There are more metal statues, monuments, and grave markers in the gardens, parks, and cemeteries of North America than one might think. Often made of zinc, lead, or the more expensive bronze, they had their greatest boom in the 1700′s and 1800′s, and many are now facing serious disrepair. Many private individuals and small towns are at a loss about what to do with them, as the scarcity of private conservation groups allows a premium price to be placed on such work. Often this then serves to make restorations or repairs a daunting cost or fundraising endeavor for public groups–and often renders the task impossible, especially for the private individual. The tragic result is that frequently these pieces of art are destroyed not by intent, but by neglect. In a similar vein, the cost of reproducing an artifact accurately is often what drives the presence of inferior synthetic or artificially made duplicates in the market, which themselves do a disservice to the artistry of the original pieces.

Our mission is to not only restore or recreate objects of heritage, but also to return an element of rationality to the field in delivering value back to the piece, itself, as well as to the people and groups we serve.

Often we have been afforded the opportunity to work on or with wonderful artifacts because, for us, it is as important to deliver this real value back to the objects as it is to make a living from them. More than once we have had the satisfaction of knowing that the reappraised or market value of a piece we have worked on equals or exceeds the investment a customer made in our work. For us, this is the ultimate end–for in that moment, both what we and our customer have gained is the equality of a fair deal, in which we both worked together to preserve an object of heritage for another century or more.

“When culture perishes, art reminds us that it was there.”