Torcheres Return To Chateau-sur-Mer WINTER 2011 • NO. 168 A Publication of The Preservation Society of Newport County WINTER 2011 • ON. 168 page 4 The Cutting Edge 5 Conservation Easement Granted 6 Torcheres Restored 7 Highlights of the Collection 10 History Trail Completed 11 News in Brief 15 Profiles in Preservation Chateau-sur-Mer entrance hall, with 16 Newport Symposium detail of restored torchere. (See story page 6) Photo by Andrea Carneiro 17 Calendar of Events Chandelier and ceiling in the Great Hall page of The Breakers. Photo by Stephen Mattos Rich Buschgans of Lodi Welding The Preservation Society is grateful to Company removes a decorative iron element from Carol and Les Ballard for their support in the north Cliff Walk gate at The Breakers. (See story page 11) Photo by Andrea Carneiro underwriting this issue of the Newport Gazette. Winter 2011 3 Our collaboration with ALT provides a second layer of protection ensuring that one of the last Cutting remaining parks on Bellevue Avenue will never be developed, and will continue to be a passive, pastoral space Conservation as envisioned by John Rovensky when Edge he gave the Preservation Society a gift of $175,000 (equivalent to $1.3 million Easement By Trudy Coxe in today’s dollars) for the purpose of CEO and Executive Director establishing and maintaining a park Granted on at the corner of Bellevue and Wheatlands Avenues in memory of Photo by corbettphotography.net his wife, Mrs. Mae Cadwell Rovensky. When the Preservation Society’s Rovensky Park President, Katherine Warren, By Andrea Carneiro, Communications Manager One of the frustrations of being an • Our consistent and successful announced this gift at the Society’s old-time environmentalist is seeing so support for passage of several open annual meeting in 1959, she remarked The Preservation Society’s Board of Trustees has approved the clearly the connection between land space bonds, including the most that, “This is our first gift of major granting of a conservation easement on Rovensky Park to the protection and historic preservation, recent one which will save land on importance and brings to us the Aquidneck Land Trust, ensuring that the park will continue to but not always being able to translate the Providence waterfront and at infinitely satisfying thought that be maintained as a passive, pastoral park into perpetuity. that connection into action as effec- Rocky Point in Warwick, and we have thereby taken our place as The Preservation Society retains sole ownership and management tively as one would like. That’s why will restore the stone fortifications a respected and permanent of the property, which was deeded to the Society in 1959 by John E. the Board of Trustees’ recent vote to at historic Fort Adams State Park organization in our community.” Rovensky in memory of his wife, subject to the condition that it give the Aquidneck Land Trust a here in Newport; and, When we began to research the idea “be kept and maintained…as a park, and for no other purpose.” conservation easement on Rovensky • Our contribution of $20,000 to of granting a conservation easement “This action will provide an extra level of Park is so important. This single the Friends of the Norman Bird on Rovensky Park, we learned that, protection, over and above the wording of the action will protect Rovensky from Sanctuary in 2003 to help save while not an everyday occurrence here deed, legally protecting the character of development in perpetuity and honors Third Beach from development. in Rhode Island, the granting of - to the letter - the deed requirements conservation easements at historic Rovensky Park as a passive park forever,” said established when the land was given Most importantly, we want to do properties is not uncommon on the Preservation Society CEO & Executive Director to the PS in 1959. For those who whatever we can to protect the his- national level. James Madison’s Trudy Coxe. “By granting this easement we might wonder why the Preservation toric viewsheds and landscapes of Montpelier, Thomas Jefferson’s are ensuring the public will always be able Society would place an easement on Aquidneck Island. The best and only Monticello, and the Olana estate in to enjoy this beautiful property, and also this land, let me explain. way we know how to do this is in Hudson, New York, to name only a demonstrating our support for the protection partnership with local organizations – of Newport’s historic landscapes as part of The Preservation Society’s Vision few, have conservation easements. like the Aquidneck Land Trust our overall mission of historic preservation.” Statement states that we seek to (ALT) - whose mission it is to con- So, when the opportunity arose for The conservation easement will maintain the become acclaimed locally, nationally, serve land. Since its founding twenty us to provide added assurance that park as a