Best Bronze Protection

July 5, 2026 by Bob Hannum

‘Whale Dance’ by Jim Sardonis, July 2019, bronze with dark patina, 16’ x 12’, Randolph, VT. Photo by Lelonie Oatway.

Why Coat Bronze

Don't use wax on outdoor sculpture. And here's the research-based reasons why. I list the research at the end of this article, and full disclosure: I receive no remuneration whatsoever for any products referenced in this article.

First a little history. The use of wax with bronze has a long tradition. Archaeological evidence of the 'hot-wax' technique for creating bronze jewelry dates back as far as the first evidence of bronze itself - around 3500 BC. So I imagine that it wasn't too long before someone noticed how nice a bronze statue or pendant looks when polished with wax, and how it protects against fingerprints and weather. This is just a theory, but regardless of how it started, the use of wax to coat metal sculpture, particularly bronze, started long ago and continues today.

The Trouble With Wax

I've used wax myself on sculptures, such as traditional hot wax coating for outdoor bronze, and Renaissance Wax for indoor sculpture. Since most of my work involves outdoor sculpture, I wanted to know just how durable wax is. To my surprise research shows that wax lasts only a few months on outdoor sculpture. Furthermore, the development of new bronze coatings such as polymers protect longer, are easier to apply, and dramatically reduce the cost of maintenance.

So about 10 years ago and after thorough research I began using a polymer known as Everbrite. Though it's a proprietary blend, its ingredients include polymers which seem to me to be similar, if not identical, to Paraloid B44 which has extensive research. We also know that Everbrite has UV-protecting ingredients and a low VOC. After 10 years of use, I continue to find advanced polymers such as Everbrite the best choice for outdoor bronze protection. Here's why.

The Advantage of Polymer

First, let's talk about application. Polymers are much easier to apply. Simply brush it on, and anyone can do it with careful attention to temperature, drippiness, and a very clean surface. If the bronze surface is too hot the polymer will streak rather than self-level. If it's too humid, the polymer will not stick properly and blister over time. And it's such a thin - very low viscosity - substance you need to watch out for dripping. Most importantly - because I learned this the hard way - the surface must be very clean especially of any previous wax coatings or the polymer will blister and peel within a couple years.

In contrast, wax application is difficult and time consuming, aka, more expensive. Wax has to be applied hot which requires an experienced conservator. Additionally, before applying wax, old coatings have to be removed and the surface cleaned. With Everbrite as mentioned above, yes, any dirt and previous wax has to be meticulously removed, but when it comes time to recoat Everbrite - anywhere from 5 to 10 years - previous coats do not need to be removed. Just recoat over the old coat. It 'self- anneals', meaning it chemically bonds to the previous coat. This is a huge plus over wax - anyone can do it, no expensive application, no expensive maintenance - meaning tremendous cost savings for our clients.

And cleaning a polymer coating is a much easier process of simply wiping with water and cloth.

Now let's look at another benefit of polymer, protection. Only in the last couple of decades have we developed the technology to determine just how long wax lasts. Research conclusively shows that even the best quality wax doesn't last as long as we thought and polymers last much longer.

How long wax lasts on an outdoor sculpture depends on the weather. We took it as gospel that wax lasted a year or more when in fact research indicates as little as 3 months in outdoor conditions! It's so variable that wax on one side of a sculpture weathers more than another side. To know just how long wax lasts, you need to test the particular sculpture which is a time-consuming and expensive process. Without such testing it's only a guess how long wax is protecting an outdoor sculpture. And here is the real danger: if your wax application lasts only several months, the harsh acids of bird droppings, acid rain, and pine pitch can damage and discolor a bronze patina before your next annual wax application.

I found that on 3 sculptures located in the harshest outdoor environments (freeze-thaw marine) 2 coats of Everbrite last 4-5 years. In less harsh environments (freeze thaw but not marine) several sculptures I coated in Everbrite are still showing no signs of wear after 7 years.

And all polymers are reversable with solvent. Any solvent will do, though xylene does not evaporate quickly so it's able to break down the polymer coating more effectively than other quick-drying solvents. But xylene, like all solvents, is harmful especially to lungs and skin so protection is critical. By the way, any solvent will not harm the common hard chemical patinas applied to bronze sculptures in the foundry. Solvent will remove painted patinas.

Everbrite also provides UV and anti-oxidant protection, and does not yellow. Frankly, I think it's simply nonsense to ever use wax again on outdoor sculpture.

Assessing Different Polymers

I rely on the US Park Service and the Getty Conservation Institute for the latest research on best products and practices. Unfortunately they have not yet studied recently-developed polymers. They have studied the earliest ones (Incralac and Permalac) developed in the 60's which they found superior to wax.

By the way, when you search for polymers you will find many other terms - acrylic polymer, synthetic polymer, acrylic resin, lacquer - all of these terms refer to a particular kind of polymer so to keep it simple I'm calling them polymers.

Incralac was the first. Improved coatings followed with Permalac. Everbrite was developed in 1990. Now there are many. I've used Everbrite for the last 10 years with excellent results.

According to Getty research, Incralac lasts a little over a year in the harshest environments, but top-coats of wax can extend its life up to 3 years. This wax coat means that when it comes time to apply a new coat of Incralac, the wax needs to be thoroughly removed. Permalac last 3-5 years with 4 coats. Everbrite lasts 5-10 years with 2 coats and does not need to be removed when it comes times to recoat. All the latest polymers provide UV protection, self-anneal, and self-level.

