Court of Neptune Fountain
The Court of Neptune Fountain at the Library of Congress’s Thomas Jefferson Building was created between 1897 and 1898 by artists Roland Hinton Perry and Albert Weinert in collaboration with architects John Smithmeyer, Paul Pelz, and Edward Pearce Casey. The fountain features a semicircular granite basin set against a retaining wall with three sculptural niches housing bronze figures, including Neptune at the center, flanked by his sons, the tritons, and surrounded by nereids, nymphs, and a variety of real and mythical sea creatures.
EverGreene was contracted to perform a condition assessment and make recommendations for the protection and treatment of the bronzes during planned waterproofing and fountain improvement work. Work included the review of documents relevant to the fountain’s historic and renovated design and coordination with structural and waterproofing consultants to determine the best means of establishing a waterproof re-circulating fountain that would minimize water loss, maintain the appropriate historic appearance, and protect the bronze and stone components.
Insights from the initial assessments were incorporated into the the bronze conservation which was executed by EverGreene. Treatment of the bronzes included:
- Chemical and mechanical cleaning of surface soiling, dirt, mineral deposits, and loose corrosion product
- Chemical re-patination
- Installation of a weep hole in Neptune to prevent water from collecting in the right arm/hand
- Application of two protective wax coatings, a custom-formulated microcrystalline hot wax and cold paste wax.
EverGreene conservators returned to complete maintenance-cycle treatments on a number of occasions. Work followed the same protocol of cleaning, spot-patination, and reapplication of wax finishes.
