'([ir.e ([[ommtTnfu.eaJtir tTf JllLtssacirus.tits Massachusetts Art Commission State House Room 10 Boston, MA 02133 tel. (617) 727-2607, ext. 517 fax (617) 727-5400 Peter L Walsh Chairman ANNUAL REPORT Bonita A. Flood Arlene E. Friedberg YEAR ENDING JUNE 30, 1997 Paula M. Korol Katherine B. Winter The Massachusetts Art Commission respectfully submits the Annual Report for the year ending June 30, 1997. The Art Commission is charged under General Laws chapter 6, sections 19 and 20 with "the care and custody of all historical relics in the State House, and of all works of art." As the appointed curators, it is the responsibility of the Art Commission to insure that this growing museum quality collection is professionally handled, properly maintained, and appropriately displayed. The Commission receives annual legislative appropriations for its programs which are distributed through the Bureau of State Office Buildings. We are pleased to report on another year of activities. CONSERVATION: GENERAL JOSEPH HOOKER STATUE PEDESTAL 1. Background As part of its program to care for the art collection, the Art Commission oversees the conservation and maintenance of all statues both inside the State House and on the grounds . .The pedestals, often designed by the sculptors of the statues, are considered an integral part of each monument, and the Commission monitors their condition and implements conservation treatments according to the same standards. The pedestal which supports the equestrian statue of General Joseph Hooker was designed in 1902 by Daniel Chester French, sculptor of the statue, and Henry Bacon, of Brite and Bacon Architects. For several years this pedestal has displayed conditions which indicated potential instability in the monument: widening mortar joints and spalling pointed to movement in the granite blocks and uneven pressure on the forward stones. During spring FY'96, masons contracted to investigate the condition of the interior of the pedestal discovered advanced deterioration in the top of the masonry core and determined that the two bolts which secure the bronze statue to the pedestal were loose. This investigation maae it clear that the statue was in danger and posed a potential threat to the public. Plans were made at once to remove the bronze, conduct a thorough evaluation of the pedestal, and make all necessary repairs. r- asC.~C usetts·· r ' ! . j ~ MR S·0. e" J ouse, Boston 702M3 M4 1 1997 c . 2 Mi<. 7D2.1-13 111/ !Of c, f- Annual Report of the Massachusetts Art Commission r,2.. Year ending June 30, 1997 page 2 2. Removal of the Statue . On July 9, 1996 the bronze memorial to Hooker, Massachusetts' senior officer in the Civil War, was lifted off its pedestal for the fIrst time since its installation in 1903. Art handlers from Fine Arts Express, Inc., together with riggers from Shaugbnessey Company, padded and strapped the statue and base so as to avoid uneven pressure on any component of the fIve-ton monument, or denting or abrading the bronze surfaces during its trip to the west wing sidewalk. The bronze was stored on site and protected in a plywood shed. Upon their removal, the anchor bolts were found to be only 11" long, the upper 6" of which were threaded through the bronze base, leaving only the lower 5" or so to rest in mortar which had since crumbled. Masons from A & J Conti, Inc. also discovered during the early stages of excavation that the present construction of the core did not match original specifIcations supplied by the architect in 1902. Further, the pedestal exhibited unanticipated, advanced deterioration which warranted partial dismantling of the granite face stones and complete reconstruction of the inner core. French and Bacon's original specifIcations called for a core of hard-burned brick, surrounded by a 2" air space between core and face stones of Stoney Creek granite. The stones were to be anchored in place and the core waterproofed. The pedestal was to be coped with a single 12" piece of granite. Joints were not to be more than 1116." The pedestal was instead capped with four stones ranging in depth of 30-40," leaving a cavity of not more than 18" wide. The upper core, which fIlled the bronze base under the horse, had completely deteriorated. The upper two courses of granite blocks had shifted, leaving mortar joints up to 112" wide. Further excavation revealed that the core cavity was completely fIlled with no air expansion cavity allowed. The crux of all conditions rests on this aspect of construction. Freeze-thaw cycles produced cracks all the way through the mortar joints which produced water migration troughs into the core. Moisture eventually permeated the core material, and with no expansion cavity to absorb seasonal expansion, the stones were forced apart from within. Those at the top of the pedestal were at liberty to move more easily, and thus had shifted out of place. Mortar cracks were, however, noticed as low as the fourth course of stones. Fill material even down to the fIfth course was saturated, subjecting the entire core