NEWSLETTER
Now accepting submissions for the December 2009 newsletter: articles, photographs, artwork, ideas. Deadline: December 15, 2009.Do you ever browse the New York Times real estate section slide shows? I find them endlessly entertaining, whether it’s for the purpose of gazing at beautiful houses I’ll never afford, gawking at monstrosities that I would never want to afford or own, loving historic, rehabilitated or renovated houses in neighborhoods across the country, or just feeding general curiosity of what homes look like on the inside. So when a slide show entitled “In Need of Some Work” appeared for apartments in New York, it sounded interesting. There is an accompanying article, “For the Right Price, the Right Fixer-Upper” by Elizabeth A. Harris (1o.30.2009).
As I’m reading the captions and looking at the photographs I saw some less-than contemporary improvements like wall-to-wall carpeting and wood accordion doors. There were some wonderful features like 1930s sinks and tile bathroom floors. Classic. But, wait – those captions kept referring to the kitchens and bathrooms needed to be gutted. What!? Sure, the kitchens needed to be upgraded in terms of appliances, but why get rid of a sink full of historic character and definition? Take this statement from slide 24, “The kitchen, which also looks “prewar,” needs a total overhaul.” Excuse me? Why is “prewar” given the connotation of something horribly out of style? Some people like that look. I would love a prewar kitchen.
And I’m not saying that everyone has to love that. Maybe some people like those accordion doors, too. That’s great because we all have different tastes. But why is there this judgment on everything just because it’s old? Call it a fixer-upper, but don’t assume that everyone will want to toss away the prewar kitchen or the bathroom floor. See, how cool is that prewar kitchen? Check it out at Levittown, PA: Building the Suburban Dream.
The "Prewar" Kitchen
Part roadside architecture, part crazy architect, part classic American culture… whatever it is, weird buildings are always entertaining and often a welcome site (assuming they have not replaced a demolished historic structure). This Kansas City Public Library parking garage just might be my favorite.
Creative Commons: David King, Flickr, click for source.
I searched for strange buildings around the internet and found a few entertaining sites that just might make you want to take a road trip.
Weird Architecture – Strange & Unique Buildings in the USA
50 Strange Buildings of the World
And then sites start to repeat each other.
What do you think of unique architecture? Does it detract from the existing environment? When does it have a place? And will these be considered historic landmarks?
Sometimes historic resources are just too large to scan. This one covered the length of an entire library table. Thank goodness for the digital age. This is the beautiful McClellan’s 1856 map of Windham County, VT.
Series introduction. October 2009.
By Nicholas Bogosian
Modeling, Molding & Casting
Molding compounds, long ago, were made from animal by-products. The molds would, in turn, attract all sorts of vermin. The shelf-life of the mold was brief. Today, the mold maker can still be found – in fabrication plants, in art studios, in special effects labs, and in the preservation trades, to name a few.
Since the days of edible molds, we’ve come quite far in our scientific development of more durable and lasting molding materials. Today the mold maker can select from polyurethane and silicone liquid rubbers as well as latex, alginate, and wax. The decision on which to use is not a mere preference, but rather dependent on what material you will be casting with, as well as the shape characteristics of the piece. The litany of casting materials is much more extensive: wax, concrete, plaster, epoxy, polyurethane, polyester, acrylic, and metal. Along with casting material and the shape of the desired piece, there are many other factors to consider before choosing your materials. These considerations can be found in molding and casting materials catalogues.
Model and mold making, for the preservationist, can be one of the few avenues to be creative and artistic, especially if he or she is given a restoration job. Say a Federalist style home has had many occupants through the years and many additions – and say one of those additions was dropped ceilings in a front office for a realtor. After research has been done on the property, it is decided to restore the ceiling to its characteristic decorative plaster ceilings which no longer exist, complete with an elaborate plaster medallion. It is then your job to create the Federalist ornamentation from scratch, with the aid of photographs and diagrams of the period’s style.
In a recent project at Belmont Tech, we were to find some section/piece of decorative architecture (whether in print or in real life), render the example, model the example from clay, create a mold of the model, then cast the mold with plaster.
I found my example out of a Gothic Architecture book – a small section from a c. 1500s woodcarving that encased a window. Then I rendered the photograph into an image that was the size I needed.
Paycocke's house. Courtesy of Nicholas Bogosian.
Second, with my design, I needed to roll out the clay to get a uniform thickness.
Clay press. Courtesy of Nicholas Bogosian.
“Tracing” the image onto the clay is done simply by using a modeling “poker” to poke holes in the clay along the lines.
Clay Trace. Courtesy of Nicholas Bogosian.
Then the process of carving out the image begins. Here, ready for touchups:
Clay Carve. Courtesy of Nicholas Bogosian.
