Cleaning Key Angel

Now that warmer weather has arrived on campus, we have extended spring cleaning to the two outdoor sculptures in Haas Courtyard, between Watson Fine Arts & Meneely Hall/Mars Arts & Humanities: Guy Dill’s Key Angel, which was donated last spring by Lucky Dallo Eisner ‘53 and her husband, Trustee Emeritus Edgar Eisner, and Paul von Ringelheim’s Directionals #4, a gift of Paul M. and Ellen Berney Hirschland ‘40 and the artist. While the bronze sculptures easily weathered the snowy winter, they needed a bit of attention to ready them for spring and summer.

The sculptures were cleaned using dishwashing liquid and cotton jersey, then polished using paste wax and lots of elbow grease! Many passersby have asked the student conservators if they are being punished, as both sculptures have been the subject of fruit-throwing contests, which are hopefully no longer practiced. Thanks to Sarah Hilton, Class of 2016, Lindsay Koso, Class of 2015, and Josephine Johnson, Class of 2013, for their hard work! (You can read more about Lindsay and Josephine’s conservation adventures in the Spring 2013 Quarterly.) Thanks, as well, to Physical Plant’s Henry White and Jeff Dalrymple, who made Key Angel‘s installation possible last spring!

Photos by Sheila Donahue.