Everbrite provides any gradation of satin or matte finish desired. Permalac now comes in a satin finish but as of this writing (2025) no gradations. A cautionary note: the method of coating Incralac with wax was developed by the Getty Institute to improve its durability and provide a wax look. I've just heard of a conservator who uses this technique on Everbrite, that is, coating Everbrite with wax. First, this does not in any way improve the surfaces of the latest polymers including Everbrite. And second, the wax will have to be thoroughly removed before applying a new coat which uselessly increases maintenance costs.

Surprisingly - and happily! - I've also found that Everbrite on bronze helps protect against graffiti - more about this in the case study below.

For cost, protection, and ease of application I prefer Everbrite.

The Downside

One criticism of polymer is that it cracks and peels allowing water to seep in and discolor the bronze surface. Yes, I have seen this and it's entirely caused by not thoroughly cleaning the surface before coating. Often this is wax residue from a previous treatment. I've made this mistake myself and learned the hard lesson which I repeat for emphasis: thoroughly clean the surface of bronze before applying any polymer. When cleaned properly I have not seen any cracks or blisters or peeling in dozens of applications.

Another criticism is that it's too shiny or just doesn't produce the same look as wax. This was true for early versions, but not any more. Everbrite, for instance, comes in any shade of satin or mat finish desired. In fact, the case study presented below is an example of just such a test of many different shades before the artist found the perfect match for the original wax look that he preferred (1/4 matte).

A downside of any polymer is that it darkens verdigris. But I found a solution for those who wish to preserve the beautiful shades of green oxidation on their sculpture. I apply a faux-verdigris by painting the polymer coated bronze surface with acrylic pigments to match the original bright verdigris. Then I coat the acrylics with another coat of Everbrite - polymer does not darken color-fast acrylic paints. The verdigris look is preserved and the sculpture is protected.

verdigris look to an outdoor bronze sculpture

Final Thoughts

One drawback is that any polymer is solvent-based so it's flammable and can irritate skin, eyes, and lungs. Thus, gloves, respirator, and eye protection must be used. Some plastic containers and brush bristles will melt on contact with these polymers, so I use metal containers and natural-hair brushes, available at any hardware store.

The final comparison is expense. When you think about all the issues mentioned above, polymer is dramatically easier to use and less expensive than wax.

Case Study: Coating 'Whale Dance' - Do's and Don'ts

I most enjoy working on sculpture when I can work with the artist.

Bob Hannum and Jim Sardonis

This job was just that. I met the sculptor Jim Sardonis when he asked me to remove graffiti from one of his sculptures. He then asked me to clean and coat this wonderful 16' tall bronze sculpture.

Related Projects:

The first step was a close inspection and estimate of what the job required. That done, I asked the artist if he preferred a product for coating his sculpture. This is a touchy question because Jim no longer owns it. It was purchased for permanent public display. Thus, Jim doesn't really have any say in this, though recent laws give artists some control over their art even after they sell it. Nonetheless, any decent conservator wants to know and respect an artist's wishes when reasonable. And like most sculptors, Jim preferred wax, but after I presented the wax versus polymer issue, Jim decided to try a polymer.

Polymer is particularly protective in the harsh freeze-thaw weather cycles we have here in Vermont and throughout New England. Acid rain, bird droppings, salt, and pine needles add an extra degree of stress on the surface of metal sculpture. Wax lasts only a few months in these conditions. Polymer last years.

Getting Started

Next we worked on a perfect shade to match a wax look. I applied several small test patches of different degrees of satin and matte. Jim settled on a final selection as we stayed six feet apart to adhere to our state's Covid-19 precautions at the time. The final selection turned out to be 1/4 of a standard matte chemical mixture. We also tested brush versus wipe. The coating takes only 20 minutes to dry to the touch and 60 minutes between coats.

I cleaned the sculpture surface of all the old wax and accumulated dirt using the solvent xylene - any solvent does not harm the patina, but xylene does not immediately evaporate.

I applied two coats of the custom-mixed Everbrite that Jim chose. The first coat sealed small cracks and pits.

Final Results

More and more conservators now use polymer coatings. This is the best recommendation of all since the conservation industry is quite careful. Conservators are not known for using products such as polymers that are 'only' 30 years in use!

This particular coating restored a new look identical to the original dark brown wax-coated bronze patina.

No maintenance is required other than wiping with a cotton cloth and tap water. Most of the time, rain water washes away most dirt. When the coating began to fade five years later, I simply reapplied 2 new coats without removing the old. Anyone with painting experience can do it.

I find that hear in New England, Everbrite begins to need a new coat in 5 years. Polymers are so durable that I offer a five-year warranty to all my clients.

Oh, and one more thing - a surprising result. Polymer coating reduces the damage of graffiti! Everbrite is easy to scratch so most graffiti 'artists' are satisfied with scratching the polymer and not the patina below. So the fix becomes quite easy, simply apply another coat of polymer and the scratch disappears. The Everbrite people now make a harder coating called Protecta Clear which I will try on areas where kids like to climb - their shoes scratch off the Everbrite as well as the patina. I'll let you know how this goes in future updates.

References

1. Latest European study on wax, 2002, https://www.researchgate.net/publication/303158807_Protect_our_European_outdoor_bronze_monuments_Good_Practice_Guide_Culture_2000

2. Assessing the Protective Quality of Wax Coatings on Bronze Sculptures Using Hydrogel Patches in Impedance Measurements, 2016, Downloadable PDF at www.mdpi.com P. 10 - polymers are more protective than all waxes tested.

