Issue link: http://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/682431
A NEWSLETTER PUBLISHED BY THE UNITED STATES CAPITOL HISTORICAL SOCIETY VOLUME 52, NUMBER 4 WINTER-SPRING 2016 AUTUMN BROWN BAGS CONSIDER CONSERVATION IN THE CAPITOL I n October, two speakers detailed different aspects of ongoing conservation occur- ring within the Capitol complex. First, Curator for the Architect of the Capitol Michele Cohen discussed the Grant Memorial. Her presentation included informa- tion about the creation of the memorial in the early 20th century, including its theme of postwar reunification through focusing on individual pain and soldiers' dependence upon one another. Cohen also covered the ongoing conservation of the memorial, which is intended to return the pieces to their original finish, preserve that work with new protective coating, and fabricate and install pieces lost to vandals or corrosion. Construction Manager in the Office of the Architect of the Capitol Joseph Abriatis spoke about the restoration of the Capitol Dome and Rotunda. e Archi- tect's office is hoping, with regular maintenance, this restoration will last about 75 years; planning for it began in 1992. Abriatis provided myriad details and facts about the interior and exterior scaffolding and other elements of the restoration infrastruc- ture and process. During the presentation, attendees passed around examples of cor- roded pieces, paint chips, and the repair process used on cracks. Cohen's talk has been broadcast on C-SPAN's American History TV. To find all of our past events, search for "U.S. Capitol Historical Society." Joe Abriatis Examples of the mechanical stitching process being used to repair cracks in the Dome. (le and above) Michele Cohen (le) speaks with an audience member. IN THIS ISSUE: UPCOMING EVENTS PAGE 2 FREEDOM AWARD TO DAVID McCULLOUGH PAGE 4 MARKETPLACE PAGE 5 & 6 THE CAPITOL DOME