non-commercial, passive, pastoral park, legally prohibiting and globally for our support of local years ago, ALT has worked tirelessly the important viewshed of Rovensky any subdivision, siting of recreational buildings, permanent billboards preservation efforts and for our lead- to protect more than 2,000 acres of Park, on one of America’s most or parking lots, unnecessary planting or cutting of trees and plants, ership in linking historic preservation land across Aquidneck Island - view- historic streets, would be permanently dumping and general use of motorized vehicles. and the protection of historic land- sheds that all of us cherish - and in protected, we would have been remiss scapes. Over the years that goal has recent years has launched its Newport to pass it up. We could have no The Aquidneck Land Trust was founded in 1990; its mission is been reflected in a variety of ways, Conservation Initiative focused better partner in that mission than to “save the natural character, environmental health, and economic including: specifically on conserving strategic the Aquidneck Land Trust and we value of Aquidneck Island…..by helping to protect Aquidneck • The daily care we give to our 80 parks and large landscapes/estates in hope that the Preservation Society’s Island’s water resources, local agriculture, wildlife habitats, outdoor plus acres of gardens and grounds; the City. Two parks – King and action will motivate other large recreation areas and its scenic vistas that directly contribute to the Spencer – have just been added landowners in Newport to quality of life on Aquidneck Island.” to their list. consider doing the same. 4 Newport Gazette Winter 2011 5 Chateau-sur-Mer Torcheres Highlights Returned After Restoration Collection By Charles Jeffers Moore Chief Conservator Two patinated bronze torcheres in the form of half life-size female corrosion products figures in Japanese dress, holding on the surface were 3-branch candelabra, were re-installed removed with aqueous on the central staircase at Chateau- solutions containing sur-Mer this past fall, after a three chelating agents. The year absence. The kimono-clad ladies bright areas – kimono are dissimilar, with unique costume highlights, hair, etc. – designs, accessories, and attributes – were cleaned individually one holds a flowering cherry branch with custom-made acidic and the other a fan. Made in the late cleaning gels. The gelled 19th century and original to the house, form, which would stay they are signed by the French sculp- where it was put, was tor, Emile Guillemin, and the necessary so that the foundry, F. Barbedienne. treatment could be confined strictly to the Their removal was initiated by the bright parts. During need to upgrade the electrical service cleaning, a reddish and wiring in the house, and therefore material was found in the wiring in the formerly gas-lit textured surfaces and The torcheres in the conservation shop prior to being re-installed fixtures. The bronzes themselves were out-of-the-way places. at Chateau-sur-Mer. Photo by Jeff Moore grimy where decades of touching by This material was thought Bright areas on a candelabrum visitors had left their mark, and the to be a colored wax surface treatment similar to the bright highlights on patinated surface with bright high- intended to warm the color of the the figure were analyzed using an lights was dull. Assessment of the brightwork and add definition to the X-ray fluorescence machine at surface suggested seasonal coatings sculptural surface. The subsequent Williamstown Art Conservation The 16th century chimneypiece in The Breakers library is one of the highlights of oil in the past, which resulted in applications of oil would have dis- Center. The surface in those areas By Charles J. Burns, Associate Curator for Research of the Preservation Society’s collection. Photo by Stephen Mattos buildup, embedment of dirt and dust, solved it from the surface, leaving is gold, so the figures may be fairly and caused corrosion products to it to be found by the conservator. form. A decision was made to keep said to be parcel-gilt. The process The Preservation Society is creating a catalogue featuring ‘highlights’ from its the effect of the oil (but not the corro- The removal of grime and corro- of combining on a sculpture two extensive collection of fine and decorative arts within its 10 historic houses to be This is the first in a sion) on the two dark patinas – the sion products from the unpatinated colored patinas with the addition published on its website and possibly at a later date as a book. This ongoing project series of articles that skin and clothing – but to remove it areas resulted in quite bright of gold highlights is no doubt an will explore each of these important selected objects, placing them in their historical will examine some from the bright highlights where it highlights.