3. Latest research abstracts on polymer coatings for bronze, 2020 https://www.researchgate.net/publication/222801665_Developing_and_testing_a_new_generation_of_protective_coatings_for_outdoor_bronze_sculpture

4. More research, 2019, https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0300944018309743

5. Latest GCI Research: https://www.getty.edu/conservation/

6. Anecdotal comparison of Everbrite and Incralac: https://www.everbritecoatings.com/public-art

7. Latest CGI bronze restoration: http://blogs.getty.edu/iris/revitalizing-barbara-hepworths-figure-for-landscape/

8. Latest National Park Service research: https://ncptt.nps.gov/blog/ndsu-outdoor-bronze/

9. Latest Getty Research: Incralac vs Permalac: chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/viewer.html?pdfurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.getty.edu%2Fmuseum%2Fconservation%2Fdecorativearts_and_sculpture%2Fimages%2Fdasc_featuredproject_sculpture.pdf&clen=596502

Bronze Restoration at the Bennington Museum

March 2, 2025 by Bob Hannum

The Most Interesting Graffiti I've Ever Removed!

The Bennington Museum called me to remove graffiti from a bronze sculpture.

I spent 9 days in July and August of 2022 addressing this and other concerns involving ‘The American Spirit – Faith Charity Hope’ by Clyde du Vernet Hunt (1861-1941), c.1928.

The image below left is how it looked a day after being tagged with red spray paint. The image on the right is how it looked when I started several months later following previous efforts by the Williamstown and Atlanta Art Conservation Center.

They were able to remove a good portion of the paint but a 'shadow' remained visible which is not unusual if you don't have the right materials.

The surface had a few bare bronze spots, but was mostly covered in an original dark brown patina and green verdigris.

Verdigris can be the result of oxidation of the copper alloy within the bronze after decades of outdoor weathering. It can also be applied like paint to a bronze surface. I speculate, given the drip marks that are highly unlikely to be caused by weathering, that this particular verdigris is a chemical application. However, I also find it unlikely that the artist would approve of the unsightly drips and streaks. So, I believe that this was not the artist’s doing but rather applied sometime after the artist’s death (1941) and before it was gifted to the museum (1947) by the previous owner of the sculpture. My theory is supported by the fact that during the 40's applied verdigris was a popular choice.

The Story

The number 38 spray-painted across Lincoln's chest refers to the largest one-day mass execution in American history known as the 'Dakota 38'. The story begins with the American Indian Wars which is a catch-all phrase for all the conflicts between Native Americans and the US Cavalry which spanned more than 300 years. Until Lincoln became president no prisoners were ever taken. If a conflict arose between settlers and Indians and the Cavalry intervened, the results were invariably a massacre of an entire village including women and children. The Indians rarely won. When Lincoln became president he established 'due process' so that prisoners had to be proven guilty to be executed. Here is the story of the 'Dakota 38':

On September 28, 1862, two days after the surrender at Camp Release, a commission of military officers established by Henry Sibley began trying Dakota men accused of participating in the war. Several weeks later the trials were moved to the Lower Agency, where they were held in one of the only buildings left standing, trader François LaBathe’s summer kitchen.

As weeks passed, cases were handled with increasing speed. On November 5, the commission completed its work. 392 prisoners were tried, 303 were sentenced to death, and 16 were given prison terms.

President Lincoln and government lawyers then reviewed the trial transcripts of all 303 men. As Lincoln would later explain to the U.S. Senate:

"Anxious to not act with so much clemency as to encourage another outbreak on one hand, nor with so much severity as to be real cruelty on the other, I ordered a careful examination of the records of the trials to be made, in view of first ordering the execution of such as had been proved guilty of violating females."

When only two men were found guilty of rape, Lincoln expanded the criteria to include those who had participated in “massacres” of civilians rather than just “battles.” He then made his final decision, and forwarded a list of 39 names to Sibley.

At 10:00 am on December 26, 38 Dakota prisoners were led to a scaffold specially constructed for their execution. One had been given a reprieve at the last minute. An estimated 4,000 spectators crammed the streets of Mankato and surrounding land. Col. Stephen Miller, charged with keeping the peace in the days leading up to the hangings, declared martial law and banned the sale and consumption of alcohol within a ten-mile radius of the town.

As the men took their assigned places on the scaffold, they sang a Dakota song as white muslin coverings were pulled over their faces. Drumbeats signaled the start of the execution. The men grasped each others’ hands. With a single blow from an ax, the rope that held the platform was cut. Capt. William Duley, who had lost several members of his family in the attack on the Lake Shetek settlement, cut the rope.

After dangling from the scaffold for a half hour, the men’s bodies were cut down and hauled to a shallow mass grave on a sandbar between Mankato’s main street and the Minnesota River. Before morning, most of the bodies had been dug up and taken by physicians for use as medical cadavers.

Following the mass execution on December 26, it was discovered that two men had been mistakenly hanged. Wicaƞḣpi Wastedaƞpi (We-chank-wash-ta-don-pee), who went by the common name of Caske (meaning first-born son), reportedly stepped forward when the name “Caske” was called, and was then separated for execution from the other prisoners. The other, Wasicuƞ, was a young white man who had been adopted by the Dakota at an early age. Wasicuƞ had been acquitted.

