Hall Conservation Ltd

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We've been reviewing our project archives and enjoyed looking back at our work locally in Greenwich, at The Queens House.

Back in 1993, Eros had a problem with his leg

On the 25th of May 2018, Antony Gormley’s first public commission, “Places To Be”, was re-sited thirty years after the three sculptures were installed at the Peterborough rowing lake. Placed on the rooftops of Queensgate, Leeds Building Society, and Norwich Building Society, the life-sized lead body cases entitled “Walking”, “Looking” and “Standing” found their home within the Peterborough City Centre skyline. Hall Conservation are proud to play an important role to ensure these significant pieces are looked after on an annual basis. Recently our Director, Brian and Design & Conservation Coordinator, Naomi were on site carrying out the maintenance treatment. As you can see from the photographs, it was a beautiful Spring day for them to enjoy working with these wonderful sculptures high up on the rooftops. Each of the sculpture’s conditions was carefully assessed before lightly cleaning to remove soiling and organic matter using white spirit applied with a soft brush. Where any pin holes or openings to welding points were identified, we photographed, cleaned the area and filled the lead. Previous repairs were reviewed and retreated where necessary. The arms to “Standing” were replaced by ourselves in 2018 and the figure is in good condition for its age with only light soiling. We did identify that it was leaning slightly to its left and therefore we carefully realigned by carefully shimming.  Shims were inserted between the underside of the figure’s feet and the steel support bracket until the figure was standing correctly. A plumb line was used to ensure the correct alignment of the sculpture. All fixings were checked to ensure the sculpture’s structural integrity. After burnishing scratches or damage found on the surface the final stage of the treatment was carried out by applying a protective coating of patination oil to all lead surfaces.  

Last week we hosted a final year student on work experience within our forge. Carl has joined us from Herefordshire and Ludlow College where he is in the final year of his Level 3 Subsidiary Diploma in Extended Blacksmithing & Metalworking. The course is run the the longest established blacksmithing training college in the country and is where both our Director, Brian Hall, and Head Blacksmith, Colm O’Gallachoir completed their training. During the week, Carl has worked on various live projects including the repair of a historic finial and weather vane from a Grade 1 listed building. Here you can see him working in the forge and pictured with our other Blacksmiths, Colm, Steven, Brian and Millie. Carl says of his experience: “It has been a very interesting experience working not only with wrought iron, but also with copper and brass. I learned a lot from Brian and Colm and also through speaking with other blacksmiths and metalworkers. I’ve enjoyed working with historical items which are unique and not mass produced.” Brian Hall says “ hosting work experience students provides valuable opportunities for mentorship, skill development, and fresh perspectives in the workplace.” Thank you for your help Carl, it’s been a pleasure and we wish you all the best for completing your training and blacksmithing future ahead.

Chandeliers, from Walthamstow Theatre, which were made in 1929/30 are currently being restored in the workshops of Hall Conservation. Walthamstow Theatre has a rich history.   The original site of the theatre was built in 1930 as the Granada/EMD cinema, hosting legendary acts such as Johnny Cash, Dusty Springfield, The Beatles and The Rolling Stones.   It was closed in 2003, and the future of the iconic building remained uncertain for many years.   Waltham Forest Council acquired the building in 2019 to ensure it remained an entertainment venue and cultural hub for the community.   The theatre is now undergoing a £30m redevelopment and is due to reopen this year as Soho Theatre Walthamstow. The set of five chandeliers are exceptional examples of Art Deco design.   Their distinctive style is characterised by a blend of modern and traditional elements, featuring geometric patterns, sleek lines, and a bold appearance.    Constructed with a combination of materials including copper, brass, steel and glass these chandeliers embody the artistry and craftsmanship of the era. The chandelier body exhibits an attention to detail, embracing sleek and curved lines that emphasise symmetry and balance.    Notably, decorative impressions in the form of acanthus leaves adorn the chandelier, while the main body takes the shape of an open bulb. When the chandeliers came to us some months ago, they were in poor condition, marked with heavy deposits of dust which had settled over time, leading to deterioration.   They were scratched, with rust stains, flaking paint, splits, dents, many missing components and structural failure. Our specialised team are now in the final stage of the conservation treatment.    Following extensive expert analysis on original paintwork, our painters are recreating the original scheme on one of the chandeliers.   You can see them here working with the selected shades of blue, green and gold, applied over a bright yellow undercoat.  Look closely and you will see the new replacement repousse leaves made by our apprentice, heritage blacksmith Millie. The remaining 4 chandeliers will be presented in a “as found” condition, showing battle scars, old repairs and degraded paint.   These surfaces were consolidated to preserve the patina of age. We can’t wait to reassemble the chandeliers next week and share this next stage in their journey with you.

