Canning Studios

Waterbury City Hall Restoration Project

admin — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 14:19:50 +0000

John Canning Studios was recently interviewed regarding the Waterbury City Hall Restoration Project completed this past year . A Point of Interest – The building was notably designed by architect Cass Gilbert. PLease find the interview at the link below:

http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/naylor/CTCQ0211/index.php#/0

Restoring Ornamental Plaster

admin — Thu, 28 Apr 2011 14:55:16 +0000

Canning Studios is currently restoring ornamental plaster in the Wadsworth Atheneum in Hartford, Connecticut. The Wadsworth is the United States’ oldest public art museum, opening in 1844 with a Gothic Revival “castle” building and expanding into four additions through the twentieth century. The museum complex is currently undergoing a major building envelope restoration. Here you can see our plaster craftsmen restoring the classical ornamentation of a ceiling rib. After the new piece is cast from a rubber mold, it is carefully cut to fit, set into place, and the edges are filled to recreate a seamless appearance.

Photos below are sample/demonstration of the ornamental plaster repair.

Re-gilding the Dome of a Simsbury Landmark

Dorothea Hennessey — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 16:43:32 +0000

Built in 1932, Eno Memorial Hall has served the town of Simsbury, Connecticut with an auditorium and a variety of civic services. It is a beloved local landmark that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. For the recent restoration of the Eno Memorial Hall cupola, Canning Studios removed all coatings down to the substrate of the dome and the weathervane and prepared, sized and applied new 23.75 karat gold leaf.

Welcome to the John Canning Studios new blog

admin — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 18:35:11 +0000

Here we will bring you the latest news about our studio and our projects. We recently completed a major restoration project at the Academy of Music Ballroom in Philadelphia, completed in 1857. Our studio was the consultant for historic finish exposures and paint analysis for John Trosino of KlingStubbins, the project architect. Taken together with a ca. 1860 photograph, the study revealed the original paint colors and patterns, helping to guide the architects during the design phase. We went on to restore the Ballroom’s ornamental plaster and all decorative painting, trompe l’oeil, and gilding. For a peek into the design and restoration process, watch this 10 minute project documentary, where you will see the artists at work!