 year­ old collection of paintings, sculptures, wall murals and artifacts.

The Commission continues to conduct its programs of conservation and preservation of the art collection under an annual appropriation, which it receives through the Bureau of State Office Buildings. The Commission members thank Superintendent Dennis R. Smith, and his staff for their assistance throughout the year

CONSERVATION

During FY'98 the Art Commission continued its program of conservation and preser­ vation of the State House Art Collection with the following projects.

Maintenance of exterior monuments

Following initial conservation treatment in 1986-1987, the Art Commission has con­ tracted with professional conservators to conduct routine inspection and maintenance of the bronze statues and plaques installed on the State House grounds. Since 1991 these monuments have been on an 18-month maintenance cycle where they are inspected for damage to their protective acrylic coating, washed, and re-coated with an additional barrier of paste wax. A bid was issued summer 1997; conservators from Daedalus, Inc., Cambridge, conducted annual maintenance of seven full size statues and eight plaques, in October 1997. Conservators reported all bronzes to be in good-to-excellent condition.

Frequent inspection, touch-ups in the acrylic coating, and renewal of the sacrificial topcoat of wax is crucial to preventing the on-set of the corrosion process that originally disfigured the bronzes. The John F. Kennedy statue, installed in 1990, has never required extensive treatment, and remains in nearly original condition due to frequent MR maintenance of its surface. This is also true for the Liberty Elm and Kennedy Statue 702M3 Donor plaques, which we hope to ~?~nr e in lth~I fAgjp 1 sta~es fOI;-:fll!lny years. ,... M4 1 v La LI U c.d) U ~ >I - .' _., -' .. 1998 c . 2 State House , s on Annual Report of the Massachusetts Art Commission FY'98 Page 2

Painting Conservation

A bid was issued in summer 1997 for the conservation treatment of eight paintings from the State House Art Collection, seven of which are installed in the Senate Reception Room, and were included with the kind permission of the Senate President. Contracts were awarded to Carmichael Art Conservation, Bedford, and Gianfranco Pocobene, Malden, for off-site treatment of these paintings, and surface cleaning and repair of their frames. Paintings were reinstalled in their original locations by the end of December.

We are pleased to report another generous donation by Robert B. Severy, Weymouth, toward the painting conservation program. Mr. Severy, a frequent contributor to the Art Commission's programs, sponsored the treatment of the portraits of David Cobb and from the Senate Reception Room in honor of Arlene E. Friedberg, Chairman of the Art Commission 1982-1996, and John G. B. , from the Grand Army ofthe Republic Memorial Room, in honor of Steven W. Hill, curator of the State House flag collection 1988-1995. His gift this year of $2,720 brings his overall contribution toward the painting conservation program to nearly $13,000. On behalf of the Commonwealth the Art Commission is most appreciative ofMr. Severy's continued generosity and support.

House Chamber restorations

The Art Commission assisted the Speaker's Office with several aspects of the restoration of the House Chamber during winter '97-98, including the de-installation, cleaning and conservation treatment of the "historic" Codfish. The Art Collections Manager worked closely with conservators from the Society for the Preservation of New Antiquities (Waltham) in determining the course of the first professional conservation treatment the cod has received in modem times. Cleaning, infilling and inpainting, as well as major repair to one of the fins, was required by the cod before it was reinstalled prior the start of the new legislative session.

In consultation with the Speaker's Office, the conservation of the Albert Herter murals in the Chamber, originally planned to be included in the '97-'98 restoration, was not undertaken as there was insufficient time to allow all procedures to be implemented properly. For the safety ofthe murals permission was granted by the Speaker to postpone treatment until the fall '98 recess. Arrangements have now been made for this work to begin in September. Annual Report of the Massachusetts Art Commission FY'98 Page 3

Pastel conservation

The T. K. McClintock Ltd. conservation studio, Somerville, treated two small but important pastel portraits of General Sir (American, mid-19th century) and Denys DeBerdt (English, c. 1770).

