PHILADELPHIA – Today the City announces that conservation of the William Penn statue by Alexander Milne Calder will begin the week of May 15th and will take four to five weeks to complete. Scaffolding began rising around the statue atop City Hall on Monday, May 1^st in preparation for the conservation of Philadelphia’s largest statue – the largest atop any building in the world. The 37 feet bronze sculpture, located 500 feet above the street and weighing more than 53,000 pounds, was last treated in 2007. This year marks the 125th anniversary of the sculpture’s installation.

Funding for this conservation project is provided by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, City capital funds, and private donations.

“The William Penn statue has endured as a symbol of Philadelphia since its installation in 1892. Conserving this monumental statue, and having the opportunity to view the astounding level of detail in Calder’s work, is an extraordinary experience,” said Margot Berg, Public Art Director of the Office of Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy.

The work, performed by Moorland Studios of Stockton, NJ, is required approximately every ten years to prevent the deterioration of the bronze caused by atmospheric conditions and the accumulation of corrosion on the surface. Cast in 1888 at the Tacony Iron Works in Northeast Philadelphia, the sculpture’s surface is extremely “pitted” –  a result of conditions in the casting process itself. Corrosion material accumulates in these pits, accelerating the deterioration of the bronze.

The conservation process involves: inspecting and documenting the exterior and interior of the statue; cleaning the statue with a low-pressure de-ionized water system and non-ionic detergent; and laser treatment to remove corrosion in the pitted areas. Following the cleaning process, a specially-formulated protective wax coating will be applied. Finally, the entire sculpture is thoroughly buffed to sure the evenness of the coating.

“The conservation of the 125-year-old William Penn statue is historic,” said Mayor Jim Kenney. “The sculpture is known all over the world as a symbol of Philadelphia, so l am excited that this process will ensure that future generations will be able to be as awed by it as I am.”

Conservation work on this bronze sculpture of the early Quaker and founder of Pennsylvania was previously undertaken in 1987, 1996, and 2007 and overseen by the staff of the City of Philadelphia’s Public Art Program.

“Philadelphia’s public art collection – the oldest and the largest in the nation – helps to define our city’s identity and is one of our greatest assets. We are fortunate to be stewards of such extraordinary works of art as William Penn and so many others,” Public Art Director Margot Berg added.

OACCE has archived photos from the last renovation project that took place in 2007. For more information about the project and OACCE, visit: www.CreativePHL.org, Facebook.com/CreativePHL and on Twitter @CreativePHL and Instagram @CreativePHL.
About the Office of Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy

The Office of Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy supports and promote arts, culture and the creative industries; develops partnerships that ensure culture and creativity are essential components of Philadelphia’s community revitalization, education, and economic development strategies; and links Philadelphians to cultural resources and opportunities. For more information about the Office of Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy, visit: www.CreativePHL.org, Facebook.com/CreativePHL and on Twitter @CreativePHL and Instagram @CreativePHL.