Howard Wellman, Ron Harvey, and Nancy Kurtz
Abstract
The Governor’s Commission on Maryland Military Monuments is tasked with identifying, determining responsibility for, and facilitating preservation of military monuments to Marylanders. The 450 known monuments, in and out of state, honor veterans from the French and Indian War to the more recent 21st century conflicts. They are made of stone, masonry, copper, bronze, and iron. Monument building is ongoing.
Since 1989, 117 of the monuments have received conservation treatment. Sixty of those not under the care of other municipal, state, or federal agencies have been in a program of regular maintenance since 1999. The maintenance program is supervised by the Commission and the Maryland Historical Trust and has been performed by five conservation firms contracted over the years. The continuity of supervision and resulting monitoring of past treatments has been critical to the program’s success.
This article will review treatment records for Spirit of the American Doughboy by E. M. Viquesney, 1923, located in the Crisfield Cemetery, Crisfield, Somerset County, Maryland. The life-size figure is of soldered copper sheet set on a granite plinth with a cast bronze plaque. These records cover a period of 23 years. This article will examine how treatments have evolved to address changes in the monuments, in conservation practice, and in conservation materials, and discuss how these developments have impacted the long-term preservation of the monuments. The importance of maintaining an archive of treatment records is key to the success of this program; they document the evolution of the use of improved waxes, show how the various wax mixtures have held up on bronze and copper but are no longer compatible, and provide a roadmap of changes noted and repairs needed.