Letter from Hdainyanka to Chief Wabasha written shortly before his execution: "You have deceived me. You told me that if we followed the advice of General Sibley, and gave ourselves up to the whites, all would be well; no innocent man would be injured. I have not killed, wounded or injured a white man, or any white persons. I have not participated in the plunder of their property; and yet to-day I am set apart for execution, and must die in a few days, while men who are guilty will remain in prison. My wife is your daughter, my children are your grandchildren. I leave them all in your care and under your protection. Do not let them suffer; and when my children are grown up, let them know that their father died because he followed the advice of his chief, and without having the blood of a white man to answer for to the Great Spirit." (excerpt from usdakotawar.org)

Depending on how you look at it, Lincoln either saved 265 native people from execution or sent 38 to their deaths. This blood-red graffiti across Lincoln's chest, hands, and face is clearly bringing attention to the 38 deaths, here in a region of Vermont with a sizeable population of 'First People' and college students.

Or is it!? Another interpretation is that the spray-painted number is 88, not 38. In the dark annals of the White Supremacists, 88 is a code for the 8th letter of the alphabet forming HH, Heil Hitler. And Lincoln is their arch enemy having freed the slaves. and this area of Vermont has a share of these characters as well.

Bronze Disease

Bronze disease is corrosion of the copper alloy in the bronze below the patina cause by chloride which is an environmental pollutant. This pollutant is particularly concentrated in the air where roads and walkways are salted. It is also one of the compounds found in acid rain. This corrosion will continue to spread if it is not removed.

Bronze disease is not often found on bronze sculpture, but this Lincoln had several dozen small spots, beside the left eye, under the rim of the hat, in both ears, and on the back of the neck. The spots varied in size from an inch in diameter to a pinhead.

Using sculpting tools, the blooms of chloride corrosion were picked away without scratching the surrounding patina. Remaining residue was brushed off using rigid plastic brushes on a Dremel. The surface was cleaned with xylene, a solvent which removes dirt and oxidation without harming verdigris or patina. These areas were coated several times with Everbrite. This polymer coating filled and sealed the small pits and cracks at the root of this ‘disease’, preventing further outbreaks. The coating will last 5-10 years, depending on weather conditions. I guarantee it for 5.

The image on the left shows the disease. The right shows blooms and residue removed.

Graffiti

A solvent-based red spray paint penetrated the rough surface making removal challenging. The paint was applied to the hands, face, arm, and the front of the coat.

I removed this in two separate treatments using conservation industry-approved graffiti-removal products. The first treatment removed most of the paint. A remaining ‘shadow’ was successfully removed with a second treatment using a different product.

This second treatment also removed much of the verdigris on and around the treated areas. To restore the verdigris, I first applied a matching green cold patina. This did not achieve the desired effect. Fearing that a stronger cold patina would etch into the surrounding patina, I opted instead to apply pigment, matching the color and pattern of the surrounding verdigris, followed by two coats of Everbrite. The pigment is color-fast and the coating has a UV inhibitor, thus protecting the pigment from fading.

The treatment of pigment and coating were also applied to all the areas where bronze disease was removed.

Caulking

Lead shims and caulking around the base of the statue deteriorated. I removed the old material only in the front of the sculpture, preserving the gaps in the sides and back to allow air circulation and drainage of any moisture inside the sculpture. Though the two coatings filled all cracks and pits on the sculpture, preventing rain from entering, moisture will continue to occur inside the sculpture due to condensation. The remaining gaps in the base will allow this condensation to drain and evaporate, preventing corrosion.

The front was re-caulked with outdoor-grade 35-year silicone and painted a dark gray to coordinate with the colors of the label and rock foundation.

Label

The aluminum signage was nearly unreadable due to dirt and oxidation. I burnished the surface of the lettering with an 80-grit sanding disc on a grinder, preserving the contrasting rough surface below the lettering.

The surface was cleaned with xylene, and 2 coats of Everbrite satin were applied. The UV inhibitor in the Everbrite will prevent oxidation for 5-10 years.

Final Words

In keeping with conservation standards, least aggressive products were used. They are reversible and when dry, environmentally safe. The sculpture is now in fine condition. The coating will also make any further non-etched graffiti very easy to remove. And I return annually free-of-charge for 5 years as part of my guarantee, to be sure that the products and techniques perform as expected.

By the way, the Bennington Museum has an outstanding collection including “…the largest public collection of paintings by the great American folk artist Anna Mary Robertson “Grandma” Moses who lived in nearby Eagle Bridge, NY, as well as the defining collection of 19th‐century Bennington stoneware. “Creative Collisions” are becoming popular at the museum, so we also have on view works by major 20th‐century modernists including Rockwell Kent, Paul Feeley, and Jules Olitski, as well as works by contemporary and outsider artists such as Gayleen Aiken, Duane Michals, Jessica Park, and Jarvis Rockwell. The permanent collection includes superb furniture and paintings from Vermont, one of the oldest “Stars and Stripes” in existence – the famous Bennington Flag, with its arch of 13 stars encircling the number “76” – the renowned 1863 Jane Stickle Quilt featuring an astounding 5602 pieces, and a 1924 Martin Wasp Touring Car, the only automobile manufactured in Vermont. "All are fine examples of art, history, and innovation that represent the creative mind at work, and the spontaneous expression of the human spirit.”

Bronze Conservation in Montpelier

November 4, 2019 by Bob Hannum

First Governor of Vermont

'Thomas Chittenden' is a life-size, dark brown patina, bronze statue located outside the west wing of the Vermont State House in Montpelier, Vermont.

Vermont State House with red circle indicating location of Thomas Chittenden bronze sculpture

It was created by renowned sculptor Frank Chalfant Gaylord II (1925 - 2018) of Barre, Vermont. Gaylord is best known for the Korean War Memorial in Washington, DC. 'Thomas Chittenden' was dedicated on 6/18/99.