The degree of detail that one pursues on such complex modeling designs will be dependent on the time available, and the placement of the object in the structure. Our professor gave an example of someone trying to remove each and every fingerprint from the clay for an enormous medallion in a historic theatre which will be not only in half-light most of its life, but nowhere near enough its admirers for fingerprints to be seen. And at this rate, the preservation artist ends up making barely twenty-two cents an hour!
Next, a clay dam is created around the model to contain the molding compound as it cures.
Clay Dam. Courtesy of Nicholas Bogosian.
Because my model had fairly deep crevices, lips, and some delicate shapes, it was best to go for a molding compound which would be soft enough to maneuver from the plaster once cast. I used a 74-30 Polyurethane Liquid Rubber, which has two parts: the 74 classifies the resin and the 30 classifies the hardness. Every molding compound has specific instructions for preparation. The two parts are designed to produce a chemical reaction when mixed, and will only do so if mixed properly. This particular polyurethane was a one to one ratio. The molding compound is poured into the dam and allowed to cure for a day.
Mold Cure. Courtesy of Nicholas Bogosian.
Once the mold is retrieved, gypsum casting plaster in powdered form is mixed with warm water till a dip of the finger shows no skin. Once the mold has been sprayed with Spray-Release, the plaster is poured into the mold. The plaster should not sit in the mold for more than a day, as it will be more difficult to remove. The still-wet plaster casting can be removed after a half-hour and left to cure in the open.
Plaster Cure. Courtesy of Nicholas Bogosian.
Brush-on molds may also be utilized in pieces which are still attached, such as decorative cornices, capitals, or lion’s heads. In these situations, there would be no way to remove the object, and there would be no need to.
Having the technology of model and mold making makes the preservationist’s job efficient and more cost-effective because of the variety of materials at your disposal. If actual decorative pieces can be retrieved and molded, the modeling step is taken out altogether. Once a mold is created of a single object, it can be duplicated easily for repetitive patterns and used for many years to come.
A beautiful historic house in the Four Corners Historic District of Charlotte, VT, all ready for Halloween.
Fall in Vermont is breathtaking. This evening is a perfect Halloween evening, too, with the wind blowing the leaves in whirls across the lawn, streets covered in orange and yellow leaves, a surprisingly warm temperature (66 degress F), and just enough clouds to add mystery to the air. Darkness is approaching and in my neighborhood the houses are awaiting trick-or-treaters. Doesn’t it seem that all peak seasonal moments and holidays make our houses and neighborhoods all the more important and picturesque?
Introducing Ken Loyd, a retired third grade teacher from Sandhills Farm Life Elementary in Carthage, North Carolina. Ken is the father of a good friend of mine from North Carolina, which is how I met him and started following his blog. Ken blogs about his adorable granddaughters, his adventures with his wife Judy, and miscellaneous topics from history to music to everyday life. I love to read Ken’s blog, especially for his perspectives on history, school, and his memories (oh, and the cute baby pictures). I’m happy to say that Ken is willing to be an occasional guest blogger, as the topics come to his blog. Enjoy!
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By Ken Loyd
I just finished a good book: Our America. Funny thing is, I’d read this book before– 48 years before. It was published in 1961 and was the newly adopted history book (before the term “Social Studies” came in vogue) for DeKalb County Schools in Atlanta.
I came upon this book at a thrift shop during our summer travels. Re-reading it was truly a trip back in time. It covered American history from Columbus up to the election of John Kennedy. I loved history then, and I love it now. But my second time through the book I got a real kick out of the way several things were described.
Here are some of my favorite examples. I hope you enjoy them.
- On DeSoto discovering the Mississippi River: “The Spaniards thought it very muddy and did not explore it.”
- On the settlement of Jamestown: “Now, King James had a river and a town named after him. History doesn’t say whether he was pleased or not.”
- On buying Manhattan from the Indians: “Minuit gave the Indians trinkets and beads worth about twenty-four dollars. Manhattan Island is not for sale at that price now.”
- On English-Spanish conflicts: “The Spaniards in Florida were not good neighbors of the Georgians. . . . After a few fights, the Spaniards decided to stay in their own yard.”
The inside cover of Our America featured stars indicating the year each state joined the union. This was the first new textbook our school had had since Alaska and Hawaii attained statehood.
- On the thirteen colonies: “In time, we shall see that “thirteen” was to be England’s unlucky number.”
- On relations with King George–the “olive branch” offered: “Dear King,– Kindly be a little easier on us. Because, if you mean to take away our liberty, we will fight.”
- On American defeat at the battle of Monmouth: “However, one of Washington’s generals ordered his men to retreat for no good reason whatever. There was a great to-do about this, and Congress told this man that he was no longer needed in the army.”
