George Washington Bust

We were contracted to perform conservation treatment to a marble bust of George Washington for the Washington Memorial at Mount Vernon Place in Baltimore, Maryland. The bust, which is a copy of a statue in the style of Italian Neoclassical sculptor Giuseppe Ceracchi, is installed in a niche on the interior of the monument, the earliest monument to the country’s founder in the United States.

Prior to conservation, the iron ring and post showed signs of corrosion. The goal of the treatment was to remove the iron ring and replace it with stainless steel, provide an assessment of the mounting of the bust and socle, provide a proposal for securing the bust squarely to the plinth after determination of condition, and to make recommendations for the attachment of the restored bust to the niche. The conservation treatment and assessment were carried out. Documentation and a derailed assessment were provided to the client.