Chittenden (1/6/1730 - 8/25/97) was a major figure in the early history of Vermont as the first leader of the territory for nearly two decades. When Vermont became a state, he became the first Governor.

Condition

This sculpture sits upon a granite pedestal. The sculpture and pedestal are in excellent condition with only minor oxidation on the bronze - two small patches of blue-green - indicating a pinhole size pit or hairline crack in the patina where air has seeped through and oxidized the underlying bronze.

There is a light green tinge over the entire surface of the sculpture. This is mild copper oxidation, typical of outdoor sculpture that has not received a periodic protective coating.

Restoration

Why coat bronze at all? After all, it's a very durable metal.

The importance of coating bronze or any metal sculpture is to protect against conditions that can harm the metal surface, especially bird droppings, coastal salt air, and acid rain.

First, I cleaned the surface by removing all dirt and oxidation with a mild soap and distilled water. I use Orvus which is a very mild detergent and biodegradable. Traditionally used to clean horses, Orvus is pH neutral and recommended by art conservators.

Next I prepared for coating the sculpture by covered the granite pedestal and surrounding landscaping with protective plastic. The coating is solvent-based so it will discolor granite and damage plant life. I applied the coating with a horsehair brush since the polymer dissolves plastic brush bristles.

Related Projects:

I use a product known as Everbrite. It has been used to coat outdoor metal sculpture for over 30 years. It far exceeds the protective properties of wax, lasting as long as 10 years. It is removeable with solvent, but unlike wax there is no need to remove past coats. Additional coats can be applied right over previous ones.

It comes in clear, matte, and satin finish, and the manufacturer will create custom mixes if you need to match surfaces more precisely.

Everbrite is easy to apply needs no special skills or expensive conservators.

I applied 2 coats. It dried within an hour. I'll check on it yearly for five years at no extra charge as part of my guarantee.

Bronze Conservation in Havana

March 2, 2019 by Bob Hannum

American Eagle Restoration in Havana Cuba

My trip to Havana was the most fascinating to date! I was sent by the Office of Cultural Heritage of the US State Dept to wax a large bronze eagle with an amazing history. I was there for just a week, but it was one of the most interesting places I've ever visited!

The roads are dominated by cars from the '50's and 60's, and most look like new! The people are genuinely kind and friendly even to Americans despite the difficult Cuban economy, difficulty that the US has exacerbated.

Though Cuban citizens have free education, medical care, and retirement with no visible poverty, drug problem or prostitution, the $35 per month salary for each citizen lasts about half the month. Everyone gets the same pay whether you're a neurosurgeon or a housekeeper. What makes it work is a robust black market and 'remittances.'

Related Projects:

Here's how it works as told to me by a local resident. She works at the local water department. Each week she brings home a 5-gallon jug of spring water. It's not considered stealing - she can't take more. Similarly, her neighbor works at the local bakery and brings home several loaves of bread at the end of his work week. Other neighbors 'collect' other items. Each neighbor knows who has what, and they all barter their goods and services.

Remittances refers to money that US and other foreign relatives send to their families in Cuba each month supplementing nearly every Cuban household with an extra hundred dollars or two.

This system, though burdensome, seems to make ends meet and people seem genuinely unstressed about it, though I noticed a lack of efficiency at the airport as my colleague and I waited an hour for our bags. Fascinating.

Equally fascinating is the story of the bronze eagle I went to work on.

The story begins in 1898 when the USS Maine, an American naval ship, exploded and sank in Havana Harbor. The event led to the Spanish-American War and the end of Spanish rule in Cuba. "Remember the Maine' became a famous battle cry.

The explosion killed 260 of the Maine's 400 sailors. What caused the explosion remains a mystery. Some say the ship hit a Spanish mine. Others say Cubans did it to draw the US into helping them expel their Spanish occupiers. Others maintain that powerful US business interests had a hand in it, to open up the island to business development. Still others say the munitions in the ship accidentally exploded.

As a result, Congress declaring war with Spain on April 25, 1898. The war lasted 4 months resulting in Cuban independence.

Original bronze eagle from the USS Maine

Original bronze eagle - note the outstretched flat wings

A grateful Cuban government commissioned a monument to honor those who died in the explosion. It was dedicated in 1926 and located on the harbor.

But within a few months a hurricane blew the bronze eagle off the top. It fell to the ground and broke apart. A new bronze eagle was commissioned with a more aerodynamic design - upraised wings instead of flat - to withstand future storms. The original eagle disappeared.

second bronze eagle - note the aerodynamic wings

In 1959, the Cuban Revolution led by Fidel Castro, ousted the authoritarian government of Batista along with his US supporters and business interests. The second eagle was torn down from the top of the monument in 1961 around the time of the Bay of Pigs invasion. It is now displayed in the Havana City History Museum, but only the body and wings, not the head! The museum exhibit and empty monument stand today as symbols of Cuba's resistance to 'American Imperialism.'

Cuban monument to the USS Maine as it stands today

USS Maine monument in Cuba as it stands today

The head was somehow acquired by the Swiss government which was appointed the caretaker of the US Embassy and ambassador's residence when the US was ousted by Castro. The Swiss presented the bronze eagle head to the returning US Ambassador when relations warmed in 2014. It is now displayed in the US Embassy in Havana.

Meanwhile, the first bronze eagle, the one blown off by a hurricane and broken, mysteriously reappeared!