- On children reading the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution: “Before you pick up the ‘funnies,’ or begin that new adventure story, why not read these two famous papers? Don’t be afraid of the big words in them. Any older person will be glad to tell you what they mean.”
- On effectiveness of “bucket brigades”: “At the cry of ‘Fire!’ men grabbed pails or buckets and formed two lines from the fire to the nearest water. The buckets were filled and passed along one line from man to man. Then the water was poured on the fire, and the buckets went down the other line to be refilled. Usually the fire won.”
- On a new political party: “To take sides against the Democrats, a new party was formed in 1832. This party took the name of Whigs. Please don’t ask why. The name ‘Whig’ died in 1860. And ‘Republican’ took its place. That is a much nicer name.”
I’ll be posting on this subject again soon, but here’s a timely parting shot.
- “In the years of prosperity and good times, the people do not make ready for the hard times that sometimes lie ahead. Nothing is put aside for a rainy day. countries and nations are like people. They do not get ready, either. And people and countries never seem to learn this lesson.”
Guess what? The paragraph above was not written about the Great Depression which began with the stock market crash of 1929. It was about the “hard times” America endured from 1837 until 1841, during the term of President Martin Van Buren. Anyone think history doesn’t repeat itself?
If you haven’t seen the National Park Service’s quarterly magazine, Common Ground, you ought to check it out. You can sign up for a free subscription or download the issues for free. (Currently Spring 2009 is on the website, but Fall 2009 has arrrived in the mail.) While I’m in favor of saving trees, this magazine is so beautiful that I’m really glad it’s a print mailing. The articles are always exciting, interesting, different, and accompanied by breathtaking photographs. It is my favorite magazine to receive in the mail.
The NPS deserves more love and attention than we give it, preservationists and non-preservationists. So start by reading to see what great work the NPS does. Go ahead, read it, sign up. You won’t be sorry. You’ll love it. You could call it Preservation in Pink’s idol in some ways, or at least a mentor.
Trinity United Methodist Church, Montpelier, VT.
A grad school side note: last night I was definitely dreaming of American architecture. Actually, I’m pretty sure that I was dreaming of studying American architecture. Not exactly a dream, not exactly a nightmare, but I did want some peace from studying! It’s midterm season!
Has anyone read Architecture and the Dream by Craig Whitaker (Three Rivers Press, 1998)?
It looks like a good read, and received favorable reviews. This New York University professor is also a planner and a landscape architect. The book analyzes American ideals and the built environment. It seems like it’d be right up the alley of Diners, Bowling Alleys, and Trailers Park: Chasing the American Dream in Postwar Consumer Culture by Andrew Hurley, which happens to be one of my all-time favorites. (And it seems way less frightening than dreaming about architecture.)
If you’re in the Fredericksburg, VA area and in the mood for some Halloween fun, head to Market Square in downtown Fredericksburg for the 25th annual Ghost Walk, run and hosted by the University of Mary Washington’s Historic Preservation Club.
Check out the UMW Press Release:
The University of Mary Washington Historic Preservation Club will host the 25th annual Ghost Walk on Friday, October 23 and Saturday, October 24.
The haunted tours of downtown Fredericksburg will leave every 10 minutes from Market Square on the corner of Princess Anne and William streets. The first hour of each night will consist of children’s tours where the ghosts are friendlier, and children are encouraged to wear Halloween costumes and trick-or-treat at each site. Throughout the evening, children’s games and refreshments will be available in Market Square.
The tours run from 6 to 10 p.m. on Friday and from 5 to 10 p.m. on Saturday. The hour-and-a-half long tours stop at about a dozen sites throughout historic Fredericksburg, including the Masonic Cemetery, Hugh Mercer Apothecary Shop and Kenmore Plantation. Members of the Historic Preservation Club and other UMW students act out stories based on the book “The Ghosts of Fredericksburg and Other Environs” by L.B. Taylor Jr.
Reservations are highly recommended and can be made in advance by email at umwghostwalk@gmail.com, or tickets can be purchased the night of the tour at Market Square. The cost is $6 for adults and $4 for children age 13 and under. Children age 5 and under are free. A group rate of $5 per person is available for 10 or more people. For more information or to register, call the Historic Preservation Club at (540) 654-1315.
News release prepared by Megan Eichenberg
Ghost Walk is always fun, for the actors, the tour guides, and the guests. Tour guides, actors, and organizers are all UMW students. It’s a huge event in the community. In 2004 and 2005, I was a co-chair for Ghost Walk and the event remains one of my favorite Preservation Club memories. Ghost Walk is definitely worth your time and it’s a fun way to learn some area history. Wear good walking shoes!
