LOWINGER, R. & MORSE, A. The Conservation and Relocation of a Monumental Petrachrome Mural: Helen Lundberg's 'The History of Transportation', 2008

Posted on Friday, December 19, 2008 - 13:21

Article presented at the IIC congress Conservation and Access, London September 2008.

by Rosa Lowinger and Andrea Morse

Abstract
The History of Transportation is a 240 foot long (73 metre) cement-andaggregate pictorial mural located in Inglewood, California. Created in 1940 by Pasadena painter and muralist Helen Lundeberg, the mural was once situated along one of southern California’s most traveled commuter arteries. Changes in traffic patterns and demographics left the mural in a state of neglect over the years, subjecting it to structural and surface decay, including copious acts of vandalism that left it all but unreadable as an artwork. The mural’s multi-faceted conservation program, carried out 2003–2007, was predicated on its relocation. Indeed, had it not been possible to remove and relocate this large-scale architectural artwork, the extensive repairs, graffiti removal, structural reinforcement, and mitigation of erosion that were carried out during treatment would have been nullified almost immediately after re-installation. Therefore, the plan for relocation to a site extensively used by the public was the essential component in this project.

Important copyright information

This article was presented at the IIC congress Conservation and Access in London from September 15-19, 2008. The text was first published in the IIC 2008 congress preceedings. The permission to publish this article on the INCCA website has kindly been given by the IIC. This article may only be downloaded for personal use. It may not be redistributed. Permission for redistribution must be requested from IIC.