In 1954 it was repaired and presented to the US Ambassador in Havana by a group of Cuban and American business people "...who saw in its indestructibility a symbol of the enduring friendship between their countries." How they acquired it was never divulged, presumably to avoid any offense toward or undue attention from the Cuban government. Then in 2011, the US State Department commissioned Milner and Carr Conservation LLC of Philadelphia - now Materials Conservation Collaborative - to repair the original cracks caused by its hurricane tumble in 1926. It is now displayed in the back yard of the ambassador's residence.

I was asked to inspect the conservation work and do a thorough waxing. It's in good condition with some oxidation underneath the feet of the eagle. I used butcher paste wax since the preferred product, carnauba wax, is not available in Havana and difficult to ship. Cleaning and waxing took 1 long day. I'll be back in the future to coat it with a much longer lasting coating specially developed for bronze sculpture and now the treatment of choice for outdoor metal sculpture.

I'd like to call your attention to a fascinating response from a reader. And not just any reader! Her father was the US Ambassador to Cuba (Ambassador Willard L. Beaulac) from 1951 to 1953. Ms. Beaulac Zachor shares wonderful memories of Havana. I quote her generous comments with her gracious permission. A truly wonderful read!

September 23, 2018
As described by Mr. Hannum, this bronze eagle was blown off his perch on top of the Maine monument in the 1920s. He was already installed in the US embassy residence garden when my father was US ambassador to Cuba from 1951 to 1953 (regardless of the date on that plaque). The tale told in Havana during those years, was that when the eagle was blown off the monument he landed on the ground facing north, sending the world a signal that he wished to travel to the US. In deference to the eagle's wishes, he was taken to the US embassy residence garden which, under international law, is considered to be US territory. I loved that version of how our eagle came to guard our garden.

The lovely bronze statue was snuggled up against a back wall of the residence and surrounded by enough greenery as to render the small area around him a private, shady spot where I sometimes sat for hours, enjoying the most pleasant reading experiences of my 80 years. From the photos above I can see that he's been moved from that leafy and cozy location to an open, sunny spot of clipped hedges and hard-surfaced paths.

When next we have a US ambassador with children living at our residence in Havana, I hope the children will enjoy the presence of this beautiful bird in their garden as much as I did.

Thank you, Bob Hannum, for giving our dear eagle the care that is needed to preserve his splendid appearance, and for writing this article.

Joan Beaulac Zachor

October 2, 2018
Dear Ms. Beaulac Zachor,

Thank you immensely for sharing your recollections on my website. Beautifully told. Please please tell me more and may I add your words to my article? May I mention your name? I will not reveal where you live, for your security and privacy.

I would just love to hear more about your recollections of Havana and of your father's work there. Do you retain any connections to Cuba after all this time? Have you ever returned?

Interestingly, I was so taken by the beauty of the residence and the grounds and the kindness of the local people who take great pride in caring for it, that I asked to stay there instead of a hotel next time I return and to my surprise and delight that was approved. But alas it will be a while before I get back given our present administration and the alarming sonic experiences of several American visitors and employees last fall.

The local people that I met were just wonderful to me - I was very surprised. As a contractor for the State Dept I am briefed before traveling to difficult places. So I went to Havana full of warnings and cautionary tales as you can imagine. But my experience was nothing but warm and friendly and safe.

I was fascinated by the day-to-day economics of barter and remittances and store shelves stocked with only a few items at a time. The strangest part of it is that it all seemed to work! People did not seem unhappy in general unless I was misreading.

So please take a moment when you can to share more of anything you remember about that time.

All the best,
Bob

October 9. 2018

Dear Mr. Hannum,
Thank you for your kind words about my note. I so enjoyed your article about attending to our beautiful eagle at the embassy and happy that you included a photo of him on the monument to the Maine, his first perch in Havana. I would be flattered if you added what I wrote in response. I've attached a few words here about my Havana of 65 years ago. I haven't returned for a visit but I would love to. I agree that our residence and gardens in Havana are beautiful. I don't suppose I have much to add about the residence that might interest you. But I can tell a little about living there, from a young girl's perspective, that you might enjoy.

Like most of the grand houses in Country Club Park the residence had (almost) no air conditioning in the early fifties when we lived there. Its thick walls of Jaimanita stone and deep porches kept it well protected from the tropical sun, and its great tall windows and doors allowed the breezes through when opened. At some time air conditioning had been added to some of the larger upstairs rooms. My mother turned hers on from time to time and put on a sweater but it looked a little silly.

My sister, Noël, and I would catch little drifts of music at night through our open bedroom windows from an area with lively nightlife a mile or two away that would have been fun to visit. But young daughters of diplomats didn't. Some nights I'd curl up on a couch in the first floor library (my favorite room with shelves and shelves of books) and nudge the needle back and forth across the dial of our Grundig radio catching bits of news or music from Miami. We'd not been able to tune in to US stations from Paraguay or Colombia where we'd lived before, and now in Havana, it was a happy treat when a station came through for long enough to play an entire song. I fell in love with the voice of Nat King Cole.

A wide hallway with cork flooring ran the length of the upstairs. It muffled the sound of our footsteps when we wore shoes and felt lovely -- almost cozy--under our bare feet. At one end of the hallway, near my mother's room, was an elevator and at the other end was a suite that we called "the presidential suite." The story told was that the elevator was included when the residence was constructed in 1941 with the expectation that President Roosevelt would be visiting from time to time. And the presidential suite had been tailored to accommodate his wheelchair. President Roosevelt died four years after the residence was completed and never did visit there, but our house guests enjoyed hearing that they were staying in his suite. Unhappily for my mother, my sister and I used to tease her by forcing open the outer doors of the president's elevator trapping her between floors. She bore it well.