Due to the fragile nature of these works on paper, the pastels have been off-display for several years. In addition to tears, accumulated build-up of dust, grime and some mold, they were improperly framed for continuous display under any conditions. The portraits were unframed, cleaned and repaired by conservators with expertise in the treatment of pastels, re-matted and backed using archival materials, and, in the case of the Gage portrait, reframed with ultra-violet light filtering glass to permit exhibition in Doric Hall. Their period 18th and 19th century fram,es had suffered over the years from abrasion and loss of carved and cast gilt ornamentation. The frames and mats were repaired and re­ gilded as necessary under sub-contract to Susan Jackson, Harvard.

Muskets from the Battle of Lexington, Senate Chamber

The Art Commission has been monitoring the condition ofthe two 18th century muskets from the Battle of Lexington, on display in the Senate Chamber, for several years, and has expressed concern over the deteriorating condition of these firearms. With permission from the Senate President we contracted with Daniel Cullity, East Sandwich, an antique firearms conservation specialist, to undertake the treatment of these historic artifacts. With an eye toward arresting active corrosion, particularly of the iron components, and re-jeuvenating the dry wooden stocks, Mr. Cullity, dissembled the muskets, cleaned and oiled all metal parts, waxed the stocks, and reassembled and reinstalled the artifacts in the Senate Chamber with new hardware,

Sixth Regiment Memorial mural - water damage

Water leaks in the roof and faulty drainpipes caused water damage over the winter to the left panel of the Sixth Regiment Memorial mural on the third floor. Because the murals had been recently cleaned and re-varnished, the panel received only surface disfiguration from plaster drips. The source of the leaks was located and successfully repaired by the Superintendent's office, allowing the Art Commission to address the mural. Gianfranco Pocobene, Malden, who originally treated the murals in 1992, cleaned the accretions and reformed the varnish layer on the mural. The narrow strip to the left ofthe vent box is not original to the mural, and permission was given to the Superintendent's office to repair and repaint the plaster in this area, Annual Report of the Massachusetts Art Commission FY'98 Page 4

OTHER PROGRAMS

Acquisitions and Loans

The Art Commission is pleased to catalogue one new acquisition into the Art Collection: the Bulfinch Bi-Centennial plaque was unveiled in Doric Hall on January 11 in commemoration of the 200th anniversary of the opening of the Bulfinch State House in 1998. The Art Commission also approved of the brief removal of the 1898 Charles Bulfinch plaque to Skylight Studios in Woburn where the top and bottom cornices were reproduced for inclusion on the Bi-Centennial plaque, fabrication of which was completed in June. This object was catalogued as 1998.1.

The Art Commission continues to advise on several committees developing memorials for the collection, notably the Women's Leadership Memorial of which both the Art Collections Manager and one member of the Commission serve on the Steering Committee. The Commission secured necessary engineering and other space use reports to be included in the artist's specifications packet, and has been working closely with the Massachusetts Foundation for the Humanities, sponsoring organization, in developing bid specifications and the artist's contract.

Due to steady inquiry into placing objects in the State House Art Collection, the members of the Art Commission re-addressed their Art Acquisition Guidelines, last revised in 1992, for possible updating and clarification of the processes by which an object is properly accessioned into the collection. The board approved these revised guidelines, as well as a new executive summary, in December 1997.

The Commission also assisted in securing loans of works of art. The Commission acknowledges the courtesy of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, and this year of The Bostonian Society in loaning art objects to the State House.

Public Information

The Art Commission office continues to serve as a resource for information and images of objects in the art and artifact collections. Its research files, and photo archives, in particular, are continuously tapped for information and images for scholarly pUblications on art and history, school texts, exhibitions, documentaries, as well as personal research. In lieu of a user fee, the Commission request courtesy copies of all publications which feature images from the art and artifact collections, and our growing library attests to the variety of ways in which the collection has served historical and scholarly interests. In addition, the Art Commission addresses requests for information and images from the state's historic battle flag collection for educational and scholarly use. Annual Report of the Massachusetts Art Commission FY'98 PageS

The location of the Commission's office in the Grand Army of the Republic Memorial Room allows this space to remain open on a limited basis to visitors interested in Massachusetts' Shrine to its Civil War Veterans, as well as to researchers interested in its library of Grand Army history and post records.

