Why do the doors of our library building looks so good?
The ornate brass and wooden doors to our J. Pierpont Morgan Library received a deep cleaning and much needed repairs as part of our restoration project. At the beginning of the project, they were removed from the building and sent to the Art Conservation Group in Long Island City to remove the dirt that has accumulated on the surface of the doors for over a century.
After arriving in Long Island City, the doors were kept in oxygen deprivation chambers for six weeks to kill any organisms on the doors before the conservation treatments began. Conservators carefully cleaned and waxed the bronze components and completed wood restoration on the doors. Once completed, they gave the doors a layer of wax to help protect the doors into the future. The work has given the doors a new life, bringing back the intricate brass details and wooden background to the original state.