On a day trip with Architectural Conservation Professionals’ (ACP) Simon Collins, I got up close and personal with a beautiful set of cast and wrought iron gates and railings.  They are the main access to one of our state buildings.  As you can see delamination is well underway and there is a bit to be done to get them back to a state of grace.  It’s a brain twister to imagine how such work was carried out first day.  Not so much the artistry and intricacy, but the logistics. 

Lifting very heavy sections of gates and railings into furnaces as each component is added and then taking them to site and assembling them must have involved very interesting machines, winches and pullies.  We have become so far removed from these big practices that repairing these gates and railings is left to only a small handful of expert craftspeople.  Thanks for the experience Simon and all at ACP.