Havana is in the tropics and there were a good number of bugs inside the house and outside. I visited the principal kitchen only twice. By day it was a lovely, busy space with Chef Sylvester reigning over his space in a marvelous hat that had to be a foot tall, while his second in command, Luís, in a less imposing hat, attended to beautiful vegetables laid out on large tables. A couple others who might have been staff or grocers looked quite pleased to be doing whatever it was they were doing, and curious to know why we were there. The second time I visited the kitchen was at night. Dark shiny creatures scurried across the floor when we turned on the lights, and disappeared into cracks and small spaces. The huge refrigerators were secured with padlocks so that enjoying a bit of ice cream or leftover soufflé at bedtime was an impossible dream.

Across the hallway from our bedroom (I shared a bedroom with Noël) was a wide open room, and broad balcony overlooking the simplest and prettiest part of the garden. This room was where we ate our breakfast. Our orange juice most often arrived from the kitchen with a barely visible number of minuscule ants trailing up the side of the glass and a few floating inside. It was nearly impossible to scoop them out. They were so, so very small that we simply drank our juice, tiny floating beings and all. Sometimes at night, my sister and I would turn on the lights in the pool and go swimming. We'd run on tiptoes down the path from the house trying to avoid the creatures that gathered on the warm surface after sundown. Occasionally a scorpion, but always tarantulas would fall into the pool at night, and they'd end up trapped in the gutter that ran around the edge of the pool. We'd grab onto the gutter after swimming across the pool or swimming underwater, but never were bitten.

At the rear of the property, behind a wall of tall hedge, was a good-sized kitchen garden where there was always something one could pick from a tree or bush or pull from the ground to nibble on, even if it was just a green onion. Our avocado trees were too beautiful to conceal behind a hedge and were planted in the landscaped portion of the garden. At Christmas the household servants would dig a pit in a corner of the kitchen garden and take most of a day to roast an entire pig there. Our family didn't join in the pig roast but my parents engaged in gift-giving for the household and their children each year, at a gathering inside, around our Christmas tree.

Country Club Park was at a higher elevation than its surrounding neighborhoods. On Sunday mornings the family attended mass in a small church at the bottom of the hill, and we'd ride down in our family-owned non-limousine with my father at the wheel. He was a terrible driver and my mother would come close to hysterics as he hurtled toward a tiny, single-lane bridge near the bottom of the hill. He'd still be chuckling as he parked our '52 Buick Dynaflow and got out. Inside, on summery mornings, the church felt quite pleasant as everyone settled into their pews. Then the air would get warmer while the church got fuller, the men's guayaberas would wilt damply, and the señoras would fan themselves vigorously. The sound of the fans striking their bosoms was quite wonderful.

My siblings and I attended Ruston Academy, a school that offered a choice of programs in English or Spanish, geared to those students who would be attending college in the US and those who would attend university in Cuba. The English classes were housed in a wonderful, slightly worn colonial building with two somewhat weathered courtyards and a long, open porch along one side of the building where we sat at long tables for lunch and study hall periods. School dances took place in the larger courtyard, and chairs were set up along the perimeter for the Cuban chaperones who sat fanning themselves all evening while watching us dance with an eagle eye. The smaller courtyard had a fountain and a coin-operated coke machine. My sister and I had seen our first coin-operated coke machine on a dock in New York city when we'd arrived there by ship three years earlier, when a very ugly revolution had broken out in Colombia, and I was delighted that we had a machine just like it at school. I loved those ice-cold cokes in their thick glass bottles. (Yes, I'm that old.)

One morning during out first year in Havana, we learned at breakfast that Radio Reloj (a radio station that seemed always to be broadcasting the latest news and time of day somewhere in the back rooms of the residence) had reported that a revolution had occurred just before dawn. Cuba's new president, Fulgencio Batista, had seized power without anyone firing a shot. Batista was already a candidate in the upcoming presidential election, but he was expected to lose. He chose not to wait for the people's vote. Rumour had it that Batista woke the highest fellow in the military holding a gun to his head and demanded "Who is your generalísimo?" and the frightened fellow, still in pajamas, replied, "You are, my general." And so the matter was settled. The newly ex-president, Carlos Prío Socarrás, was escorted to Miami a few days later. I don't know if that's exactly the way Batista pulled it off, but as revolutions go, it was a pretty boring coup. Rubén "Papo" Batista, son of the new president, didn't learn that his father was president (second or third time around, depending on how you count Batista's terms in power) until he heard it at Ruston later that morning.

In 1960, a year after Castro's revolution, Dr. James Baker, headmaster of Ruston Academy in Havana, joined with Monsignor Bryan Walsh in Miami in hatching "Operation Peter Pan," a secret plan that assisted over 14,000 unaccompanied children to flee Cuba. Castro's revolutionary government had announced that the state would take legal control of children over the age of three for purposes of education and indoctrination and many parents who couldn't leave Cuba, themselves, were frantic to get their children off the island. Dr. Baker delivered special visas and sometimes forged documents to families and helped them ship their children to Miami. Most of the Pedro Pan children were eventually reunited with their parents in the United States, but some parents never were able to leave Cuba. The Operation Pedro Pan Group maintains a database and network where Peter Pan adults are able to stay in touch and leave messages to others in their group or with family members. There is a description of Operation Peter Pan at Pedro_Pan_1960

I was happy to have a brief correspondence with Jim Baker in his later years. Although the Castro government had closed his beloved school in 1961, he wrote to me in 1999, that he was still planning for "a new Ruston Academy in the post-Castro era that will build a new, more democratic Cuba." Jim was 92 years old at the time. His son, Chris, created a website for our Ruston Academy family, many of whom have kept in touch with each other, and a Ruston reunion, here in the US, is still held every few years.

