Mount Rushmore

The Getty Research Institute in Los Angeles presented a significant
talk 27 March at their hilltop Getty Center on the causes and
effects of fungus, lichen and other harmful chemicals and biocides
on rocks, cement and monuments in particular. I was in attendance
and participated. The primary speaker was Mary-Lou Florian. We had
discussions before and during the talk about Mt. Rushmore and the
experimental treatments used by the government to remove lichen,
dirt and other debris with high pressure hot water techniques.

Clear statements made to me by Ms. Florian during and after the talk
lead to the conclusion that this treatment for fungus removal should
never have been used, was questionable at best and may well cause
harmful and irreparable damage to the surfaces of the presidential
faces of our unique US National Monument.  It is obviously too late
for the government to take corrective action. However for future
avoidance of a repetition, I wrote to the State Preservation Officer
in South Dakota and to the National Park Service to send procedures
to all State Parks to assure proper historic conservation of our
national treasures.  The same ill-advised treatment was apparently
also used on the base of the National Historic Landmark, the Statue
of Liberty, and damage may be already showing up because of that
'free' treatment it received after approvals only by Park Rangers.

Bud Goldstone, conservation engineer-retired
310-568-1571


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                  Conservation DistList Instance 19:48
                  Distributed: Friday, March 31, 2006
                       Message Id: cdl-19-48-002
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