The “Old Days in Greenwich” mural before restoration.
It may seem odd to see a treasured Post Office mural covered with what appears to be wet tissue paper. But it’s the first step in a months-long, painstaking process to preserve these one-of-a-kind works of art.
“When it dries after eight hours, you can’t see the image of the mural at all, just the tissue paper,” said Parma Conservation Director and Chief Conservator Elizabeth Kendall. The covering reduces the risk of damaging the mural when it’s removed from the Post Office wall and transported to be restored.
Kendall used this process recently on “Old Days in Greenwich,” a mural that once adorned the Greenwich, CT, Main Post Office. Now, the mural resides in the town’s Board of Education building, the result of an agreement with the Postal Service.
Once in her studio, Kendall and her team remove the tissue paper covering.
“Probably the most difficult part of the process is the back of the mural,” she said. “Nine times out of 10, a lead adhesive was originally used. It’s very strong, but it’s also dangerous.”
Dressed in hazmat-like gear, the team uses a solvent and “little scalpels” to completely remove the adhesive “inch by inch.” Only after completing that delicate task can her team go to work restoring the art.
“We add paint where it’s missing,” Kendall said. “We respect what the artist painted.”
Kendall says the entire process takes several months. “But it’s worth it,” she said. “There’s nothing like them.”