ART COMMISSION BOARD

There were no changes in the membership ofthe Art Commission. Susan Greendyke Lachevre continues to serve as Art Collections Manager, having concluded her fourteenth annual contract.

The members of the Art Commission join me in thanking the administration and the legislature for their continued support of our programs to care for these historic collections.

Respectfully submitted,

Peter L. Walsh Chairman SUMMARY OF

CONSERVATION PROJECTS BY FISCAL YEAR

FY 1985

SURVEYS Photographic documentation Painting survey Sculpture survey Mural survey Historical survey

FY 1986

STATUES (funded by the Bulfinch Restoration Foundation)

FY 1987

EXTERIOR STATUES

EXTERIOR STATUE MAINTENANCE Daniel Webster Horace Mann

MURALS Memorial Hall murals: The Pilgrims on the Battle at Concord Bridge John Eliot Preaching to the Indians Return of the Colors

FLAG STORAGE PROJECT FY 1988

APPRAISAL Paintings, sculptures, frames

PAINTINGS FRAMES William Burnet Thomas Hutchinson William Shirley Artemas Ward Francis Bernard Emory Washburn Thomas Hutchinson Richard Coote John Leverett Charles Sumner Leverett Salton stall

SCULPTURE

BUSTS George Boutwell Marquis de Lafayette Charles Sumner George Washington Samuel McCall Gardner Tufts Samuel F. Smith William Russell Henry Cabot Lodge, Sr. Frederic Greenhalge

INTERIOR STATUES John Andrew William Bartlett Army Nurses Memorial Roger Wolcott

INTERIOR PLAQUES Nelson Miles

EXTERIOR SCULPTURE MAINTENANCE Daniel Webster Horace Mann FY 1989

SCULPTURE Winged Victory George Washington

PAINTINGS FRAMES John Davis John Davis Jonathan Belcher Benjamim Butler Spencer Phips William Eustis Samuel Shute Eben Draper Eben Draper Frederic Cook William Washburn George Robinson Anson Burlingame William Douglas William Douglas George Robinson

MURALS Decoration of the Color of the 104th Infantry

EXTERIOR STATUE MAINTENANCE Fall, 1988: Spring 1989: Henry Cabot Lodge Henry Cabot Lodge Anne Hutchinson Anne Hutchinson Mary Dyer Mary Dyer Joseph Hooker Joseph Hooker Daniel Webster Horace Mann

FY 1990

SCULPTURE Beacon Hill Monument - eagle (Funded by the Division of Capital Planning and Operations)

FY 1991 Art Commission funding expropriated - no conservation conducted.

I I I I I I I FY 1992

PAINTINGS FRAMES Samuel Adams Oliver Ames Winthrop Crane John Q. Brackett Joseph Ely Joseph Ely Edward Everett Levi Lincoln, Jr. James Bowdoin Oliver Ames John Q. Brackett John Clifford William Dummer John Brooks Levi Lincoln John Clifford

(Edmund Andros, Joseph Dudley, Winthrop Crane - frame treatment included in painting conservation.)

SCULPTURE

BUSTS Henry Cabot Lodge Jr.

PLAQUES Curtis Guild Norman Prince John A. Logan : WWI Medal of Honor: I Hancock House marker Winthrop/ Arbella Grand Army of the Republic Charles Duryea Beacon Hill Monument English High School

EXTERIOR STATUE MAINTENANCE Henry Cabot Lodge Anne Hutchinson Mary Dyer John F. Kennedy Horace Mann Daniel Webster Joseph Hooker

FY 1993

PAINTINGS Charles Hurley James Sullivan George Boutwell Nathaniel Banks John Andrew * George Briggs * Conservation funded by Robert Bayard Severy, Weymouth, Mass, John Andrew Henry Gardner FRAMES James Sullivan Nathaniel Banks George Boutwell Simon Bradstreet John Hancock George Briggs Caleb Strong Christopher Gore (Elbridge Gerry, Charles Hurley - frame included with Marcus Morton painting conservation)

MURALS Veterans of the Sixth Regiment Memorial: 4 panels

DECORATIVE ARTS Gasolier, Governor's Office

FY 1994

PAINTINGS John D. Long Alexander Rice John Wheelwright Henry Childs Henry Vane ** * * Abraham Lincoln * * Edward Winslow * Josiah Winslow *

* Conservation funded by Robert Bayard Severy, Weymouth, Mass. ** Conservation funded in part by Robert B Severy, Weymouth, Mass.