Although Batista's revolution of 1952 was less than exciting in my 13-year-old opinion, and although my sister and I were forbidden to attend Havana's famous casinos and night clubs, a few experiences stand out in my memory, not as being extraordinary, but as interesting to me at the time: The first was the opening of a Five and Dime store downtown. It had the first escalator in the country, and crowds of enthusiastic people lined up on the first few days to ride on that marvelous moving stairway. People laughed and chatted their way up and down the stairway and I don't think anyone rode it only once. We also attended a performance of Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus when it traveled to Cuba, and I was thrilled to be offered a morsel of bread by Emmett Kelly, a sad-faced clown that my mother had told me was the very best and most original clown in the world with his tragic face and gloomy behavior. I was so taken with his lovely gloominess that I don't remember any of the acts. And we rode the roller coaster on opening day of an amusement park that was reportedly financed by Lucky Luciano (it was no secret that US gangsters financed most of the hotels, clubs, and other entertainment in Havana, including the just opened amusement park). I hadn't ever ridden a roller coaster before, and I was terrified when it began its ascent a second time without allowing its passengers to get off. I was terrified that Mr. Luciano had been careless about the safety of the rides, that the contraption was defective, and that I was going to be killed by a gangster who didn't care who lived or died.

Taking my first sip of banana liqueur in the courtyard of a centuries-old convent, buying coco glacé (coconut ice cream in a coconut shell) on the Malecón, ordering stuffed avocado upstairs at the American Club in Havana's historic section, and eating more than my share of Moro crab claws at cocktail parties at home are my happiest food memories. My nose memories are the smell of leather and alligator hides at the leather shop, the smell of chocolate at the H. Upmann cigar factory where women sat wrapping the very best, supple tobacco leaves around rolls of filler tobacco, and the tiny bottles of French fragrances that my mother bought at the Perfume Factory where sales were transacted in the open under a heavy thatched roof held up, so it seemed, by the tallest, most beautiful Royal Palms I'd ever seen.

A comment on the US Embassy office building downtown. We visited the embassy a number of times when it was being constructed. Each time my father would shake his head and mutter "Dear, dear. Dear, dear." At least half of the outside surface was glass, and when finished would be the most modern building in Havana. The building was nicely situated near the Malecón, Havana's beautiful oceanfront walk. There was a single small balcony, protected by bullet-proof glass, jutting out from my father's office on the fifth floor. Except for my father's exit onto his balcony and the entrances on the first floor, the building was enclosed by windows that were sealed shut, and the sun shone through those windows all day. Once the offices were occupied, the air conditioning wasn't able to keep up with all that tropical sunshine. The building had to be evacuated whenever indoor temperatures became unbearable. The situation would prompt my father to mutter, "Those damned New York architects. Did they even visit Cuba?"

You asked about my father's work. I imagine my father's efforts in Cuba were largely directed at working with whomever was president or dictator to maintain a political climate that was stable and favorable to the operation of US owned businesses, and to trade, and to travel between the two countries. US investments and profits in Cuba were important to both, involving sugar production, manufacturing, transportation, communications, hotels, and entertainment. The only conversation I ever had with my father about Cuba's politics and his role there, was my naive complaint that our government recognized Batista's government too quickly after his illegitimate ascent to power. Of course my father was simply following instructions to protect US interests, and the decision to recognize Batista's coup would not have been his to make, anyway.

My father used to say that both parties should come away from a negotiation feeling that they have achieved some measure of success. I include a link to my father's record of a conversation with President Prío Socarás a few months after we arrived in Havana. It might give you an idea of how he worked. Amb. Beaulac - Pres. Prío Socarás

I've enjoyed your accounts of working for the state department repairing and restoring sculptures and other artwork around the world. What an interesting time you've had! If you do return to Havana and stay at the residence, I hope you'll take some photos to share, and give my eagle a hug from an old friend.

My name is Joan Beaulac Zachor, and my sister to whom I refer is Noël Beaulac Peters. I wrote this recollection for her as well as for you. (I have another sister and a brother who are much younger and have their own memories of countries where my father served later on).

April 1, 2019
Dear Ms. Zachor,
I finally updated my story of the Havana eagle with all your wonderful recollections. Just want to thank you again for so generously sharing these wonderful memories. I too was struck by the tarantulas and lucky for us both, only visually!

So should any more memories arise or if you come across any photos, please please once again consider sharing them with me!

All the best,
Bob

April 3, 2019
Dear Mr. Hannum,
I've enjoyed corresponding with you. I hope you get back to Havana and have a lovely stay at the embassy residence. If, when you step out of the elevator, on the second floor you turn left and walk midway down the hall, the room on the left was my bedroom. If you continue to the end of the formal section of the hallway and then left again into your rooms, you'll be in what we called the presidential suite. I hope you have a lovely time there. Before you leave, please give my eagle a loving pat on one of his broad wings, and whisper to him that I remember him well, and the happy hours that I spent reading in our leafy nook.

I hope you continue with your interesting work for many more years.

Kindest regards,,
Joan Zachor