to continuous seasonal movement. Excavation through the courses revealed fIll material of Vermont marble, brownstone, bluestone, black granite, pink granite, limestone, and mortar of no uniform construction and varying degrees of deterioration. There was no evidence of watei-proofmg material, nor were any tie-rods located. The rear 53 x 59" medallion stone was only 2" thick, and was held in place only by the weight of the stone above it. Stress had already produced a hairline crack in the upper corner. In all, 22 stones were removed from the pedestal. The core materials proved to be so uneven in composition and compactness that instructions were given to excavate to grade. Annual Report of the Massachusetts Art Commission Year ending June 30, 1997 page 3 3. Reconstruction and Repairs It was necessary to reconstruct the pedestal in a manner which would eliminate the original sources of deterioration, namely the penetration of moisture into the core and the effects of freeze-thaw cycles. A new core was constructed of poured concrete. Each course of stones . was lined with drainage mats and 2" thick inert polystyrene foam insulation to provide an expansion cushion between the core and the inside walls of granite. All but the lowest course of stones were anchored to the new core with stainless steel rods allowing 118" play. Joints of 1116" were maintained as the stones were placed. A 1116" lead shield was placed over the top course of stone to seal the core and shed any water that might accumulate under the bronze from condensation. The bronze statue was replaced on the pedestal September 11, 1996. The original 11" bronze anchor bolts were replaced with 18" stainless steel rods. The granite stones were repointed and the entire pedestal cleaned of decades of encrustation and staining. Now that they are no longer masked by surface dirt, the stones lay claim to the over-cleaning they have experienced during their lifetime. The Commission is researching possible surface treatments to bring back the original luster of the polished granite. 4. Acknowledgments The Joseph Hooker statue pedestal project represents one of the largest single conservation projects undertaken to date. The Art Commission received assistance from several state agencies. First and foremost, the cost of this project well exceeded the Art Commission's annual appropriation. The Bureau of State Office Buildings, parent agency of the Art Commission, generously funded the balance, as well as provided necessary guidance on contract negotiations and compliance. The Bureau also supplied at no cost to the Art Commission all labor and materials to construct the plywood shed which protected the statue during pedestal repairs. We are indeed grateful to Dennis R. Smith, Superintendent, and Gerald Roosa, Deputy Superintendent, for their support of this demanding project. Robert Lento, Division of Capital Planning and Operations Project Office, graciously advised on engineering concerns at many stages of planning and reconstruction. Edward Oliver, Chief, MDC Rangers, supplied additional security and crowd control at the construction site for the duration of the project. The Art Commission also received generous pro bono consultatiollservices from Arthur Beale, Director, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Department of Objects Conservation and Scientific Research; Clifford Craine, President, Daedalus, Inc., who conducted initial conservation treatment of the statue in 1987 and has overseen its maintenance annually; and Judith Selwyn, Preservation Technology Associates. - - - ------- .. Annual Report of the Massachusetts Art Commission Year ending June 30, 1997 page 4 ADDITIONAL ACTIVITIES 1. Research and public assistance The Art Commission focused the second half of the year on its acquisition and public information responsibilities. As custodians of the art collection, the Art Commission works with outside agencies to safeguard and make objects in the collection available for research, filming, and other noteworthy display. Notable projects included working with set designers from Dreamworks Productions in preparation for fibning of the motion picture "Amistad," and facilitating the display of the original regimental colors of the 54th Regiment, Massachusetts Volunteers, on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the dedication of the Robert Gould Shaw Memorial, May 30, 1997. The Commission holds inventory and research records on all objects in the collection, and each year addresses inquiries from institutional and state agencies as well as independent researchers seeking historical and art historical information on this and other public collections. In addition, the Commission provided dozens of photographs of objects to museums and historic sites, film producers, and publishers across the country. Images from the State House art collection have or will appear in numerous exhibitions and educational displays, documentaries, articles, books, educational CD's, and privately published research this year.