FRAMES Alexander Bullock John Endecott Abraham Lincoln John D. Long Alexander Rice Edward Winslow Josiah Winslow Henry Childs John Wheelwright John Winthrop (Richard Bellingham and Henry Vane -- frame treatment included with painting conservation)

MURALS -- surface cleaning only Nurses Hall murals: 's Ride James Oris John Hancock medallion Samuel Adams medallion EXTERIOR SCULPTURE MAINTENANCE Henry Cabot Lodge Anne Hutchinson Mary Dyer John F. Kennedy Horace Mann Daniel Webster Joseph Hooker John F. Kennedy

INSTALLA TION Plexi-glass glazing of ten portraits

FY 1995

SCULPTURE

PLAQUES: Charles Bulfinch State House Preservation Abraham Lincoln/Gettysburg John Hancock George L. Steams Thomas O. Selfridge John A. Winslow Thomas G. Stevenson Henry B. Endicott Jeremiah O'Brien Chaplains Memorial Medal of Honor: WWIIlKorea Pierre Jay State House Wings James J. Storrow

STATUE MAINTENANCE

INTERIOR STATUES EXTERIOR STATUES George Washington Mary Dyer John A. Andrew Joseph Hooker William Bartlett Daniel Webster Army Nurses Memorial Horace Mann Roger Wolcott John F. Kennedy Anne Hutchinson Henry Cabot Lodge

INSTALLATION Plexi-glass glazing of nine portraits FY'96

PAINTINGS Frederic Greenhalge Curtis Guild, Jr. Jacob Kuhn Thomas Talbot William Stoughton Artemas Ward Josiah Benton * Charles Carleton * Caleb Tillinghast *

* Conservation funded by Robert Bayard Severy, Weymouth, Mass.

FRAMES Josiah Benton Frederic Greenhalge Jacob Kuhn William Stoughton Caleb Tillinghast William Claflin Charles Coffin Curtis Guild, Jr. Thomas Pownall Thomas Talbot

SCULPTURE Joseph Hooker statue base - preliminary investigative work, cleaning

EXTERIOR SCULPTURE MAINTENANCE

STATUES PLAQUES Henry Cabot Lodge Liberty Elm Tree Anne Hutchinson Anne Hutchinson John F. Kennedy Kennedy Statue Donors Horace Mann John Winthrop on the Arbella Daniel Webster Grand Army of the Republic Joseph Hooker Beacon Hill Monument Mary Dyer English High School Hancock House

MURALS - Consultation Nurses Hall: Robert Reid murals - examination and consultation,

FY'97

SCULPTURE Joseph Hooker statue pedestal: dismantling, excavation and reconstruction of core, reconstruction of pedestal, re-installation of bronze statue. Conservation partially funded by the Bureau of State Office Buildings. FY'98

PAINTINGS FRAMES John G. B. Adams * Benjamin Pickman Gaspar Bacon David Cobb * Myron Lawrence * Banjamin Pickman Nathaniel Silsbee Henry Wilson

*Conservation funded by Robert Bayard Severy, Weymouth, Mass.

PASTELS FRAMES General Sir Thomas Gage General Sir Thomas Gage Denys DeBerdt Denys DeBerdt

ARTIFACTS Captain John Parker musket - 18th century American fowling piece British "Brown Bess" - long-land musket of soldier of 43 rd Regiment of Foot

SCULPTURE "Historic" Cod * John J. Deedy plaque *

* Conservation funded through House Chamber restorations

EXTERIOR SCULPTURE MAINTENANCE

STATUES PLAQUES Henry Cabot Lodge Liberty Elm Tree Anne Hutchinson Anne Hutchinson John F. Kennedy Kennedy Statue Donors Horace Mann John Winthrop on the Arbella Daniel Webster Grand Army of the Republic Joseph Hooker Beacon Hill Monument Mary Dyer English High School Hancock House