Following its programme of being cleaned, serviced and having new parts fitted, the antique cash register is now in full working condition.    The full restoration represents many months of painstaking work involving many specialists within our team of conservators.   The resin buttons have been cleaned so that the symbols can be read, the buttons and all mechanisms are now operational. Here you can see Hall Conservation Director, Brian Hall, working on the finishing touches to the cleaned wooden base, carefully applying a coat of oil and quality checking all components and treatments carried out. We are very pleased with the finished result and are looking forward to presenting this extremely rare register back to its owner.

It’s been pleasing watching the development of our apprentice heritage conservation blacksmith, Millie, observing her learning the art of repousse work within the forge. Herself a practising artist, Millie studied for her BA degree in fine art/sculpture at the renowned Glasgow School of Art before completing her MA at the Royal Academy.   Within her sculptural practice, Millie has worked with multiple media including cast aluminium and it was her experience with this metal that introduced her talent to us. She was fascinated to understand what metal can do and learn all about its components and capability.  Her natural affinity for the work and her curiosity to learn all that she can, led to Brian Hall offering her an apprenticeship with us at Hall Conservation. Over recent weeks, Millie has been learning how to make replacement leaves of two sizes, for a historical chandelier project we are working on. Repousse is a metalworking technique in which malleable metal is shaped by hammering from the reverse side to create a design with a low relief. Experienced Blacksmith Colm showed her how to cut out the leaf shape in flat, sheet steel. This is then heated up in the forge so that it becomes malleable. She then learned how to run a vein through the leaf as the first step in raising, curving and giving shape to the piece. Millie made a bespoke tool to chase out the work. She worked over a tree stump to create the natural textural elements required and a leather sandbag for smooth finishes. In total, Millie has made nine large leaves and five small, which, she explained, although quicker, given their size, are more fiddly due to the intricate scale. Before joining us, Millie had a fear of fire having had frightening first hand experience. This included witnessing the devastating fire at the Mackintosh Building at the Glasgow College of Art in 2014. Happily, working in the forge, coming to understand fire’s different characteristics has resulted in her overcoming this.

We have recently installed this beautiful marble figure back within its private owner’s home, following completion of treatment. “Fisher Boy” is a 19th Century marble sculpture by the artist Lot Torelli in Florence, Italy. It depicts a young boy standing on rocks, covered with floral motifs and sea shells, with his catch of fish while holding his bamboo fishing rod. The marble was finished with different textures, this finishing emphasises the different textures of the cloths, skin, bamboo, hat, hair and fish. When the sculpture came to us, it was heavily stained across the whole surface. There were numerous chips and defects most apparently:  The bunch of fish had several breaks; 3 tails were broken off, were missing, and several of the fins were chipped.   The end of the rope holding the fish had also broken off and was lost. The index fingers on both hands had broken off and were missing. Following careful survey and trials, the careful treatment was carried out by our team of expert conservators. The sculpture and the base were cleaned; images of the original sculpture were sourced and new fingers, fish tails, acanthus leaves and the nose of the muse, (on the base), were modelled based on the research. New fingers were modelled using a clear epoxy resin coloured width marble dust to imitate the translucency on the existing marble. Similarly, the new fish fins were modelled in a similar way, with consideration given to their vulnerability and making them as safe as possible from damage in the future. Scroll through these photos which firstly show close ups from the finished piece, followed up by before and afters of the full sculpture, the fish and one of the hands. This has been a painstaking project for our team at Hall Conservation. Reviewing the photographs has given us the opportunity to reflect on the work involved. We are very proud of the outcome and happy that the “Fisher Boy” is back on display.