Learn about 'Rescue and Restoration' with Elmhurst Art Museum Jan. 13

Elmhurst Art Museum is hosting an online program Jan. 13 with Tim Samuelson on "Rescue and Restoration." This 1972 photo by Richard Nickel shows Samuelson at Adler and Sullivan's Rothschild Building, just before it was demolished. Courtesy of Elmhurst Art Museum

Posted January 05, 2021 10:00 pm

Submitted by Elmhurst Art Museum

The Elmhurst Art Museum will host a virtual lecture on "Rescue and Restoration" from 7 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 13, as part of the "Wright Before the 'Lloyd'" exhibition.

Join Tim Samuelson, the exhibit curator and Chicago's cultural historian, for a Q&A session with the Elmhurst Art Museum staff.

Many of the pieces on display have harrowing stories of on-site rescues, such as when a friend gripped Samuelson's ankles so he could hang nearly upside-down to rescue a decorative panel four stories above the street. It was all routine in his efforts to save elements documenting the work of Wright and other influential Chicago architects as buildings disappeared due to demolition and fire.

They also will discuss Samuelson's process of recovering lost patterns obscured by decay and multiple layers of paint and returning the artifacts to their original colors. In some instances, surviving small shards have been made whole through modern computer and laser technologies.

The program is free for museum members or $10 to non-members.

To register, visit www.elmhurstartmuseum.org.

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