22
BCD SPECIAL REPORT ON
HISTORIC CHURCHES
21ST ANNUAL EDITION
All fixings on the sculpture were checked
and any that were found to be ferrous were
replaced with bronze threaded bar.
Of the two bayonets on the original
sculpture, only one survived. As this one had
to be removed to replace its ferrous fixings,
the opportunity was taken to use it as a model
for replacing the other. After testing for exact
metal composition, a cast was taken, and the
missing bayonet was then cast in bronze of
a similar composition to the original. Once
the finish of the rest of the bronze had been
determined, the bayonet was cold patinated to
match the surrounding metal. (Cold patination
uses chemical compounds to achieve a given
colour on bronze without the application of
heat, which can burn off original patina.)
Achieving an even surface finish across the
whole sculpture posed significant challenges
due to colour inconsistencies in the brazing
and original copper infills. The de-lacquered,
cleaned but otherwise untreated green areas
also had to be blended with the areas of
bare metal where active corrosion had been
removed. Because the whole sculpture had
been cleaned in the past, it was not possible
to determine its original finish. Prior to
conservation, the surface of the bronze was
a relatively pale colour with no apparent
chemical patination. However, from their
work on several other Toft sculptures, Eura
Conservation’s team suspected that it would
have been chemically patinated originally,
probably in a relatively pale colour.
The patination chemicals trialled to
blend in the various areas were potassium
polysulphide, ammonia sulphide and
ammonia. Small discreet areas were chosen
for the trials that would be out of sight in
the finished project. The results confirmed
the conservators’ suspicions: it would not be
possible to replicate the existing pale colour
over the whole sculpture. Again there were
meetings on site of all involved, including
WMT and English Heritage to decide the
best way forward. The conclusion was that, in
this case, the merits of a unified appearance
outweighed the loss of the existing patina,
so the whole surface would be chemically
re-patinated using traditional methods.
After further trials, work began on
restoring the finish. Cold or slightly warmed
applications of potassium poly-sulphide
were used, brushed back with the softest
bronze brushes, if required. Several coats of
the dilute chemical were needed, building
up gently to a medium colour over the
whole of the sculpture to achieve a finish
consistent with other Toft memorials. The
features of the sculptural figures were very
gently burnished to even up the patina and
to achieve an attractive, slightly variegated
mid-brown bronze colour. This highlighting
achieves an aesthetically pleasing finish,
bringing sculptured faces to life.
A three per cent solution of
benzotriazole in methylated spirits was
then applied as a corrosion inhibitor.
The final treatment involved gently
warming the sculpture and coating it with
microcrystalline wax to ensure surface
protection. Although wax does not last as
long as a lacquer finish, it is considered
preferable because it is readily reversible,
relatively flexible and easy to repair and
maintain. It does require more frequent
maintenance than lacquer but this can
easily be achieved by regularly washing and
re-waxing the sculpture. It does not present
the same problems of differential corrosion
as a lacquer does when it begins to break
down or becomes chipped or cracked. Wax
can also be used to even out porosity in the
original casting and to fill small holes. Soft
cloths were used to buff the wax to a light
sheen to complete work on the sculpture.
Lambert Walker’s staff re-pointed the
granite plinth, re-leaded the drains which
take water away from the upper surfaces and
sealed the edge of the sculpture. An anxious
morning spent water-testing the whole
structure led to sighs of relief all around.
Internal work to allow the re-positioning
and lighting of the book of remembrance
completed this part of the project.
Re-dedicated on 10 November 2013,
Toft’s war memorial once more stands
proudly above the town hall as a fitting
tribute to those who lost their lives in the
first world war and subsequent conflicts.
Recommended Reading
G Archer, The Glorious Dead: Figurative
Sculpture of British First World War
Memorials, Frontier Publishing,
Norfolk, 2009
English Heritage, Practical Building
Conservation: Metals, Ashgate,
Farnham, 2012
JANE MANNERS
leads Eura Conservation Ltd’s
small projects team (
and has
extensive experience of working on memorials in
bronze, cast and wrought iron or stone. She has
worked full time at Eura for the past five years and
previously worked with the company on specific
projects. A craftswoman by training, she has
also taught a range of subjects in secondary and
further education, including vocational studies
in engineering, carpentry and building crafts.
A detail of Albert Toft’s Oldham War Memorial during conservation
