Old Steinway Hall

2 days ago
2 min read

Project Manager and Lead Conservator: project executed while working with John Canning Co.

Mural Restoration and Conservation & Decorative Painting

Condition Assessment:

The iconic Steinway Building in New York is where the famed Steinway & Sons housed their collection of Pianos for many years across from Carnegie Hall. It was designed in 1925 by Warren & Wetmore, the same architects who designed Grand Central Station. It is located on the north side of West 57th Street in downtown NYC.

The part of the building to be conserved and restored was the historical Rotunda where all the pianos were originally showcased. The Rotunda is intricately decorated using a multitude of techniques. The mural themselves located on the Rotunda ceiling and vestibules’ lunettes were painted using a combination of mediums. The primary decorative elements creating the general composition is painted using oils directly on plaster, while the main four central murals and all additional figures were oil painted on canvas that were mounted onto the celling. The lunette murals within the vestibules were also oil on canvas mounted onto the wall.

The primary problems facing the murals was the exposure to extensive water infiltration over the years. The elements that were painted directly on plaster peeling extensively, with large surface areas experiencing paint & ground layer delamination and tenting. The murals painted on canvas faired slightly better. However, in an attempt to keep them from further deterioration, several campaigns of shellac applied over the years to prevent paint layer delamination. These layers of shellac oxidized and became extremely dark obscuring the subject matter of each painting completely from view.

The main Challenge for this project was creating a different methodology for each section of the murals depending on their individual medium and the problems that became associated with them because of years of interventions, damage and neglect.

Treatment Methodology:

Tests were performed in order to ascertain the best methodology for the vanish removal for the murals. Exposure windows were opened to allow us to understand the original designs and details of the decorative elements present within the sanctuary wall. Areas of damage were stabilized, cleaned and re-adhered to the wall surfaces. All areas of loss were infilled mimicking the original textures and an isolating vanish was applied to further consolidate and isolate the original work from any new work done on its surface. Finally, the murals were inpainted to match original work

Mapping

Testing

Rotunda

Before

After

Mural 01

Mural 02

Mural 03

Mural 04

VESTIBULES

Mural 01 - Lunette

Mural 02 - Tondo

Mural 03 - Lunette

Mural 04 - Tondo

“All work accomplished follows the Secretary of the Interior”s “Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties” and the American Institute for the Conservation of Historic & Artistic Works (AIC) standards